After your program starts, please remember to stay in contact with your study abroad advisor. Though uncommon, your program dates, courses, and credit hours might turn out to be slightly different from what you expected.  Please inform UFIC of such changes immediately.

New Program Dates

Changes in dates can affect a variety of things, including your financial aid and your insurance enrollment.  Remember to inform your study abroad advisor of all changes.  If you are required to attend orientation before classes start, your program dates will need to be adjusted accordingly; the same is true of exams after classes end.

Credit Hour Confirmation

During the first two weeks of your program, you MUST confirm your credit hours with your study abroad advisor.  Additionally, if at any point during your program your credit hours change, you must inform your study abroad advisor.

Course Changes

You MUST notify your study abroad advisor and academic advisor about any changes to your approved courses or the number of credit hours you are enrolled in abroad. At that time, be prepared to provide them with your new course schedule that includes each new course name and number, the course description, as well as the number of credits the host institution will award for each course. Changes reported after your program ends may adversely affect your tracking or financial aid, so report this information as soon as possible, and no later than two weeks after the start of your overseas semester. 

You may need new equivalencies for courses not already approved on your academic advising form.  You will need to contact the appropriate department at UF for each equivalency, and your academic advisor should approve the final schedule in writing before it is sent to UFIC. Forward or copy all relevant e-mails to your study abroad advisor.

Students on Exchange Programs:  It is MANDATORY to obtain approved UF equivalencies for each course you take as an exchange student, including all elective credits.

Dropping Courses

Remember, you are bound by the host institution's rules for dropping courses, which may be very different from the rules at UF.  Many programs, especially those that occur during the summer, will not allow drops once classes start.  UFIC is unable to lobby on your behalf for the foreign institution to comply with UF's policies.

If you do drop courses, be sure to maintain full-time status for visa and/or financial aid purposes.  Check with your on-site coordinator, program director, or study abroad/academic advisor for questions regarding what full-time status entails in your situation.

Class Attendance Abroad

While studying abroad, you are expected to attend and participate in all classes, assignments, labs, recitations, and field trips as scheduled by your program director and/or host institution. Skipping a class is considered very rude in some cultures, and may not be permitted on many study abroad programs. Please speak with your on-site director if you might need to miss class for any reason.

Exams

The exam periods at most institutions are structured differently from and usually more formal than what you may be accustomed to on campus. The official exam timetable is usually posted within a month prior to exams; you may not know your exam dates until late in the semester.  For this reason, you should purchase your plane ticket with the plan to remain in your host city until the day after your exam period finishes.  Do not expect or assume that your program will allow you to take your exams early.  If you leave your host country before completing your exams, you may fail your courses.

In truly unusual or exceptional circumstances, you may request special permission to have your exams proctored at UF after your return. This must be approved by your on-site coordinator as well as a UF faculty member to act as a proctor. Speak with your Study Abroad Advisor if your term abroad overlaps with your next UF semester. Though not guaranteed, some exceptions can be made. The following situations are not considered exceptional: (1) needing to return early to attend a family celebration (2) needing to return early to start an internship (3) needing to return early to start a job or other related activity.

Grade Conversion

Universities abroad have different grading systems than those in the United States. In most cases, the University of Florida relies upon the grading scale listed by World Education Services to determine the conversion of foreign grades.

Grades from your Program

For students on UF Exchange, Non-UF and some UF Sponsored programs, we will need to receive an official transcript in order to transfer the credits from your program to your official UF Transcript.  According to UF policy and the Student Code of Conduct, all academic work you attempt anywhere must be reported to the UF Registrar, including courses taken while abroad.  Once UFIC receives an official transcript from the host school, your study abroad advisor will process the grades and send them to the Registrar's office for further processing.  This will become part of your academic record at UF.

Transcripts

Make sure your transcript is sent to UFIC at the address below. If the transcript is sent to another office on campus, there will be a lengthy delay in the processing of your grades. Please keep in mind that UF will not receive your foreign transcript until at least a few weeks after your program ends. We do not receive transcripts from many programs until a few months after completion. You should keep this in mind, particularly if you will be graduating or applying to programs/scholarships that require your full transcript including overseas work. We may not be able to accommodate requests to obtain transcripts on short notice. If you are on a multi-semester program, please note that some institutions will not issue transcripts until the academic year is over. You should consult with your study abroad advisor and/or overseas school for clarification.

All academic work you attempt anywhere - including all courses taken abroad - must be reported to UF.

Once UFIC receives your official transcript (original, sealed envelope) from the host school, your study abroad advisor will process your grades and send them to the Registrar for final processing. Please note that UFIC is unable to process unofficial transcripts, grade reports, or any document that has been previously opened.

  • Requesting a transcript
    Students needing a transcript of their grades should contact their host university upon arrival in order to learn the procedure for requesting transcripts.   Some universities abroad will require this request as soon as you arrive in order to make accommodations, but you should contact the international office upon arrival to learn their policies.  Do not hesitate to ask questions if you are unsure what their policy is.
  • How to send the transcript
    All transcripts should be sent directly to the International Center for processing. Please note that an opened or an unofficial transcript will not be accepted and you will need to request another transcript to be sent to our office. Sometimes the university will mail the transcript directly to the student to hand deliver.  If this happens, please deliver it immediately to our office in its original, sealed envelope. We are unable to process your transcript if you have already opened the envelope.Please have all transcripts sent in an original, sealed envelope to the address below:

UF Study Abroad Services
ATTN: Transcript Processing
1765 Stadium Road
170 Hub (PO Box 113225)
Gainesville, FL, USA 32611-3225

  • Receiving your grades
    Once the International Center receives your grades, it may take several weeks for your grades to appear on your official UF record. If you believe that your grades are taking longer to post than they should, please contact your Study Abroad Advisor to see if we have received your transcript. Please note that transfer credits will not appear on your UF transcript. They will, however, count toward your degree requirements. We strongly advise you to request additional copies of your official transcript from your host institution, should you need them for your future academic career.