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UCEAP Academic Planning

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Courses and Grades

All courses taken on a UCEAP program are considered UC courses. Your grades will be calculated into your UC GPA and your units will be counted towards your total units toward graduation. However, this does NOT mean that courses taken abroad will automatically count for major, minor, college or general education requirements. You will be responsible for bringing back syllabi, tests, homework, etc. from abroad and filing a petition with the corresponding department or campus units. Only after the petition has passed will the class be counted towards your requirements. To better your chances of a successful petition, speak with your academic advisor from your department before applying to a program.

Every UCEAP program has different types of course offerings; some have limited options or are pre-set for you, but most programs allow you to select from a wide variety of courses offered by the host university. At the time of nomination, it is not always possible to tell exactly what courses will be offered the following academic year. You should use the current course listings on the host university website, as well as descriptions of past courses taken in the MyEAP Course Catalogue to determine if this university has the appropriate offerings in any particular subject area. Reference the “Academics” tab on your program overview page for resources on identifying courses.

Global Learning Approval Form

As part of your UCEAP Nomination Form in the Global Learning Portal, all undergraduate students must fill out the Global Learning Approval (GLA) Form.

Make a Copy of the Global Learning Approval Form.

Note: you will need to be logged in to your @ucsc.edu Google account in order to access this form.

The form will assist you in planning out your academics before, during, and after study abroad/away. It provides an opportunity to discuss with your Major/Minor and College Advisors your overall academic plan at UCSC and on your program.

Once you open the form, go to “Share” at the top right-hand corner of the GLAF google sheet and go to General Access > “Anyone with the link” and change the "Viewer" access to "Editor" access to ensure that your advisors can edit it. After the GLA Form is e-signed by all of your advisors, share the link in the Academic Planning and Approval section of your UCEAP Nomination Form in the Global Learning Portal.

If your proposed plan changes at anytime after submitting the GLA Form, please consult your Major/Minor and College Advisors.

*Note: Graduate and PhD students are not required to complete the GLA.

Important Considerations

Undeclared Students - Students who have not declared their major at the time of their study abroad/away nomination must be able to declare before departure.* Undeclared students should demonstrate on the Academic Approval Form a timely plan to complete courses required to declare their major in the “Before Study Abroad” academic planning section.

*unless an exception is granted by your College

Seniors Abroad - All senior standing students abroad must meet the UCSC Senior Residency requirement. UCEAP students may satisfy the requirement in either of two ways:

Of the final 45 units leading up to your program abroad, 35 of these units must be completed at UCSC.
--OR--
Of the final 90 units of your degree, 35 of these units must be completed at UCSC with a minimum of 10 units out of those 35 completed after your program.

Discuss senior residency with your College advisor to ensure that you are in compliance.

Graduating While Studying Abroad - It may be possible to have your final quarter as a UCSC student be spent abroad, assuming you have met all of your degree requirements and fulfilled the senior residency requirement. You should consult with your college and department advisers to see if you would be eligible to graduate after your abroad program. Remember, however, that grades can take up to 4 months after the end of your UCEAP program to be posted to your UC transcript. While you can declare candidacy during your final quarter, your degree will not be conferred until your courses, grades, and units from abroad have been added to your UCSC transcript.

UCEAP During 5th Year - Students who find it challenging to participate in UCEAP during their regular four years at UCSC may consider spending part of or their entire 5th year abroad. This is generally acceptable provided you do not return to take courses at UCSC. You should consult with both your college advisor to confirm this is an option for you and Financial Aid to see if aid may be available for a 5th year as Financial Aid can be limited during a 5th year.

Repeating a Course on UCEAP - It is not possible to replace a grade earned abroad while on UCEAP by taking a similar class upon your return to UCSC. Similarly, it is not possible to get credit for a course on UCEAP that you have already taken at UCSC. Grades earned on UCEAP are final.

UCEAP Courses and Grades - As a participant on UCEAP you will retain your UC student status abroad. All of your courses, grades, & units will be added to your UC transcript. Grades earned while on UCEAP will be calculated into your cumulative UCSC GPA and units will be added to your total UCSC units.

No more than 1/3 of your UCEAP total unit load may be taken pass/no pass. Be careful - any pass/no pass courses taken on UCEAP will be calculated into your 25% pass/no pass limit at UCSC. Students cannot take all of their UCEAP courses pass/no pass.

All students are automatically enrolled in a 15-unit placeholder course for each term they are abroad on UCEAP. The placeholder course will be replaced with your actual UCEAP courses, units and grades.

How to Obtain Major or Minor Credit

See the page above for steps on how to obtain major or minor credit.

How to Obtain General Education (GE) Credit

See the page above for steps on how to obtain General Education (GE) credit.

Enrolling in UCSC Courses While on UCEAP

While it is possible for students who meet the below criteria to take additional courses at UCSC while on UCEAP programs, Global Learning does not recommend it. While abroad, students will be adjusting to new academic and cultural environments, balancing a full-time course load, and adhering to rigorous schedules. Adding additional UCSC courses that will be in a different time zone will be challenging.

A student can enroll in both UCSC courses and UCEAP courses if they meet the following criteria:

Be in good academic standing
Have a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher

*If students do not have these requirements, students must contact their College Advising Office for special approval. Learn more at Undergraduate Advising.

Fall, Winter, or Spring Terms - If the above conditions are met, students can enroll in UCSC courses on the first day of the quarter’s class instruction through their MyUCSC account. The maximum number of units you can add is 7 units for 22 total units. Students will not be charged any additional UCSC tuition during fall, winter, or spring.

Summer - During the summer, students will be charged UCSC tuition on top of UCEAP program fees and tuition. Students would enroll in courses through their MyUCSC account, however, they need to gain special approval from their College to take additional units.