You must enter courses attempted through a study abroad program if awarded credit by a U.S., U.S. territorial, or Canadian institution. List study abroad coursework under the foreign college, the foreign listing of your home institution, or the organization at which the coursework was attempted, exactly as it appears on the sponsoring U.S. or Canadian institution’s official transcript. You should not enter the coursework twice.
Study Abroad Program - Sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian School
This type of program was sponsored by your undergraduate institution or another U.S. or Canadian college or university. The sponsoring school granted you credit for the courses you took at the study abroad institution.
In the "Schools Attended" section of your AMCAS® application, you will:
- List the U.S. or Canadian school that sponsored you (assisted with your registration at the study abroad institution/initially granted you credit for the courses taken).
- List the study abroad (foreign) institution.
When asked Does AMCAS require an official transcript?
- Select Yes for the U.S or Canadian Institution that sponsored you.
- Select No for the study abroad (foreign) institution. Choose the "Transcript Exception" reason: Foreign Institution or Study Abroad program sponsored by U.S., U.S. territorial or Canadian institution - Credits transferred.
- When asked if the credits from the foreign institution were transferred, select Yes and enter the name of the sponsoring school in the required field.
Enter your study abroad courses as courses taken at the study abroad (foreign) school. However, enter them exactly as they appear on the sponsoring school’s transcript.
No coursework should be associated with the sponsoring institution if you were only enrolled in that school for the study abroad program sponsorship.
Faculty Led Study Abroad Program - Sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian School
This type of program was sponsored by your undergraduate institution or another U.S. or Canadian college or university. With this experience, you were travelling abroad with professors from your institution and did not complete the majority of your coursework at one (1) foreign institution.
To differentiate between courses taken at your home institution and credits earned while studying abroad in the "Schools Attended" section of the application, list your institution twice.
- The first entry should be the traditional name of your school (Example: “AMCAS University”).
- The second entry should include your school’s name, the term “Study Abroad,” and the city where your study abroad program was completed. (Example: “AMCAS University - Study Abroad - Rome”). The dates for this entry should only encompass when your study abroad took place.
When asked Does AMCAS require an official transcript?
- Select Yes for the first entry (U.S or Canadian Institution that sponsored you).
- Select No for the second entry (study abroad labeled institution). Choose the "Transcript Exception" reason: Foreign Institution or Study Abroad program sponsored by U.S., U.S. territorial or Canadian institution - Credits transferred.
- When asked if the credits from the study abroad labeled institution were transferred, select Yes and enter the name of the sponsoring school in the required field.
Enter all coursework that was completed during your study abroad term(s) under the study abroad listing of your school (Example: “AMCAS University - Study Abroad - Rome”).
Enter all other coursework taken at your institution under the traditional name listing for your school (Example: “AMCAS University”).
Study Abroad Program – Sponsored by an Organization Other than a U.S. or Canadian Institution
This type of program was sponsored by a third-party organization (such as CIEE, CEA, DIS, IES, ISA, WES) to assist with the registration and enrollment at a study abroad school. These are directions if a U.S. or Canadian school has granted credit for your study abroad courses.
In the "Schools Attended" section of your application you will:
- List the U.S. or Canadian institution that has granted you credit for your study abroad course.
- List the study abroad organization.
- Select the state where your study abroad organization headquarters is located.
- Select Other Not Listed for the school name. Modify the school’s name to reflect the name of the organization and the country where you completed your study abroad: (Example: “CIEE Spain”).
When asked Does AMCAS require an official transcript?
- Select “No” for the study abroad organization. Choose the Transcript Exception reason: Foreign Institution or Study Abroad Program sponsored by U.S., U.S. territorial or Canadian institution – Credits transferred.
- Select “Yes” for the U.S. or Canadian institution that gave you credit for the study abroad courses.
When asked if the credits from the study abroad organization were transferred, select Yes and enter the name of the institution where the credits were originally accepted.
Enter your study abroad courses as courses taken at the study abroad organization. However, enter them exactly as they appear on the official transcript from the U.S or Canadian institution that granted you credit.
American Colleges Overseas
Despite the fact these institutions are physically located outside of the U.S., U.S. territories, and Canada, these schools have received accreditation from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The AMCAS program treats these schools like any other U.S. or Canadian school.
In the "Schools Attended" section of the application:
- Enter the name of the American college overseas by selecting it from the list of schools. If your school is not listed, you can manually enter the school name as it appears on your official transcript from that institution.
When asked Does AMCAS require an official transcript?
- Select Yes.
Enter all coursework taken at an American college overseas exactly as it appears on the official transcript from that institution.
Study Abroad Program Documentation
Review documentation that is required and not required by the AMCAS program for study abroad programs.
The AMCAS program cannot accept documentation from the study abroad programs listed below. Coursework taken through one of these programs must be transferred to a U.S. or Canadian college or university in order to be verified by the AMCAS program. Please note that the list is not all-inclusive:
- Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
- Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA)
- Danish Institute for Study Abroad Program (DIS)
- International Education of Students (IES)
- International Studies Abroad (ISA)
- World Education Services (WES)
Please note that the AMCAS program requires official transcripts from the School for International Training (SIT Graduate Institute).