GE Study Abroad
GE Study Abroad Petition - Overview
Students are strongly encouraged to submit a GE Study Abroad petition before going abroad in order to know in advance which courses will be approved for GE credit. Until students have received their petition back, signed as approved by the GE Director, they should not assume that they will receive GE credit. Students should be sure to attach supporting documentation: a course description and, whenever possible, a complete syllabus. Course descriptions should not be copied and pasted; the entire web page(s) containing the course descriptions should be printed out.
Procedures - Submitting GE Study Abroad Petitions
- Review the GE requirements on Cal Poly’s GE web site @ http://ge.calpoly.edu/gerequirements09.html
- Determine the GE area you need to fulfill (refer to your curriculum or check with your advisor).
- Complete the GE Study Abroad form for course review and GE consideration. These forms can be picked up at the Office of the Registrar (Building 01, Room 222) or the International Programs office (Building 38, Room 145).
- Attach the course descriptions and supporting documents for each course printed or photocopied directly from the international catalog or web site. Do not copy and paste this information into your own document. Be sure the printed documents include the campus, location, term, print date and URL, if applicable.
- Meet with a Study Abroad Advisor to discuss your plan and obtain his/her signature. Note: International Programs does not approve Study Abroad petitions.
- Submit the petition form to the Office of the Registrar (Building. 01, Room 222).
- The Evaluations unit will route the form for you. The form may take up to 4 weeks for review. Your copy will be returned by mail with the final decisions on your petition requests.
Sample GE Study Abroad form (PDF) This form is for reference only.
Students Who Need Help when Abroad
If students find, once they are abroad, that there has been an unexpected change in course offerings, they may seek informal advice about their course choices by emailing or phoning the Cal Poly Office of the Registrar (evaluations@calpoly.edu, 805-756-2396).
GE Study Abroad Policies
- Cal Poly courses taken through a Cal Poly Study Abroad Program that are not on the Cal Poly GE list will not be allowed to count for GE.
- Lower-division courses may not be used to fulfill GE C4 or GE D5 or GE F.
- GE credit can only occur after official transcripts have been received, allowing verification of grades and of the information provided on the GE Study Abroad petition: course title and description, units, lower- or upper division status, etc. (Each course must be the equivalent of at least 4 quarter units.)
GE Study Abroad - Foreign Language Policy
As with all other study abroad courses, students are strongly encouraged to submit a GE Study Abroad petition before going abroad in order to know in advance which foreign language courses will be approved for GE credit.
In most cases, first-term (and later) foreign language courses, including upper-division courses, that are non-Cal Poly courses taken abroad will be granted transfer credit toward C1, C2, and/or the C elective at Cal Poly, up to a maximum total of 8 units in Area C, because of the value-added component of these study abroad courses.
However, foreign language courses that are purely or mostly conversation courses will not be approved for GE credit, as these do not have the depth or rigor expected of GE courses.
To receive GE credit, foreign language courses should have a significant emphasis on reading, writing, and/or grammar within the foreign language.
Review and Approval of GE Petitions
Petitions are considered on an individual basis, and approval or disapproval of previous petitions does not set a precedent. Although every effort is made to ensure consistency, there are many reasons why decisions on petitions may vary:
- the course may have changed
- GE review criteria may have changed
- additional persons (GE Area Chair, Dept. Head/Chair) may have been consulted and their recommendations may lead to a different decision
- the documentation provided in support of the petition may be different from that included with previous petitions
- there may be unusual circumstances involved in a particular student’s situation.