Earning Honors Credit Abroad

There are several ways to earn Honors credits abroad.  Note that all programs with UConn course numbers and tagged as Honors automatically enable you to earn Honors credit, assuming you complete the course with a grade of B- or higher.  A UConn student does not have to be in the Honors Program to earn Honors credit; Honors credit will show up on student transcripts regardless of official status in the Honors Program, and students not in the Honors Program are welcome to apply for Experiential Global Learning experiences tagged as Honors if they meet application requirements.

All UConn-approved Experiential Global Learning opportunities are listed in the description of each program under Terra Dotta, Experiential Global Learning’s searchable database. For more information or to search for a program that confers Honors credit by default, follow the instructions on this page: Honors Experiential Global Learning Programs.

Note that Honors students are permitted and encouraged to consider Experiential Global Learning opportunities that do not afford Honors credit, too.  Remember that, to remain in good standing with Honors, it is expected that students complete six Honors credits per academic year. Ultimately, though, Honors wants you to choose the Experiential Global Learning experience that best fits your educational, personal, and professional goals, even if it may not confer Honors credit. As always, talk with your Honors advisor about how you can continue to make reasonable progress toward meeting Honors requirements and remain in good standing with Honors if you plan to spend a semester or year abroad, particularly if the program will not offer Honors credit or if Honors conversions are not planned.

Honors Credit Abroad

Some UConn faculty-led Experiential Global Learning programs that have at least one course as a part of the experience that confers UConn Honors credit.  In recent academic years, UConn Honors faculty ran programs abroad that had at least one course that conferred Honors credit:

Additionally, there are some international partners whose exchange or third-party programs have been approved by the Honors Board to confer Honors credit outright for any courses approved for transfer to UConn:

All programs that offer at least one Honors course by default — exchange, approved third-party, or UConn faculty-led — are tagged as “Honors” in UConn’s Terra Dotta database.  Instructions to search for such programs can be found at this page: Honors Experiential Global Learning Programs.

Courses Abroad that Transfer as Honors

As most decisions about what might constitute Honors coursework are made at the departmental level, UConn academic departments may have determined that the syllabus of a course they have approved for transfer back to UConn meets the standard for Honors credit.  If a program’s Terra Dotta information encourages you to consult Education Abroad’s Course Alignment page to plan your coursework, you may wish to take note on the program’s course alignment spreadsheet of any classes that are tagged as transferring back as Honors credit.

Honors Course Conversions Abroad

If you elect to participate in a program that does not offer Honors credit by default, you may be able to earn Honors credit through one or more course conversions.  Note that programs that offer UConn credit by default, such as UConn faculty-led programs, have conversion processes that parallel to those for on-campus courses.  However, conversions that involve transfer of credits from a foreign institution may also be possible.  Please consult the steps below for information on how to initiate a course conversion process for an Experiential Global Learning course:

  1. After arriving at your destination, decide on a study abroad course you would like to convert for Honors credit.
  2. Discuss a conversion project with the course instructor AND (by email) with the Honors advisor in the department approving the course for UConn credit.
  3. Complete the Honors Conversion Request online and obtain approval from your instructor if they are a UConn employee or the Honors advisor in the department approving the course for UConn credit, and the Honors advisor in the department of your major.
  4. If the instructor is not a UConn employee, the UConn Honors advisor in the course department would be considered the instructor of record for the conversion project and would consult with the course instructor on site to confirm its successful completion.
  5. Alternatively, you may work under the supervision of the Honors advisor in the course department (from a distance) to complete a conversion project for a course taken while abroad.

There are some UConn faculty-led programs whose faculty regularly advertise to Honors students and offer course conversion options.  Note these programs will not be tagged as “Honors” in Terra Dotta, as they do not offer Honors credit by default; interested students should speak with the faculty member prior to the program and follow the course conversion process if they wish to obtain Honors credit.

Questions?

If you have questions about earning Honors credit abroad, please email the Honors Program or Experiential Global Learning.