Course Load

Course load expectations vary depending on whether the student is joining a short-term program (J-term or summer) versus a semester program.

Short-term programs are typically three or six credits, depending on the length of the program. Students who take six credits while on a short-term program may be eligible for additional financial aid, so it is important to disclose the number of credits you will be taking to the Student Financial Planning office, so that they can award the appropriate amount of aid.

On long-term programs students are required to enroll in a minimum of 12 U.S. semester credits abroad to remain in full-time status.

The number of credits that courses are worth abroad can vary greatly. It is important to review credit information early in the application process to ensure you are enrolled in the correct number of credits.

To transfer credits back to Drake from studying abroad, get your courses and the number of credits a course will transfer back to Drake pre-approved using the Course Approval Form found on our Forms page.