Credit Allocation Guidelines

When determining appropriate credit awards for education abroad programs, refer to the Council on Academic Affairs-approved university-wide credit allocation guidelines for education abroad programs. These guidelines are based upon the credit allocation framework laid out by the Ohio Board of Regents.

Just as traditional Ohio State courses require a certain number of hours of formalized classroom instruction per credit hour, so do education abroad programs. As education abroad is a uniquely immersive educational experience, credit allocation is considered for three aspects of each program:

• Formalized instruction: This includes traditional classroom time, formalized lecture and discussion sessions "in situ" led by a faculty member or resident academic authority.
• Structured educational experiences not conducted by an approved instructor: These include visits to cultural locations, such as museums, monuments or historical sites, that do not include formal lecture components by the designated instructor; visits with local authorities and/or experts; assigned independent observations of local culture, etc.
• Informal "free time" in-country: This includes travel time, meals, socializing and independent touring, and — unlike the other two aspects of education abroad — does not count toward credit-earning hours. 

The provided guidelines explain credit allocation for all three of these components, and touch on topics such as program duration, computation of credit-earning time, on-campus prerequisites and Global May programs.