Credits & Grades | Semester Programs

There is an established grading scale for each university partner. To request a specific grading scale, please email us at studyabroad@miami.edu.

The host university will send a formal transcript to the Office of Study Abroad after the completion of your program. The timeline for issuing grades differs at each exchange institution; some take longer than others to provide this information. As soon as your official grades are received by UM, the Office of Study Abroad will have the courses, credits and grades put directly on your UM transcript. In general, the procedure for reporting your grades is as follows: 

• The host university will send a formal transcript to the Office of Study Abroad after the completion of your program. 
• The grades and credits you earn from the host university will be converted to UM grades and credits and a grade report will be sent to Enrollment Services of the UM Registrar and will become part of your permanent UM transcript.
• The courses will be listed on your UM transcript as SAP AB# with the course title STUDY ABROAD along with the course title as displayed on the host university transcript.
• The grades will be factored in to your cumulative GPA. Your transcript will state that the courses were taken at the host university and the city and country in which it is located. 

The UM grade appeal process does not apply for study abroad grades earned at foreign institutions. Students may follow any available appeal process at the host institution. Students may follow the normal UM grade appeal process for courses taught by UM professors.

If you meet the requirements for eligibility as described in the University of Miami Undergraduate Studies Bulletin, you may choose the credit only option for one of your courses. 

• If you would like to exercise this option, you must notify your Study Abroad advisor in writing no later than four weeks for regular semester programs and one week for summer programs after the start of classes abroad. 
• Once you choose this option, you are committed to it; the grade you receive at the host institution will not appear on your transcript, but you will earn credit for the course if the converted grade is a C- or above. You will not receive credits for the course if the converted grade is below a C-. 
• Please remember that you can only exercise the credit only option once per semester and only if you have a minimum GPA of 3.0. This option can be used only with elective courses or those courses that you do not intend to use to satisfy any major, minor, or general education requirement.
• The credit only option will only apply to your UM transcript and will not modify the host institution transcript.
• If you receive UM merit aid or any Florida State aid, you must consult with an Office of Financial Assistance advisor to determine if taking a course as credit-only will impact your award package.

In instances where approval has been granted for work to be completed after the normal term, an “I” will be posted on your UM transcript. The course must be completed with a passing grade before the end of one calendar year. An “I” not completed will be changed to an “F”.

If you withdraw from a course while abroad and it appears on the formal transcript that is sent from the host institution to the Office of Study Abroad, it will be transferred to your University of Miami transcript with the “W” symbol to designate the withdrawal. Be sure to go through the necessary channels at the host institution to drop any courses that you initially register for at the start of the semester.