Frequently Asked Questions

• EAP is unsuccessful in offering a placement for a student.
• In exceptional extenuating circumstances (documented illness, etc).

If you need to withdraw your application, please contact your Education Abroad Advisor directly or email goabroad@ualberta.ca as soon as possible.

Application approval can take up to 5 weeks after the application deadline.

You will be asked to submit both an unofficial and official transcript in your online application. You official transcript is required for program applications. Unofficial transcripts are accepted only for Awards and scholarship applications.

TIP: How to obtain my transcript

As the Education Abroad Program offers academic experiences abroad, academic references are strongly preferred. Academic referees may be professors but if you do not know your professors very well, we also accept TA's and Lab supervisors as academic referees. Internship applications require one academic and one work reference, no exception.

Students can refer to Returned Student Reports within each program page for more information about specific programs and countries. We encourage you to read through these reports before you start your application. During the application process, you can also speak to Education Abroad Student volunteers, who will gladly answer any of your questions. Many of these volunteers have participated in Education Abroad programs and can help you find more resources to complete the budget portion of your application. Just email goabroad@ualberta.ca to request speaking to an EASI volunteer.

Some destinations are more competitive than others simply because there are limited spaces available. Education Abroad strives to send everyone who applies on a program and we work hard to place students in their desired institution/destination. However, due to availability, we cannot always guarantee your first choice. This is why it is important for you to choose your top 3 program carefully.

Note: If you are applying to an e3 or faculty-led program you do not need to select alternate destinations. If you are concerned about the availability of certain destinations you're welcome to contact an advisor.

You are generally required to take the minimum number of courses abroad to be considered full-time at the host institution. However, taking the maximum allowed course load at the host institution will obviously maximize your transfer credit eligibility.

Keep in mind the definitions for full-time and full course load will vary from institution to institution. A full course load may be three courses per semester, instead of five like you're used to at UAlberta. In other cases, a full course load might be seven or eight shorter courses spread throughout the term.

Not necessarily. Courses abroad can be used as an unassigned credit that fulfills a general requirement or a specific course equivalency that is assigned by your faculty. For example, you may receive transfer credit for SOC 2XX (as a general requirement or elective), but it may not be equivalent to UAlberta's SOC 225. If this is a specific course required for your degree, you would still have to take SOC 225 at UAlberta to graduate.

Your degree may also have restrictions, including courses that must be taken at UAlberta or a limit on the number of electives you can take while abroad.

Most faculties will provide a "program checklist" or "program sheet" to verify your current status and any limitations or restrictions applicable to your program. Discuss any questions you have with your faculty advisor.

TIP:

• Complete your "core" degree requirement courses at UAlberta, rather than abroad
• Choose courses at your host institution as if you were staying at UAlberta. If you were going to take a 400-level political science course at UAlberta, find a similar course at the partner university.
• Consider the courses you will need to take upon your return. You don't want to miss taking any pre-requisites.

There is no absolute guarantee. Education systems differ all over the world, so one course abroad doesn't always equal one course at UAlberta, and one credit here doesn't always equal one credit there.

Your faculty advisor may have a list courses that are already pre-approved or considered equivalent to UAlberta courses.

It's best to explore your host institution's website to learn about its grading system. Understanding the system will help you plan your studies and manage your academic performance and expectations.

Grades can have very different meanings. For example:

• In the UK, a grade of 70 is unusual and indicates a high level of excellence; a 70% at UAlberta is considered average
• In Sweden, coursework is usually assessed as "Very Good", "Good", or "Fail"
• In France, the academic system generally scores out of 20 and students rarely score above 16/20; whereas a 9/20 would be a "D" by UAlberta standards
• In Australia, a "D" on a transcript often stands for "Distinction," not a minimal pass

This will vary greatly because credit systems vary by country and by institution. For example:

• Many European partners use the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), where approximately 6 ECTS equals 3 credits at UAlberta. Some courses in Europe are only worth 2 ECTS, so multiple courses would need to be combined to make up just one UAlberta 3-credit course.
• A regular semester course at partner university might be worth 5 credits there, yet you only receive 3 credits transferred back to your UAlberta degree

Research your partner institution website to determine equivalencies and contact your Faculty advisor with further questions.

While UAlberta organizes courses into four different levels (i.e. 100, 200, 300, 400), other institutions organize their courses in different ways. It's important to compare course descriptions where possible, as a fourth-year course at the host institution may not be equal to a 400-level course at UAlberta.