Start planning your study abroad academics early!
Talk to your academic advisor early in the process to make better-informed decisions about which courses to take. Make degree progress by knowing how your study abroad coursework will fulfill requirements at UMD.
Academic Planning Form
Use our Academic Planning Form to map out the courses you'll take abroad and understand how they'll transfer back to UMD.
How should I start?
- Meet with your academic advisor.
- Check the Study Abroad Course Database to see if a course you'd like to take has already been reviewed. If a review is listed and won't expire before your program ends, you can just write the course information and it's equivalent on your Academic Planning Form.
- If a course doesn't have an active review, if a review will expire before your program, or you would like to have a course reviewed by a different department, fill out the Study Abroad Course Evaluation form.
- For additional details, see the UMD Study Abroad Course Evaluation Process Guide.
- To request a syllabus for a course you would like reviewed, complete the Syllabus Request Form.
- Obtaining a syllabus from a foreign university can take some time, so plan accordingly.
- Ensure classes you hope to take are offered the particular term(s) you'll be abroad by referencing the foreign university's website.
Study Abroad Course Database
Use the Study Abroad Course Database to find pre-approved courses with UMD equivalents. This helps identify locations with courses relevant to your major or minor. You can sort by country, university, city, or UMD department. If a course you want to take a course that is not listed, you can request a review (see Academic Planning Form section above.)
Study Abroad Course Database >
Course Equivalents
Courses for an approved UMD program will transfer back in one of the following ways:
- Direct UMD course equivalent (e.g. PSYC 101 Intro to Psychology Abroad = PSY 1003 General Psychology)
- UMD major or minor requirements (e.g. lower/upper-division electives; MKTG 3xxx)
- General elective credit towards graduating (e.g. FORS 1XXX)
Liberal Education Global Perspectives Category
Successful completion of one of the following Study Abroad Programs fulfills the Global Perspectives category within the Liberal Education Program:
- UMD or affiliate semester, year-long, or summer program
- UMD Faculty-led program
- Affiliate short-term programs can also satisfy the Global Perspectives requirement if a class is reviewed to count as the direct equivalent of a UMD course listed in the Global Perspectives category.
Petition a Course
To petition a study abroad course for a UMD liberal education requirement, check the Study Abroad Course Database to see if it’s already been reviewed.
- If it hasn’t been reviewed, use the Study Abroad Course Evaluation form for a review.
- If it has been reviewed but you want it reconsidered for a liberal education requirement, complete the Study Abroad Course Evaluation form and specify the desired category.
To petition a course for reasons other than liberal education requirements, contact your respective college’s advising office.
