Pass/No Pass Policy
UO Students: If you would like to change the grade option of a study abroad course from graded to P/NP, you must request permission from GEO. To make this request, email geoinfo@uoregon.edu or your GEO advisor. Requests must be made before completing 70% of the course. You can find the P/NP deadline for your program in your pre-departure packet or in the Excel spreadsheet that will be uploaded to your GEO online application. While it is possible to change the grade option in most courses, some courses may have a locked grade option.
To receive a passing grade, undergraduate students must receive a grade of C- or better. Graduate students must receive a B- or better. Students are generally limited to taking 12 credits of courses P/NP if the course is also offered for a grade. Courses that are offered only as P/NP (without a grading option) are considered P* courses. P* courses do not count towards the 12 credit limit. Regardless of the number of credits you need to finish your undergraduate degree, you need to have 168 credits in which you receive an A, B, C, D, P*. (If you graduate with more than 180 credits, the 12 credit limit could increase, but the 168 ABCDP* credits would remain.). For more information, see the Office of Academic Advising’s website.
Non-UO Students: You should consult with study abroad advisors in your home campus to find out about policies pertaining to P/N grade options for study abroad courses.
Add/Drop Deadline
The course add/drop and withdrawal deadlines will be determined by the local institution/university in your host country. In some programs that have a set curriculum, it may not be possible to withdraw from individual courses.
Registration and “Placeholder” Credits
UO Students: GEO works with the UO Registrar to manage registration for your program. You do not need to register yourself for anything in DuckWeb related to your program. While you are abroad, you will be enrolled in a number of “placeholder” UO credits. These credits simply serve to keep you enrolled in the UO while abroad and thus able to receive financial aid. After you return, these placeholder credits will be replaced with the names of the actual classes that you completed abroad, along with the corresponding grade and number of credits. The number of placeholder credits for which you are registered does not necessarily reflect the final number of credits that you will earn on the program.
Note: Please make sure that you have resolved any holds on your regular UO registration. For example, the UO Collections Department may have a hold on your account due to unpaid fees/tuition owed to the UO. If you have a hold on your account, GEO will not be able to register you for study abroad credits.
Non-UO Students: You should consult with study abroad advisors in your home campus to learn more about your registration status while you study abroad in a GEO program.
Attendance
You may not arrive late to, or leave early from, the academic program without approval from your local program staff. Approval will be granted only in highly exceptional circumstances beyond your control. While on site, you are expected to attend all classes and required academic activities, including required excursions and events. Personal travel that causes you to miss class is highly discouraged. In fact, such a decision could affect your grade in the missed class. Individual instructors may have specific attendance policies and sanctions for absences. Students who must miss academic activities due to illness or injury must inform the on-site director or faculty leader where applicable. Continued absences in violation of the GEO policies and behavior agreement may lead to disciplinary action, including dismissal from the program.
Course Approval Process
UO Students: You can review the courses already approved for your program in the UO Registrar’s Course Equivalency Database.
For NEW courses (that do not currently appear in the Registrar’s online database) send course syllabi to the relevant academic department at the UO to establish a course equivalency. For instance, for a political science course, reach out to the UO Political Science department (undergraduate coordinator, faculty, departmental staff, etc) to learn who should be receiving the syllabus for evaluation. For this process, please follow the detailed instructions provided in the GEO Study Abroad Course Equivalency Form. Note that this step is primarily for programs that are exchange, direct enroll, or third party programs. If you are participating in a GEO Center or faculty-led program, those courses are likely already approved.
Non-UO Students: Talk to your campus study abroad advisor and/or Registrar’s Office about the courses you are completing with GEO and how they might count towards your major/degree.
Graduation: You should not plan to graduate the same term/semester in which you plan to study abroad. The study abroad credit evaluation process can take several weeks/months, in particular when students take courses directly from a university/institution abroad. You should plan to graduate at least one term after the end of your study abroad program. For example, if your study abroad program finishes at the end of spring term, plan to graduate in summer or fall term.