Practical Matters

WELCOME BACK!

Transfer of Credits
Once your transcript from the study abroad term has been received by the Center for International Services and Programs, your credits and your course equivalencies will be added to your CSU academic record by the Office of the University Registrar. The Study Abroad Course Pre-Approval Form will be consulted and the approval signatures and/or emails will be used to grant academic exceptions to degree audit requirements.

Letter grades earned abroad will not factor into your Cleveland State grade point average but letter grades earned abroad must be reflected on the study abroad transcript (for transfer credit be granted and university degree requirements to be met). Check with your major academic department to verify the minimum grade needed in order for a course to count towards your major requirements at CSU. Study abroad transcripts become the property of CSU once submitted and will not be returned to students. Students may contact their affiliate program provider or foreign university in the future if official transcripts are needed. These study abroad transcript are a part of your academic record. 

Please keep in mind that study abroad transcripts are often delayed by several months before reaching the home campus at the conclusion of study abroad.

Grades from Abroad
While your grades earned abroad do not factor into your Cleveland State GPA, they are still a part of your academic record. In the future, you may be asked to produce a transcript from your study abroad institution for job applications, graduate school admittance, etc. so please be mindful of your academic performance abroad. You can choose to manually add in your study abroad grades and credits to your overall gpa for your resume, if you wish. There are a plethora of websites that can help you calculate your overall gpa.

Study Abroad Returnee Conferences
Regional study abroad returnee conferences take place twice a year around the state and /or in nearby states that are reasonably accessible from Cleveland. Please contact the Center for International Services and Programs for more information about attending one of these conferences designed exclusively for you.

Marketing Your Experience
View these excellent webinars to explore how to articulate transferable skills gained from international experiences in a career search (e.g. in interviews, cover letters, CVs, and r¨¦sum¨¦s).

Global Career Compass: Leveraging Education Abroad for Student Career Development & Employability: This is an excellent blog for any study abroad returnee.

Having readjustment issues?  Need to talk?
Some students who return from studying abroad report a higher-than-average rate of stress-related health issues. This can include headaches, stomach aches, insomnia, difficulty in focusing, trouble in getting along with people, feeling overwhelmed or having a sense of regret about going abroad or returning.

If you have any of these symptoms, don't deny yourself the free (or nearly free) services that are available to you as a CSU student. Help is available. 

• Contact CSU Counseling Center in the Union Building, 1836 Euclid Ave., room 220 ( tel. 216-687-2277).  Their staff includes counselors who specialize in cross-cultural issues. Walk-ins are accepted 1:00- 3:00 pm Monday-Friday.
• Contact CSU Health and Wellness Services in the Center for Innovation in College of Health Building, room 205 (tel. 216-687-3837). Let the nurse or doctor know that you have just returned from study abroad; this may help with their diagnosis.
• Depending on your symptoms and where you spent your time abroad, consider undergoing medical tests to check for illnesses contracted during your travels.