EAP and UCI Travel-Study
You will receive UCI credit. Units, course titles, and grades are posted on your UCI transcript.
IOP Study
You can receive transfer credit. Units (but not course titles or grades) are posted on your UCI transcript.
- The program must provide a transcript from a U.S. or foreign college or university (not a Center, Institute, Academy, etc.). Course titles and grades will appear on the host university's transcript. Only the units will be posted on your UCI transcript.
IOP Non-Study
You cannot receive credit for non-study programs.
Fulfill Degree Requirements
Follow the steps below to fulfill degree requirements (major, minor, or GE/breadth) with classes taken while abroad.
Your role:
1. Know your degree requirements.
2. Review the Credit Limitations tab above.
3. IOP students: Confirm with the IOP provider which institution will provide your transcript. Note: To transfer credit to UCI the transcript must come from a university or college (not an Academy, Center, Institute, etc.).
4. Locate the courses offered on the study abroad program you are considering. Most are accessible from the program's web site.
5. Compare the courses offered to the courses you need to fulfill your requirements. Compare course descriptions, levels (i.e. upper or lower division), etc. to determine if they seem roughly equivalent. If you wish to fulfill GE/breadth requirements, be sure to read the GE/Breadth tab above.
- If you cannot find the courses offered, figure out whether or not the courses are similar to the courses you need, or have any questions about the above steps 1-5, make an appointment with a CIE Staff Advisor.
Final Approval:
EAP: Follow the instructions for fulfilling degree requirements for the School of your major at Study Abroad in Your Major.
IOP: Complete the on-line IOP Credit Contract (access available from CIE). Allow 4-8 weeks for this process to be completed.
UCI Travel-Study: No further action needed. All classes on UCI Travel-Study are regular UCI classes listed in the UCI catalog.
General Education (GE)/Breadth
Students may fulfill a variety of General Education (GE)/Breadth requirements with courses taken abroad. Category VIII and IX can be fulfilled by studying abroad as follows:
- Category VIII. International/Global Issues. May be satisfied by one quarter's participation in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP). Generally, participation in other study abroad programs also fulfills this requirement. Check with your School’s Academic Counselor to confirm.
- Category IX. Laboratory or Performance. May be satisfied by completing University Studies 197D: Study Abroad Experiential Learning in the quarter immediately following study abroad.
See more information about fulfilling breadth requirements abroad here.
Credit Limitations
- You cannot receive credit for duplicate courses (i.e. courses taken abroad that are the equivalent of courses already taken at UCI or any other collegiate institution).
- You cannot receive credit for courses that are prerequisite to, or more elementary than, courses already taken at UCI or any other collegiate institution (e.g. you cannot get credit for the equivalent of Spanish 1B if you have already taken Spanish 1C).
- You can only receive credit for fields offered at a UC campus. For fields not offered at UCI, consult the on-line catalogs for the other UCs to determine if they offer it (e.g. Architecture is not offered at UCI, but it is offered at UCB and UCSD, so you can receive credit for architecture courses taken abroad).
- You can only receive credit for an internship if offered by a UC program.
Transfer Students
- There are no limitations to the total number of units that can be transferred to UCI from a 4-year U.S. accredited institution.
- There are limitations to the total number of units that can be transferred to UCI from a community college (no more than 105 quarter units or 70 semester units).
University Residence Requirement
EAP and UCI Travel-Study:
The UCI Residence Requirement states that students must take 36 of their final 45 units of work immediately preceding graduation in residence at UCI. EAP and UCI Travel-Study courses are UC courses and therefore are considered "in-residence".
IOP Study:
The UCI Residence Requirement states that students must take 36 of their final 45 units of work immediately preceding graduation in residence at UCI. Exceptions to this requirement may be allowed for IOP students upon approval by their School. Check with an Academic Counselor in the School of your major to find out if a process is required to waive the residence requirement.