Academics

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.

Course Selection & Enrollment

  • To find information on specific courses, go to VUW's Study Options page to access their course catalog.  
  • 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

  • Take the equivalent of 15 Cornell credits (60 credit points at VUW) 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.
  • Decisions on the final allocation of credit are made upon successful completion of the course (equivalent of a “C” or higher—all courses for a letter grade)
  • 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.

  • You are responsible for ensuring that the Office of Global Learning – Education Abroad receives an official original transcript. Most institutions send transcripts directly to Cornell, but you may need to request that they send it.

    If possible, have them send the transcript via a secure means (password protected, Box/Dropbox, etc.) to abroad@cornell.edu. Do not use a default email address for Cornell University. 

    Alternatively, your program can mail your transcript to B50 Caldwell Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 14853.