Each university is different, but generalizations can be made based on the educational system of each country.
Important to Know
• There are three places on a host-university website to
find course information:
- the course handbook/catalog/prospectus
- the department website
- the university’s international office website
• If you are requesting information and not receiving the appropriate materials, it may be that the host institution is not recognizing the term "syllabus". When asking for course information you may want to just outline what you need:
- Course description and objectives
- Text(s) used/required readings or, if not available, the recommended reading list
- Number of credits, hours, or percentage of full-time load that the course represents
- Prerequisites or overall degree program to illustrate where the course fits with other courses
• If you have recurring trouble, check with the program sponsor or the Learning Abroad Center for assistance. In some instances, they can contact on-site staff to locate course information.
Academic Planning for Australian Universities
Terminology (Australian = US)
Course = program of study or degree program
Subjects or Units = course or classes
- Be aware that the semester in Australia is flip-flopped from ours. (Our fall is their spring and vice versa.)
- The 1000 level courses equal sophomore/second year in the US.
Academic Planning for New Zealand Universities
Terminology (New Zealand = US)
Course = program of study, major, or degree program
Papers and subjects = courses or classes
- Be aware that the semester in New Zealand is flip-flopped from the US. (Our fall is their spring and vice versa.)
- The 200 or 2000 level courses equal junior year in the US and are upper division.
- Different levels (or years) of study often have different credit
value assigned.
Academic Planning for
English, Welsh, & Irish Universities
Terminology (UK = US)
Course = program of study or degree program
Module = class or course
Prospectus = catalog or handbook
Faculty = a department
- Generally, look at second year UK courses (or modules) to match US junior year and upper division liberal ed courses. The second year also works well in general for mid-level major coursework. The 100 level is fine for liberal ed courses but not upper division.
- Be aware that it can be hard to take courses across colleges, so when looking for courses you may need to limit the search to one college. Your program sponsor will be able to indicate this. This is not a limitation for the Learning Abroad Center's University Study in these UK sites: Lancaster, UEA, and Queen Mary.
- Some UK universities are on a trimester system, and so you will need to pay attention to the term the course is offered. Also, courses may be year-long and may not be an option for you unless you are planning to study abroad for the academic year.
Academic Planning for Scottish Universities
Terminology (Scottish = US)
Course = program of study or degree program
Module = class or course
Prospectus = catalog or handbook
Faculty = a department
The US model was based on the Scottish model of education so there are many similarities. It is a four-year degree program and Scottish students do two years of general studies before choosing a specialized subject. Course levels should match more readily to a student’s level in the US.
Academic Planning for German Universities
Terminology (German = US)
Studiengang = subject, name of major
Fakultåt = department
Vorlesung = lecture
Übung = discussion
Vorlesungsverzeichnis = course catalog
- The semesters are called Winter (= US fall) and Summer (= US spring) semesters.
- Smaller classes of 15-25 students that are American lecture and discussion combination style can be called different things depending on department preference. For example, at the university in Freiburg, this type of course is called a Proseminar by most departments while Political Science calls it a Grundkurs (followed by a number I, II, or III depending on difficulty).
- Hauptkurse are the next most difficult courses after the Proseminar. Mostly upper level native German students take them; most American students won't.
- For more information about academics at German Universities go here.
Academic Planning for Spanish Universities
Facultad = department
Licenciaturas = bachelor degrees
- Courses are likely to be found within departments or degrees and possibly under Plan de Estudios or Programa de Asignaturas.
- Look for courses in the primer ciclo, first, second or third year courses. These will match the US levels best.
- Upper ciclo courses that are Cursos Optativos will match well also.
You will not be able to find course syllabi for almost any Spanish university, however, you may be able to find course listings and descriptions online. Be aware that courses are difficult to confirm prior to arrival on-site as Spanish students generally follow a pre-set track and don't have to do course selection. They also generally only study one or two subjects and have more background than US students.
Academic Planning for South African
Universities
Course syllabi are difficult to get for these institutions. Students
may want to be flexible with the majority of courses they want to
take abroad. However, if there are one or two courses that are needed
for major/minor requirements, work with the program sponsor
to gather the necessary information. Identify the
courses from the host institution's website prior to contacting
the program sponsor. The semester in South Africa
is opposite from the US. (Our fall is their spring and vice versa.)
Academic Planning for Latin American
Universities
For many universities, you will not be able to find course syllabi
online. However, some course descriptions may be available. Students
should be flexible with the majority of courses they want to
take. Work through the program sponsor to access one or two
needed course descriptions.
Academic Planning for African Universities
You will not be able to find course syllabi online. However, some
course descriptions may be available. Students should be flexible
with the majority of courses they want to take abroad. Work through
the program sponsor to try to access one or two needed course descriptions.
Academic Planning for Asian Universities
For some universities you will not be able to find course syllabi
online. However, some course descriptions may be available through
the host- university’s website. Work through the program
sponsor to access course descriptions.
Academic Planning for French Universities
You will not be able to find course syllabi for any universities.
Work through the program sponsor to access course descriptions.
Last modified on February 9, 2009 |