Every course you take abroad needs to be evaluated by Vanderbilt faculty in order to earn Study Abroad/Away Credit back at Vanderbilt. This process determines how the course will count at Vanderbilt—or if it will count at all.

The process for course evaluation is coordinated by the International Curriculum and Credentials Analyst in the Office of the University Registrar. Vanderbilt faculty determine all study abroad course equivalencies, including the number of credit hours a given course will count for. These determinations are then entered into a database, the YES Study Abroad Course Search Tool. This database is a good first place to start in exploring courses available overseas, but students should note that it is only a record of courses VU students have taken in the past 5 years. It is not a list of all courses being offered, nor does a course's presence on this list mean it will be offered when you are abroad. Here are the steps to using the database:

How to Get Courses Evaluated

1. Use the YES Study Abroad Course Search Tool to find courses that have already been evaluated for your program. Determine whether the courses you want to take are on the list, make sure you understand how many credits you will earn for each course, and verify that the expiration date of the course evaluation is later than your program end date.
2. If the courses you are interested in have already been evaluated on YES, confirm that these courses are offered in the semester you are studying abroad on your host university course catalog.
   
3. Don’t see the course you want to take on YES or the evaluation has expired? You must request a new course review by completing a Course Equivalency Evaluation Request Form. A complete syllabus is required for course evaluation. You may find syllabi online or by contacting your program provider directly for assistance.
4. The Registrar’s Study Abroad Analysis team will do the rest! The Registrar will contact faculty, who determine how the course will count at Vanderbilt. The Registrar will then email you the evaluation and post the results on YES.
5. If you want a course to count differently than is listed on YES, your next step will depend on your college:
   • Blair School of Music: Contact Blair’s Office of Academic Services.
   • College of Arts and Science: Contact the departmental Director of Undergraduate Studies for the major or minor you want the course to count toward.
   • Peabody College: Contact Peabody’s Office of Academic Services.
   • Vanderbilt School of Engineering: Contact VUSE’s Office of Academic Services.

Note that the number of credits listed on YES may not match the program provider’s suggested number of credits. The credits hours as listed on YES will be reflected on your Vanderbilt transcript. Also be aware that if a course is a direct equivalent to a Vanderbilt course, you are responsible for meeting the prerequisites of both the Vanderbilt course and the abroad course in order to take and receive full credit for it.

The single most important thing to remember about the course evaluation process is that you are responsible for ensuring your courses are evaluated as soon as possible! Vanderbilt can’t process your grades until all your abroad courses have evaluations on file. If courses taken abroad do not receive credit at Vanderbilt, you may risk underloading and jeopardizing your financial aid eligibility.

Need more information? Check out the University Registrar’s Study Abroad Course Review page, or talk with your Study Abroad advisor.