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Credit Policies by Department or Program

** Global Engagement (OCST)

  • Most courses that do not need to fulfill a specific requirement are eligible to receive OCST credit. 
  • If you receive OCST credit for a course, you cannot retroactively apply this course to meet any major/minor requirements.
  • If you receive OCST credit for a course, you cannot retroactively apply this course to meet any distribution requirements. 
  • Instruction in Languages not taught at Swarthmore is only eligible for OCST credit.
  • Economics, Business, and Finance courses cannot receive OCST credit.

Anthropology

  • When uploading course documents for credit pre-estimation, Anthropology requires a full syllabus that includes a reading list.
  • Anthropology can only evaluate pre-estimation documents that are in English.

Art

  • The Art Department can grant a maximum of 2 study abroad credits. 
  • If students are taking more than the equivalent of 2 credits in Art, they would submit any courses above this threshold for OCST credit. 

Art History

  • In order to have a course abroad approved by the Art History department, you must have taken at least one prior course in Art History at Swarthmore.  If you have not, you would instead request OCST credit, and identify Global Engagement as the department evaluating the course.

Business/Finance

  • Business and Finance courses must be evaluated by the Economics Department and cannot receive OCST credit.
  • Business and finance courses can only be evaluated for Business Elective (BUSI) credit.
  • BUSI credit counts toward total credit needed to graduate, but do not count toward the economics major/minor or for any distribution requirement. 
  • Students may receive a maximum of 2 BUSI credits on their Swarthmore transcript (including from study abroad courses, summer courses, Penn courses, etc.)

Computer Science

  • In cases where a course abroad is equivalent to less than 1 full credit per course, the Computer Science Department does not allow the option for “extra work.” However, in some cases students can combine multiple partial-credit courses to satisfy a single Swarthmore CS requirement
  • Typically, credits from study abroad are counted as electives towards the CS major or minor. 
  • Students can request to have these courses count towards a group requirement (Group 1, Group 2, or Group 3), but this process requires additional approval and in most cases will not be approved until after you have completed the course and the department has had the chance to review your work.
  • The CS department requires that you complete at least half of the credits needed for the major or minor at Swarthmore. This means that at most four off-campus/transfer courses can be used to satisfy the CS major, and at most three can be used to satisfy the CS minor.
  • Taking CS courses while abroad will impact your ability to register for additional CPSC classes at Swarthmore after you return to campus. For more information, consult the Computer Science Department’s page on these course caps.

Education

  • In order to receive credit for education courses taken abroad, you must have taken or plan to take EDUC014, Introduction to Education. Transfer credit will not be awarded until after a student has met this requirement.  
  • If not seeking credit from the Education department, you would instead request OCST credit, and identify Global Engagement as the department evaluating the course.

Economics

  • All Economics must be evaluated by the Economics Department and cannot receive OCST credit.
  • Credit can be awarded only for courses with content that does not reproduce courses a student has taken for credit in the Tri-Co system.
  • Problems arise when courses abroad are labeled as economics, but are in fact courses in law, history, or political science. The department does not accept such courses for economics credit. 
  • Courses abroad should be taught by a qualified economist and be largely analytical in content, as are nearly all courses in economics departments in American colleges and universities.
  • Core requirements of the economics major (ECON 001, 011, 021, 031) can only be fulfilled by courses that deliver a full Swarthmore credit. The department does not offer an “extra work” option 
  • Students who receive a transfer credit for ECON 001 cannot enroll in ECON 011 or 021 before taking at least one other economics course.

English Literature

  • To have a course abroad approved by the English Literature department, you must have taken at least one prior course in English Literature at Swarthmore.  If you have not, you would instead request OCST credit, and identify Global Engagment as the department evaluating the course.

Film and Media Studies

  • Students in any major may apply to receive film and media studies credit for courses in critical studies or production taken abroad.
  • The Film and Media Department can grant a maximum of 2 study abroad credits. 
  • If students are taking more than the equivalent of 2 credits in Film and Media Studies, they would submit any courses above this threshold for OCST credit. 

French and Francophone Studies

  • For semester programs in Francophone countries, students may receive a maximum of 3 credits for coursework abroad.  In order to receive more than 1 credit, students must take at least one 1-credit (Advanced Level) French course at Swarthmore immediately upon return. 
  • For semester programs in non-Francophone countries, students are limited to a maximum of 1 credit for coursework abroad.  To receive this credit, the student must take at least one 1-credit French course at Swarthmore immediately upon return.  Coursework in non-Francophone countries will not count towards major or minor requirements.
  • French majors may count up to 3 credits taken abroad towards satisfying their course requirements; French minors may count up to 2 credits taken abroad towards satisfying their course requirements. This includes credits given for language instruction. 
  • Coursework completed abroad may not serve as the base for a major or minor Honors preparation.
  • If students are taking more than the equivalent of 3 credits in French, they would submit any courses above this threshold for OCST credit. 

Gender and Sexuality

  • Minors may apply for no more than one credit of work done abroad to meet their GSST requirements. 
  • Special majors may apply up to two credits from study abroad coursework to meet GSST requirements.

German

  • Upon return, students requesting German studies credits for coursework done abroad must enroll in at least one advanced German studies course at Swarthmore.

History

  • To have a course abroad approved by the History department, you must have taken at least one prior course in History at Swarthmore.  If you have not, you would instead request OCST credit, and identify Global Engagement as the department evaluating the course.

Latin American and Latino Studies

  • Students may apply up to two courses from work taken abroad in Latin America to their Latin American and Latino Studies academic program.
  • Courses taken abroad must have a clear Latin American focus.
  • Study abroad coursework must be pursued in Spanish or Portuguese.
  • Students are strongly encouraged to complete the introductory course requirement prior to their immersive off-campus learning experience. This means one of the following courses:  HIST 004, POLS 057, or SPAN 012.

Linguistics

  • There is no limit on the number of courses taken abroad that may count towards the Linguistics major or minor.
  • Usually courses completed abroad will count as electives, but the chair may approve relevant courses to fulfill core major requirements.

Mathematics and Statistics

  • The department allows courses taken elsewhere to count for the major. However, the number of upper-level transfer credits for the major is limited. 
  • Normally, at least 3 of the 5 upper-level courses used to fulfill the major must be taken at Swarthmore, including at least one of the core courses MATH 063 and MATH 067.   
  • Exceptions should be proposed and approved during the Sophomore Plan process, not after the fact.  
  • For MATH 063 and 067, students are responsible for the syllabus we use, and should the course not cover our entire syllabus, the student will not complete the major until they have demonstrated knowledge of the missing topics.   
  • For honors preparations, students are responsible for the syllabi we use; Mathematics/Statistics will not offer special honors exams based on work done at other institutions. 

Philosophy

  • With prior approval from the Chair, a student may take philosophy courses abroad and have them count both toward a major and as part of an Honors Program.
  • Courses abroad do not always fit neatly into a philosophy major and are not always suitable for full course credit.

Political Science

  • Political Sciences can grant a maximum of 3 study abroad credits. 
  • If students are taking more than the equivalent of 3 credits in Political, they would submit any courses above this threshold for OCST credit. 

Psychology

  • Before the Psychology Department can review any request in ACES, students must submit this form for each course they plan to submit to the department. 

  • Students seeking psychology credit for a course taken abroad must have taken PSYC 001 or a relevant first year seminar in psychology, or placed out of this requirement through AP or IB work.

  • With prior approval from the department, students are usually able to apply one credit of psychology coursework from a study abroad program towards the psychology major. This is the maximum.

  • Occasionally, a psychology course abroad can be approved to count as a core course (i.e., one of the four) if it covers very similar content. Normally, core courses must be completed at Swarthmore. 

  • Courework abroad does not count towards the minor in psychology. All non-majors taking Psychology courses should submit these for OCST credit.

  • A major taking more than the equivalent of 1 credit in Psychology would submit any courses above this threshold for OCST credit.

Sociology

  • When uploading course documents for credit pre-estimation, Sociology requires a full syllabus that includes a reading list.
  • Sociology can only evaluate pre-estimation documents that are in English.

Spanish

  • All Spanish majors and minors are required to complete a study abroad program in a Spanish-speaking country. Upon returning from abroad, majors or minors must enroll in an advanced course in the department.
  • In order to be better prepared for academic work in Spanish, we recommend students take a writing course in Spanish (SPAN 008, SPAN 012, SPAN 022, or SPAN 023) at Swarthmore prior to going abroad.
  • Spanish coursework completed abroad in literature and focused on cultural topics can be considered for credit. 
  • The Spanish Department can grant a maximum of 2 study abroad credits.
  • If students are taking more than the equivalent of 2 credits in Spanish, they would submit any courses above this threshold for OCST credit. 
  • Generally, study-abroad courses in Spanish do not fulfill the College's Language Requirement.

Special Majors

  • Special majors may need to request major credit from a department/program outside their major. 
  • Students should consult directly with the faculty coordinator of their major to make sure that a course can count toward their special major if approved by a separate department/program.