Study Abroad Advising and Course Approval Process
Information on Request for Transfer Credit Forms (RTCF’s)
All study abroad programs that are not faculty directed will require that you have your coursework taken abroad evaluated to determine how it will transfer back into your degree at UT. If you do not plan to use any financial aid, then this might only be important for you to understand how the coursework you take abroad impacts your progress towards your degree and your academic plan.
However, if you receive state and/or federal financial aid and plan to use it to fund your program abroad, you are beholden to Course Program of Study (CPOS) requirements, which dictate that you must take 12 degree applicable credits in order to receive your full financial aid. Otherwise, your aid might be pro-rated based on less credits.
It is imperative that you apply to your program and submit a Request for Transfer Credit Form (RTCF) AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE; please do not wait until the program deadline to apply to the program. These forms determine how the courses you take abroad will apply to your degree (if at all) AND if you qualify to receive any financial aid you are eligible for.
This form goes through MANY steps and can take up to 8-10 weeks to be completed. Faculty who review these forms are very busy in the last few weeks of the semester and many leave for the winter or summer break and may not be available to review the courses on your RTCF. If you wait until the posted application deadlines for programs to apply and THEN submit an RTCF for the first time, you are taking a risk that you may not have the form completed before you go abroad, and your financial aid could be impacted and/or delayed.
All RTCF’s should be submitted as soon as possible once you have committed to a program.
For College of Arts and Sciences students, all questions about the RTCF can be directed to: ArtScistudyabroad@utk.edu
Please see the Programs Abroad Request for Transfer Credit instructions, found here
RTCF Information Sessions and Drop-In Advising
To help students navigate the process of completing the RTCF, Academic Advisors in the College of Arts and Sciences will hold info sessions throughout the semester. Students are encouraged to attend the earliest session possible, particularly if they are still narrowing down a program. Times for Fall 2025 to come soon.
If you absolutely cannot make it to a session, you can view a recording of a previous session here
Programs Abroad Application Deadlines
Please note the individual program deadlines will vary and may be earlier than the deadlines posted by Programs Abroad.
- Winter Mini 2025: October 15, 2025
- Spring 2026: October 15, 2025
- May Mini 2025: February 15, 2026
- Full Summer and Summer 1 2025: March 15, 2026
- Summer 2 2025: March 30, 2026
- Fall 2025 and Academic Year 2025-2026: April 30, 2026
Planning to Take Courses Abroad to Apply Towards your General Education/Vol Core Requirements?
Taking courses abroad that can satisfy Vol Core requirements can be a great option for many students. Please note however, that this requires more planning and more steps, as there are committees of faculty for each requirement that decide which courses can be approved to meet that Vol Core requirement.
All courses that you hope to have apply towards Vol Core Requirements have an additional step to complete, and you must complete a petition and have it reviewed by the Vol Core Committee for each course you are requesting be considered, in ADDITION to being listed on your Request for Transfer Credit Form (RTCF.) The Vol Core approval process can take many weeks and must be completed before your RTCF can be processed, thus adding additional weeks of processing time.
When listing Vol Core Requirements on your RTCF, you will be asked to submit a petition that includes your rationale for why you believe that course should be considered for the Vol Core Requirement. Please use the following sections to help you in writing your petitions.
Arts & Humanities (AH)
This is a great requirement to try to fulfill abroad and when looking for courses (and writing your rationale) refer to the following set of guidelines when writing your rationale:
By studying the arts and humanities, and by participating as an informed and appreciative observer of artistic and cultural achievements in fields within the visual, spatial, musical, theatrical, or written arts, we gain new perspectives on the human experience and on humankind’s creative impulse. Arts and Humanities courses are about the content, and not how the course is taught, therefore looking at course titles that have been approved at UT for Arts and Humanities is a great place to start.
Studying the arts and humanities also develops our critical thinking and analytical skills as we consider historical and present-day answers to the enduring question “What common experiences, if any, make up the human experience?” The Arts and Humanities component of the Perspectives requirement serves to introduce students to the modes of inquiry that are employed in the fields that constitute the arts and humanities, to help students understand how aesthetic and moral judgments are arrived at and defended, and to acquaint students with the artistic and cultural achievements of both the past and the present.
Within the College of Arts and Sciences, students meet this requirement by completing two courses, from two different departments. This can be done one of two ways:
- Completing two courses from the Literature and Philosophical and Religious Thought list (List A in DARS) OR
- Completing one course from the Literature and Philosophical and Religious Thought list (List A in DARS) and a second course from a different department from either the approved Volunteer Core Arts and Humanities (AH) (List B in DARS.) or Applied Arts and Humanities (AAH) list (List C in DARS.)
*It is most important to note that if you plan to take both of your Arts and Humanities courses abroad, then at least ONE of them MUST come from the Literature and Philosophical and Religious Thought list (List A in DARS)*
Social Sciences (SS)
This is a great requirement to try to fulfill abroad and when looking for courses (and writing your rationale) refer to the following set of guidelines when writing your rationale:
The disciplines that make up the social sciences help us analyze the interactions that take place between individuals, between groups or societies, and between an individual and a group. Studying these interactions helps us understand the political and social dynamics that govern contemporary societies. Equipped with this understanding, we can participate more effectively, and as informed and engaged citizens, in social, political, and economic decision making.
The Social Sciences (SS) component of the Perspectives requirement serves to introduce students both to the principal concerns of disciplines in the social sciences and to the methods by which social scientists collect and evaluate knowledge and test hypotheses.
Students meet this requirement by completing two courses, from two different departments. Looking at course titles that have been approved at UT for Social Sciences is a great place to start: Volunteer Core Social Sciences (SS) list.
*Please note that pre-med students are encouraged to complete PSYC 110 and SOCI 120 at UTK for MCAT preparation.
Written Communication (WC)
Please note that the Written Communication (WC) requirement is not about the content of the course, but the assessment and learning outcomes. When looking for WC courses (and writing your rationale) refer to the following:
WC courses need to have writing for the class that totals at least 5,000 words (around 20 pages total) and gives you multiple opportunities to write and be given informal feedback to include in revisions, etc. At least 50% of the final grade must come from writing assignments.
Generally, the course syllabus must demonstrate the following:
- Provides students with multiple opportunities to practice and improve their writing;
- Helps students learn course materials more thoroughly by writing about them in informal and formal ways;
- Gives students opportunities for feedback and revision of their writing; and
- Helps students understand the criteria for writing successfully within a given discipline or field.
More information for reference can be found here: https://writingcenter.utk.edu/writing-in-the-disciplines/
Engaged Inquiries (EI)
Please note that the Engaged Inquiries requirement can be challenging to get approval for when taken abroad as it’s not about the content of the course, but how it is taught and assessed. (This means that even if you find course titles abroad similar to ones we offer at UTK, that is unrelated to their chance of being approved, since the content itself is mostly irrelevant.)
When taking Engaged Inquiries courses, students will benefit from experiences that broaden, extend, apply, and integrate prior learning and promote effective collaboration and self-awareness.
If you would like to have a course considered, the syllabus must clearly demonstrate that students will produce an investigative, creative, or practical work relevant to the course topic, and additionally, El courses must demonstrate that they produce learning outcomes from at least two of the following areas:
A. Applied Learning
In applied learning courses, students will engage in a process of proposing, implementing, and assessing the success of strategies, plans, or approaches to addressing questions in applied contexts. Courses in this domain are expected to achieve the following outcome for students
- Students will apply skills and knowledge from the classroom in hands-on situations, real-world settings, or in independent/ directed research or creative projects.
B. Collaborative Learning
During the semester, students will engage in a process of sharing ideas, making useful contributions, communicating effectively, understanding their roles, planning, and implementing the plan to completion. Courses in this domain are expected to achieve the following outcome for students:
- Students will demonstrate the ability to engage effectively in a group to complete an investigative, creative, or practical work.
C. Reflective Learning
Students will engage in reflective activities such as journal entries, reflective response papers, or creative exercises on a regular basis in this course. Students should grapple not only with the major ideas and content of the course, but with the question of what these ideas mean to them within a larger context. Courses in this domain are expected to produce the following outcome for students:
- Students will reflect on their own thinking, learning, understanding, and competencies, to draw connections between the subject matter of the course and the students’ own experiences within a larger social or global context.
D. Integrative or Multi-disciplinary Learning
Courses that address this domain may include team-taught interdisciplinary courses; exploration into adjacent fields; courses on pre-defined interdisciplinary subjects. Courses in this domain are expected to achieve the following outcome for students:
Students will demonstrate the ability to draw on theories, knowledge, tools, and/ or methods from at least two fields of study to investigate relevant issues.