Watch the video tutorial about how to enter study abroad coursework on the AMCAS Tools and Tutorials website. You can also find more information about study abroad coursework by visiting the AMCAS Study Abroad webpage at aamc.org/amcasstudyabroad.
You must enter courses attempted through a study abroad program. 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. Do not enter the coursework twice.
If you attended a study abroad program, a transcript is required from the U.S. or Canadian institution that sponsored the program, even if it was not your home institution. Although you may not have taken a course at the sponsoring institution itself, you must have a transcript from that school if it was the school that awarded you credit for the study abroad coursework.
Study Abroad Program Sponsored by a U.S. or Canadian Institution
This type of program was sponsored by your undergraduate institution or another U.S. or Canadian college or university. The sponsoring school is the institution that granted you credit for the courses you took in the study abroad program.
In the School Attended section of your application, you will:
- List the U.S. or Canadian school that sponsored you (that is, the school that assisted with your registration at the study abroad institution or initially granted you credit for the courses taken).
- List the study abroad (foreign) institution.
When asked “Does the AMCAS program 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 this 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 under the foreign school you attended exactly as they appear on the sponsoring school’s transcript.
If the sponsoring U.S. or Canadian institution provides letter grades (e.g., A, B, C) and credit hours convertible to semester hours for each course on its transcript, enter all required course data. The AMCAS program will include this coursework in your AMCAS GPAs.
If the sponsoring U.S. or Canadian institution does not provide letter grades other than pass/fail:
- Indicate Pass/Fail as the Special Course Type and provide all other required course data, entering the transcript grade exactly as it appears on the official transcript of the U.S. or Canadian sponsoring institution.
- The AMCAS program will include this coursework in your cumulative Pass/Fail-Pass and Pass/Fail-Fail credit-hour totals, not in your AMCAS GPAs.
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 Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), Cultural Experiences Abroad, DIS, International Education of Students, International Studies Abroad, World Education Services) to assist with the registration and enrollment at a study abroad school. This section provides directions for when 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’s headquarters is located.
- Select Other Not Listed for the school name. Modify the school name to reflect the name of the organization and the country where you completed your study abroad (e.g., “CIEE Spain”).
When asked “Does the AMCAS program require an official transcript?”
- Select No for the study abroad organization. Choose this 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.
If the sponsoring U.S. or Canadian institution provides letter grades (e.g., A, B, C) and credit hours convertible to semester hours for each course on its transcript, enter all required course data. The AMCAS program will include this coursework in your AMCAS GPAs.
If the sponsoring U.S. or Canadian institution does not provide letter grades other than pass/fail:
- Indicate Pass/Fail as the Special Course Type and provide all other required course data, entering the transcript grade exactly as it appears on the official transcript of the U.S. or Canadian sponsoring institution.
- The AMCAS program will include this coursework in your cumulative Pass/Fail-Pass and Pass/Fail-Fail credit-hour totals, not in your AMCAS GPAs.
The AMCAS program cannot accept documentation from certain study abroad programs, including those listed below. To be verified by the AMCAS program, coursework taken through one of these programs must be transferred to a U.S. or Canadian college or university. Please note: 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: The AMCAS program requires official transcripts from the School for International Training (SIT Graduate Institute).