Your academic experience abroad is going to be very different from home. Working under the policies and processes of the local institution, you may find a lot less structure, or a lot more.

Courses (How to find courses, Course restrictions, Course load, etc.)

• To find information on specific courses, go to the relevant UCT "Faculty" (college/school) and look for the undergraduate degree (major) that most matches your academic interests for your semester/year abroad.  You will find information on specific courses in the "Undergraduate Handbook" for each degree.  Each Faculty or School has a handbook that lists all the degrees. Course offerings for each year of the degree are listed along with course descriptions that appear towards the end of each handbook.
• Courses may be taken in all University of Cape Town faculties excluding health sciences and law. Areas of study include (but are not limited) to Afrikaans, economics, political/social studies, and environmental and geographical sciences.
• CIEE students take three to four courses, following these guidelines.
  • Students need the equivalent of 15-18 U.S. credits per semester (60-72 UCT credits)
  • Courses at UCT have variable weights from the equivalent of 2.5 to 8 credits per course (typically 4-6 credits each).
  • 1 or more courses must have specific African content, or offer an African perspective. Courses may be taken in all University of Cape Town faculties except Health Sciences and Law.
• The CIEE Intercultural Communications and Leadership course or CIEE-directed Independent Research are both options.  (Note: Cornell A&S students may not take the Leadership course as part of their 15 credits).

Course Selection & Enrollment

• To discuss program fit, such as program type, expectations, level of structure/independence, or to compare options, get advice from Global Learning advisors and returned students.
• For assistance in selecting courses, see your faculty or college advisor. (Note: You may earn elective, distributional, minor or major credit depending on your major and college.)
• You may need to look at courses from a previous semester (i.e.: the most recent spring semester if you want to select classes for a future spring abroad) 

Course Load & Credits

• Study the language of the host country (or take a course in that language) when studying in a non-English speaking country for a semester or year
• Take the equivalent of 15 Cornell credits for a full semester, even if it is possible to take fewer and still graduate on time
• Decisions on the final allocation of credit are made upon successful completion of the course (must earn grade equivalent of a “C” or higher—all courses must award a letter grade).
• For more information on courses and credits from abroad, including policies regarding start/end dates, refer to the Academic Policies page on the Education Abroad website. 

Transcript & Grades

• Grades will appear on the Cornell transcript in the same format as they are recorded on the original transcript generated by the host institution. Grades are not factored into the Cornell GPA.
• For information on how grades appear on the transcript and frequently asked questions, including transcript dates for graduating seniors, please refer to the Transcripts and Credits page on the Education Abroad website.
• Your program will send your transcript to the Education Abroad Office.