Academic Policies and Procedures

• Students who are enrolled in an approved Loyola University Chicago study abroad program will follow all academic policies and procedures of their host program abroad.
• Students are responsible for handling grade appeals, exam re-sits, and any academic petitions directly with their host institution—Loyola cannot intervene nor has any purview or influence over the host institution or program’s academic policies or procedures.
• Students are required to request that their study abroad transcripts are sent directly to the Office of Global and Community Engagement - Study Abroad Office from the host institution/program, once their grades are finalized. Should there be adjustments or updates to a transcript after grades and credit transfer has already been articulated, it is the student's responsibility to submit updated transcripts. The host university or program should securely send them to SAOtranscripts@luc.edu.

• All academic work done on a study abroad program is considered Loyola resident credit, rather than transfer credit, and cannot be used for degree purposes at the host institution or program. All study abroad courses will show up on LOCUS and will factor into the Loyola GPA.
• Students who wish to earn major, minor, Core, Honors, or Engaged Learning credit towards their degree plan are required to obtain pre‑approval for each study abroad course prior to departure. If that is not possible, or if the courses they are enrolled in abroad change, students are able to submit additional courses for approval within the first two weeks of the program. It is advisable to submit three to four additional courses for approval in the event that a selected course is no longer offered by the host institution or program.
• Students are granted Loyola general credit towards graduation for all courses taken abroad on an approved program; these credits will post to LOCUS, counting toward the LUC GPA. If these courses are approved to count for a major, minor, Core, Honors, or Engaged Learning requirement, they will be articulated as such upon return to Loyola.

• Students are registered by the Study Abroad Office in a placeholder course for 12-15 credits for semester programs and 3–6 credits in summer programs, though actual abroad credit loads may differ. This does not reflect how many actual credits enrolled abroad.
• All semester long students are required to maintain the host institution or program minimum credit‑hour requirement and be enrolled in the equivalent of 12-18 U.S. semester credits per Loyola’s full-time enrollment requirement. Any overload above 18 credits needs special approval. Students must maintain enrollment in the minimum number of Loyola credits. Withdrawing from any study abroad program course(s), leaving the student with fewer than the required number of credits, may constitute a violation of the terms of participation by the host program or Loyola and may have academic implications.
• Any changes to semester or summer hours (for example MAP Grant or Pell Grant recipients) should be communicated to a study abroad advisor and financial aid advisor as soon as confirmed. Having incomplete courses on a student's academic record in the term prior to studying abroad may impact their ability to register for courses taken abroad. If a student registers for courses that have prerequisites they have not yet completed due to an incomplete at Loyola University Chicago, it may affect their ability to succeed in those courses. Students should consult their academic advisor to confirm that their intended term is appropriate for going abroad and to discuss how any incomplete courses from the prior term may impact their academic degree plan.

Study abroad courses must be taken for a letter grade unless students have received prior approval for Pass/No Pass. To request this option, students need to work with their academic advisor to request a signature from their school's academic dean. The Study Abroad Office does not make determinations on this and can only support facilitation of the request.

• Submit the Pass/No Pass Request Form through LOCUS: 
 LOCUS > Login > Online Forms & Help > Pass/No Pass, Undergraduate Request
• Follow the instructions on the form and the Registration and Records website.
• Requests should be submitted before coursework is finalized, but no later than:
  • 2 weeks into the program (fall, spring, academic year)
  • 1 week into the program (summer)
• Only general elective courses are eligible.
• Pass/No Pass is only permitted for junior and senior standing students.
• Academic advisors must approve and submit the signed form to: 
 SAOtranscripts@luc.edu and passnopass@luc.edu.
• Pass/No Pass is not permitted during the summer term at the Rome Center.

• Students are subject to Loyola’s credit‑conversion rules: U.S.‑based credits round to the nearest whole number, and non‑U.S. credits convert based on the affiliate partner’s supplemental grade report included with the host institution’s transcript.
• For exchange/direct-enroll programs, courses are converted to the U.S.-based credits and grades via Loyola’s Credit & Grade Conversion Charts as outlined in the partnership agreements.

• Students are discouraged from studying abroad in their last semester at Loyola, as it can take one to three months for grades to be finalized once the program concludes. If a student decides to study abroad during their last semester at Loyola, they should discuss their plans with their study abroad and academic advisor.  Pending their academic advisor’s guidance and approval, students can opt to postpone graduation by one term to allow sufficient time for grade processing.  

• Students are aware that studying abroad immediately after graduation is only permitted in the next term as a non‑degree student and must be approved by their academic advisor. This option is intended to only be reserved for summer terms following graduation for participation in Loyola-managed programs. 

Students must take an accompanying course in order to earn LUC Credit for an experiential component of the program. This includes internships, service-learning, research, and community engagement projects. For example, many study abroad affiliate partners offer a 3- to 6-credit hour internship, service-learning, or research course alongside the placements. Without the accompanying course, students will not be able to earn their intended credit. Additionally, should students wish to earn engaged learning credit, the course must be submitted to the course approval system for review.

Explore options

• Internships
• Research and Community Engagement

Students are prohibited from taking Loyola online courses while abroad without express approval from the Director of Study Abroad and home‑college administration.

• Students are responsible for ensuring the Study Abroad Office receives their program transcript once grades are finalized.
• Students are required to request that their study abroad transcripts are sent directly to the Study Abroad Office at Loyola University Chicago from the host institution/program via mail or secure email to SAOtranscripts@luc.edu. Should there be adjustments or updates to a transcript after grades and credit transfer has already been articulated, it is the student’s responsibility to submit updated transcripts; ask the host campus abroad to send them to SAOtranscripts@luc.edu or our mailing address:

Study Abroad Office
Loyola University Chicago
1032 West Sheridan Road Chicago, IL 60660

• It is the responsibility of the student’s academic advisor to articulate coursework and requirements based on pre-approved courses.
• Students should allow 4-5 months after their program ends for grades and credit to post to LOCUS.