Undergraduate Exchange Programs

Guidelines for Course Work Approval

All courses taken by BMGT majors off-campus must be approved in advance by BMGT Undergraduate Studies advisors. Acceptance and applicability of course requirements in fulfillment of BMGT requirements will be determined within the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

The Smith School will accept credits in fulfillment of University CORE requirements and/or lower and upper-level electives from ANY foreign university that is recognized by International Studies (i.e. The Study Abroad Office in Holzapfel Hall), as long as equivalency has been determined by the appropriate department.

The Smith School will accept credits in fulfillment of upper level BMGT requirements - either core Business requirements or major requirements - only if earned from EQUIS or AACSB-accredited schools which offer international study coursework, or from a limited group of international schools that offer commensurate U.S.-style programs. Please check with your BMGT advisor for details. Course content must be deemed equivalent for courses to be accepted toward BMGT requirements.

The Smith School does not accept credits in fulfillment of any BMGT requirement from any U.S. university that is not accredited by AACSB or EQUIS. This includes University of Maryland, University College.

We will review, on a case-by-case basis, coursework taken at foreign universities with comparable business programs. Ideally these programs will be our exchange partners through the Office of Global Programs and will have prior articulation of course equivalencies before accepting credits in fulfillment of BMGT core and major requirements. We have an ongoing process of course evaluation for the exchange programs affiliated with the Office of Global Programs. Many of the courses that you might want to take at exchange programs may have already been evaluated. Check with your Undergraduate Studies advisor for details. In the event that a BMGT course you want to take at a Smith exchange has not yet been evaluated, the Undergraduate Studies Office will sign off on these courses only after the appropriate BMGT faculty member has completed a formal evaluation. You will need to provide a course syllabus to your BMGT advisor as far in advance as possible to ensure timely evaluation of the class. Please realize that whether you are going abroad through Smith, the campus Study Abroad Office, or another U.S. university, ultimately all of your paperwork must be signed by your BMGT advisor and the Office for Global Programs or Study Abroad Office in Holzapfel Hall, depending on the program you choose. This process takes time, so please do not wait until the last minute.

Note: It is strongly recommended that students NOT take the first course in their major (i.e. 350 for Marketing majors, 340 for Finance majors) at a foreign institution.

Students cannot take classes Pass/Fail while abroad.

Students need to leave adequate time for the completion of all paperwork. Study Abroad forms are not completed on an "on demand" basis, as there is usually a formal evaluation that must be completed for the proposed classes.

It is imperative that students leaving for a study abroad program plan for their next semester's registration before leaving the United States. Students going abroad should take with them an updated copy of their curriculum sheet, their BMGT advisor's email address, their undergraduate catalog and schedule of classes. While abroad students can check their pre-registration date for the next semester via Testudo in the Records and Registration area, and can register via Testudo. Students should know which classes they want to take and arrange for any special requests, such as internship permission, etc., prior to leaving. Note: If you wish to take more than 16 credits in the semester you return, you will need to wait until the first day of classes to register for your final class unless your advisor has approved this in advance. Advisors are only able to approve credit overloads in two situations: if you are a graduating senior attempting a credit overload in your final semester or if you are taking two 4-credit courses, causing your total load to equal 17 credits.