Scotland Study Abroad Program at the University of Glasgow

Course Restrictions

Are there any course or departmental restrictions?
In the last few years, certain departments at the University of Glasgow have changed their policy regarding study abroad students and exams. These departments do not allow study abroad students who are at the university for fall term only to enroll in their classes if those students cannot be present for the final exams (often held in January or June). The departments that do not allow fall-term only students to enroll in their courses are mathematics, statistics, all engineering departments and computer science.

Film & Media Studies The minimum prerequisite to take a class in this department is four classes as background in the subject area.

Education Level 3 and 4 classes are not available to study abroad students.

Sociology This department does not have a history of allowing spring semester only students into their classes. They may make exceptions depending on the class and your background. Check with your program advisor for more information.

Politics Students studying at Glasgow for the spring semester can take only Level 1 and Level 2 political science courses. Level 3 and Level 4 political science courses are not open to visiting students who are studying at Glasgow for the spring semester only.

For more information about each department, please visit the University of Glasgow Department web pages. There may be course or departmental restrictions for departments that are not listed above. For more information, contact your program advisor.

Special Opportunities

While studying at the University of Glasgow, can I take courses at the Glasgow School of Art ?
Study abroad students have the unique opportunity to take courses through the prestigious Glasgow School of Art. If you have any interest in this, you can learn more here.

There are currently three classes that are available at the Glasgow School of Art for students enrolled at the University of Glasgow. Students may enroll in up to two classes, and each class is worth 10 University of Glasgow credits. The classes are offered on Wednesdays and are taught by the Glasgow School of Art’s continuing education department. While these are introductory courses, more advanced students have the opportunity to work in the studio under the guidance of Glasgow School of Art tutors, and they often find that they are encouraged to work at a level above the general class. If you would like to take these classes, write “GSA Cont. Ed Dept – [name of class]” on your course preference form.

While studying at Glasgow, can I take courses at the Scottish National Piping Centre?
Students enrolled at the University of Glasgow can take Bagpipes: History, Repertoire, and Performance through the Scottish National Piping Centre. This course consists of three class hours a week at the piping centre. One hour is spent in a small group lecture learning about the bagpipes in relation to Scottish history and culture. One hour is spent in small group instruction in playing the bagpipes, and the third hour is spent in one-on-one instruction with the tutor. This course is available to students of all ability levels. If you would like to take this class, write “Scottish National Piping Centre” on your course preference form. For more information, please click here.

What is the Functional Premed Anatomy course option?
During the fall semester, the University of Glasgow offers a 20 Glasgow credit course titled “Functional Premed Anatomy.” This course is aimed at students who wish to attend medical school in the U.S. The course will be a level 2 course and the GPA requirement is 3.4. Students wishing to take this course must be pre-med or biology majors. Students will also be charged a supplemental tuition fee for enrolling in this course. To indicate interest in this course, please write it on the course preference form. Space in the course is limited, so acceptance is competitive. The Glasgow science department will review applications of students wishing to take this course and you will be notified of your acceptance into the course prior to departure (but after hearing about acceptance into the university).

What is the Community-Based Learning course?
Glasgow's Public Policy department offers a community-based learning course. Students do volunteer work for six hours per week and take a related course for 5 U.S. semester credit hours. Read more.

Credits

How many courses am I able to take, and how do I determine U.S. semester credit hours?
IFSA-Butler requires students to enroll in a full course load at the host institution. The number of courses you take depends on the credit value of the courses you select. One University of Glasgow credit equals 0.25 U.S. semester credit hours. For information on the credit weight, please consult below:

Period of Study                  Glasgow Credits               U.S. Semester Credit Hours
Fall semester                      60                                         15
Full year                                120                                       30
Spring semester                 60-72                                   15-18

Registration

The course preference form is not a registration form; it is a guideline to let your host university know which courses you are interested in taking abroad. You should discuss your course selections with your academic advisor at your home institution and have several backup choices in mind. Accepted students will receive their provisional schedule shortly after an admissions decision is made. This schedule will be based on the courses listed on the course preference form.

What are the registration conditions?
You must take a full University of Glasgow course load as determined by IFSA-Butler. Credit will be awarded on a Butler University transcript based on a typical U.S. full course load. All courses are graded on an A-F scale, and there is no provision for pass/fail or auditing courses unless pass/fail is the only method of assessment for the course. You are not allowed to register for online, distance education or hybrid courses.

You should also be aware that you may be charged additional fees by your home institution or host university to take or process additional credits. Taking less than a full course load may jeopardize your student status and result in personal academic repercussions and/or loss of financial aid.

Exams

What do I need to know about exams?
Because of the differences in the academic systems, you will not know your exam schedule until after you arrive at your host university. Please refer to your program calendar to review the exam period for your host university. Your host university's policies do not permit you to reschedule any exams, request alternate assessments or arrange to have your exams proctored in the United States. If this occurs, IFSA-Butler cannot assist you in conducting a grade query or academic follow-up for the course in which you made this arrangement. You will need to complete and submit all academic work prior to departing the program.

Transcripts

How will my home university know what my classes were and what grades I received?
After you have returned to the U.S., your home university will receive a Butler University transcript with the credit you earned at the University of Stirling. The Butler University transcript will report the equivalent U.S. semester credit hours and letter grades. We also will send an official transcript to your permanent address.