Eligibility:

1. Class standing:  Students who have completed at least one academic year as a full-time TU student are eligible to study abroad.  Students who transfer from another institution must complete one full year at TU before they may apply to study abroad, regardless of their number of credits.  Students must have successfully completed the previous semester at TU as a full-time student.
   
   
2. GPA and academic progress: 
1.    Undergraduate students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 at the time of application and demonstrate that they are making satisfactory academic progress towards their degree. 
2.    Graduate students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time of application and demonstrate that they are making satisfactory academic progress towards their degree. 
   
   
3. Language requirements: Students intending to participate in a study abroad program that has a minimum language requirement or in which all of the courses will be taught in a foreign language must satisfy one of the following criteria in order to be approved for study abroad by the CGE:
   1. Students must meet or exceed the minimum language requirement during the semester immediately preceding participation in the desired program.
   2. Students who are required to take an intensive language course prior to participation in a program with a language requirement will be conditionally accepted, pending their performance in the course. Students who do not satisfactorily complete the intensive language course will have their tuition and fees refunded as per the TU study abroad withdrawal policy.
   3. Students may complete an assessment of their language skills, such as an Oral Proficiency Interview, to determine whether they meet the minimum language requirements.  Assessments may be conducted by the TU language department or the study abroad program provider, and the CGE will evaluate students’ readiness in consultation with the TU language faculty.
      
      
    
4. Disciplinary status:  Students who are currently on disciplinary probation may not participate in study abroad programs.  The Center for Global Education reviews the disciplinary records of all program applicants and reserves the right to deny participation to students who have problematic disciplinary histories.
   
   
5. Insurance:  Students must demonstrate that they meet the minimum TU insurance requirements for students participating in international education programs or purchase the requisite coverage.  The insurance requirements are explained in the separate policy regarding insurance for students going abroad.
   
   
6. Approval for participation:  All students seeking to study abroad must be approved by the Center for Global Education.  Students must complete the study abroad application process as outlined in the study abroad application materials, information sessions, and CGE website.  The CGE reserves the right to deny or withdraw approval of a student’s application to study abroad for any appropriate reason, including a student’s failure to submit the requisite paperwork in a timely manner.  All denials will be accompanied by a letter explaining the reason the application was rejected.
   
   
7. Program specific requirements: Specific study abroad programs may have requirements that exceed TU’s.  Students who are accepted to study abroad by the CGE are not guaranteed that they will be accepted by an overseas university or study abroad program provider.  Students are responsible for determining whether they meet the minimum requirements for the programs to which they have applied.
   
   
8. Appeals:  Any student seeking to appeal a decision regarding their eligibility to participate in TU’s study abroad program should follow the academic appeals process as outlined in the TU Student Handbook, available from the Dean of Students and online.

Credit for Study Abroad:

1. Affiliated programs:  Credit for study abroad will only be awarded to students who have been accepted to study abroad by the Center for Global Education with affiliated programs, universities, or exchange institutions (hosting organizations/institutions).  Students seeking to study with unaffiliated programs or institutions must complete a separate application process as outlined in the policy document, “Application Process to Study Abroad with an Unaffiliated Program.”
   
   
2. Course Approval: In order to receive credit for courses taken abroad, students must submit a course approval form, signed by their faculty advisor, college academic advisor, and college associate dean or designee.  Classes may be approved as being substantially equivalent to a TU course and will satisfy the same curriculum requirements.  Courses for which there is no TU equivalent, but which are appropriate or desirable for the student’s degree plan, must be indicated and authorized on the Course Approval Form.
   
   
3. Grading Policies: The CGE assumes that students’ work will be assessed by the same rigorous, discriminating grading criteria that is used on the TU campus and evaluates affiliate organizations and institutions to ensure that this standard is maintained.
1. For undergraduates, letter grades earned in study abroad programs will be calculated as part of a student’s cumulative GPA.  Courses taken on a Pass/No Credit basis (see next section) do not have numeric equivalents and will not be calculated as part of a student’s GPA. 
2. For graduate students, all grades will be placed on the transcript as pass/fail.
3. Grades that are issued using the host country’s grading scale will be translated to TU grades according to accepted equivalency scales.  These scales are not a mere adaptation to the US percentage or letter grade system, but aim to match the spirit and rigor of the host country grading system with the US system. 
4. Grade appeals regarding study abroad courses will be considered in accordance with procedures applicable to appeals in other TU courses and as outlined by the study abroad program provider.
   
   
4. Pass/No Pass option:  Students may elect to take study abroad courses for a letter grade or on a pass/no credit (P/N) basis, subject to the following conditions:
   1. A student must choose on a course-by-course basis whether to receive a letter grade or P/N, subject to approval by his or her faculty advisor, college academic advisor, and college associate dean or designee.  A student may not change his or her grading option after he or she has left campus.
   2. All courses taken on a P/N basis must be taken for a grade from the host institution, and a student must receive a grade of “C” (or equivalent) or better in order to earn study abroad credit.  Students’ transcripts will list the course titles, designation of the foreign university or program, the number of credits earned, and either a “P” for pass or “NP” for no-credit. 
   3. The CGE, in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor, major advisor, and/or associate dean, will report a student’s grade as P/N to the registrar.  This report will be accompanied by the transcript received by the overseas institution.
      
      
5. Internships and Independent Study:  Students may enroll in a TU internship or independent study course as part of their study abroad program only with prior approval by their TU faculty advisor, college academic advisor, and college associate dean.
   
   
6. Withdrawal from an Overseas Study Program:  Students who voluntarily or involuntarily withdraw from their study abroad program will be accountable to both TU’s and the hosting organization/institution’s withdrawal policies.  The study abroad fee is non-refundable, except according to the terms described in this document.  Tuition will be refunded according to the terms outlined in TU’s regular tuition refund policies.  Students participating in programs that begin on a schedule different from TU’s academic calendar will still follow the withdrawal timeline as outlined in TU’s policies for the main campus.  Students withdrawing from a program for any reason will be responsible for expenses that were made on their behalf and that are non-refundable, such as airline tickets or deposits on housing.  In addition, students may be subject to the refund policies of any study abroad program provider or overseas institution to which he or she has applied.
   
   
7. Adding and  Dropping Classes:  The CGE strongly recommends that students seek approval for more courses than they intend to take prior to departing campus in order to minimize problems with changing classes while abroad.  Students choosing to add or drop courses while abroad must obtain approval from the CGE, their faculty advisor, college academic advisor, and college associate dean or designee.  Approvals must be obtained no later than two weeks into the host institution’s semester or one week into the host institution’s summer term.  Students are responsible for maintaining minimum enrollment required by the university or to maintain their financial aid.  Students who fail to obtain approval for changes in their study abroad courses, even when the changes occur at the recommendation of the hosting organization/institution, cannot be guaranteed that they will receive academic credit for classes taken as part of their study abroad program.
   
   
8. Course load: 
   1. Undergraduate students participating in study abroad must maintain a full-time course load during each semester as defined by the host institution/organization, or a minimum of 12 TU credit hours.  Student seeking to enroll in more than 15 TU equivalent credit hours while abroad must request special permission from the CGE and the associate dean of their college.
   2. Undergraduate students may not enroll during the summer for more than 6 hours of study abroad credit.  Students seeking to enroll in more than 6 TU equivalent credit hours during a summer study abroad program must request special permission from the CGE and the associate dean of their college.
   3. Graduate students participating in study abroad must maintain full-time enrollment of 9 credit hours. Enrollment in more or less than 9 hours must receive the approval of the student's academic program advisor and the Dean of the Graduate School.
      
      
9. Maximum length for study abroad:  The maximum length that a student may study abroad is one academic year plus one summer term or three summer terms.  Students receiving financial aid are responsible for knowing the length of program that their specific award will cover.