Registering for Education Abroad courses

Course Registration at CU

Depending on your program, either you or the Education Abroad Registrar will register all students in their relevant CU Boulder Education Abroad course according to the following timelines:

• Spring and Winter programs: November/December
• Summer programs: March - April
• Fall and Academic Year programs: April – June (depending on program start date)

Critical to your registration in the course is that you have no holds or “Service Indicators” on your account. Most stops or Service Indicators on your CU Boulder record will prevent registration. Make sure you have no holds on your registration by logging into your Buff Portal account. If you expect to receive financial aid, you should always be prepared for enrollment (no stops, etc. which could prevent registration). Please address any questions concerning your education abroad enrollment to Jocelyn Gadlin-Jenkins.

The kind of class you are enrolled into will vary by program:
 

• Global Seminars and Global Intensives: Students must register themselves for these classes. Note that for Global Seminars, students will be notified via email once appropriate permissions have been granted to enable them to register - this typically takes place in late February or March for summer Global Seminars.
   
• CU in D.C. and Global Internships: Students completing a Global Internship or the CU in D.C. program are enrolled into their specific class(es) by the Education Abroad Registrar.
   
• All other programs: Students participating in an exchange, direct partnership, or a program run by a study abroad organization (e.g. CIEE, CAPA, ISA, etc.) are enrolled into a study abroad placeholder class (STDY 1001) by the Education Abroad Registrar. This placeholder class marks your enrollment in an official education abroad program for the semester you are abroad.
  • The amount of credits earned abroad may differ from the amount indicated on the study abroad placeholder course. The actual credit amounts will be updated upon receipt of the abroad transcript.
  • This temporary course will be replaced with your actual coursework when Education Abroad (EA) receives your grades at the conclusion of your program.
  • Note that timelines for when EA receives your grades will vary, see the Transcripts & Post-Program Academics page for more details.

 

Course Registration through your Program

Students enrolled in the STDY 1001 placeholder course will complete a separate registration process through their program directly in order to enroll in specific courses. The placeholder course does not register you for individual classes you plan to take on your program. More information on this registration process can be found in your MyCUAbroad checklist and/or through your program's checklist directly. Note that the registration timelines through your program will likely be different from those at CU. It's common for many registration timelines to take place 1-2 months before the start of your program. On some programs, students will not formally register for their classes until they are on-site. 
 

Special Considerations

Registering for CU Boulder Classes as a Backup

In general, students don’t need to enroll in Boulder campus classes as a backup for the term they plan on being abroad, however, there may be reasons that you wish to remain in one or more of these courses:
 

1. You intend to take an online course (one maximum) for the time you are abroad (see below for more details & considerations).
2. You were accepted with a condition (see below for more details & considerations).
3. You are still uncertain about going abroad.
4. Other reasons for wanting to remain in the Boulder campus courses for the time being.
    

Students with a Conditional Acceptance

If you have been accepted with a condition, you are encouraged to register for regular CU Boulder campus courses in addition to being enrolled in the placeholder course. If/when you are fully accepted into your program, you should drop the Boulder campus courses and will remain enrolled only in the Education Abroad course. 
 

Financial Implications of Registering for CU Boulder Classes

Students who enroll in CU Boulder classes as a backup for the term they plan on being abroad are responsible for dropping those classes in time to avoid any negative financial repercussions. Students are subject to the standard withdrawal fees and drop/add timelines for any CU Boulder classes in which they are enrolled. As a best practice, students should drop any CU Boulder backup classes by the first day of the start of the CU Boulder term. See the Registrars' Withdrawal Calendars page for more details. Note that Education Abroad students are exempt from paying the $200 withdrawal fee, provided that they stay enrolled in their Education Abroad program.   
 

Taking CU Online Courses While Abroad

Occasionally, students will enroll in a CU class while abroad, such as an online course offered through Continuing Education, a special Independent Study course, or a main campus course taught online.  This is allowed, though students should consider this carefully. Read more about the implications of this on the Course Planning page.  
 

Students Who Withdraw from Education Abroad after Being Registered for STDY 1001

Students who withdraw from their Education Abroad program will be dropped from the STDY 1001 class so they can enroll in CU classes. There are many implications to withdrawing beyond the STDY 1001 class; be sure to review the Withdrawing From Your Program page for more information on the financial, academic, and health insurance considerations of withdrawing from an Education Abroad program.