Earning Credit

Overview

Siena, Italy Alleyway

CET students come from a variety of colleges and universities across the United States. Every one of these institutions treats study abroad credit differently. Therefore, CET has developed the following credit policies and transcripting procedures with flexibility in mind.

We encourage students to share the information on this page with their home institutions in advance of applying. If you have questions, or special circumstances or credit needs, please contact CET.

Transcripts

All CET students automatically receive one official transcript within 45 days of the program’s end. The transcript is sent directly to the student’s college or university. Students can order additional official transcripts for a fee.

In most cases, transcripts are jointly-issued by CET and its overseas partner institutions. CET jointly-issued transcripts list the names of all courses taken, the total number of course contact hours, the total number of class hours actually attended, grades earned and recommended credits for each course. Jointly-issued transcripts are issued in English, contain the seal and signature of the host university, and the stamp and seal of CET Academic Programs.

Starting in 2013, for US institutions that require additional documentation, CET can also help procure a transcript issued directly by the host university overseas. In this case, the transcript lists each course completed without the CET credit recommendations. The transcript may be issued in the host language.

When CET partners with a US institution to operate a program, students on the program may opt to receive a transcript from the US partner, sometimes for an additional fee. This transcript lists the courses and number of credits issued by the US partner. The CET programs that fall into this category are:

• History of Art & Italian Studies in Siena: University of Virginia
• History of Art & Italian Studies in Florence: Vanderbilt University
  (additional fee for non-Vanderbilt University students)
• Intensive Arabic Language & Culture Studies in Irbid: American University
  (additional fee for non-American University students)
• C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in China programs: Middlebury College

Credits

CET does not award credit for its programs. Instead, it recommends credits based on the level of course rigor and the number of course contact hours. Each student’s home institution awards credits based on CET credit recommendations and its own requirements.

CET recommends one credit for each weekly contact hour, provided one to two hours of outside preparation are required for every hour spent in class. Short-term (summer or JanTerm) courses and courses that require less outside work are recommended at lower rates. CET developed this system in consultation with its US partners to ensure academic rigor in all courses, and fair credit allocation across programs. Credit recommendations can be found on the CET study abroad program pages.

During the application process, each student must complete a Home Institution Approval Form. This form requires the student to work with his/her home institution study abroad office and academic advisor to determine which CET courses are accepted for credit. With careful planning, students typically receive a full semester’s worth of credit. (Fall or Spring: 13 to 18 credits. Summer: 7 to 9 credits.)

CET Academic Programs requires that each student take a full course load regardless of program or credit needs.