ADO Exchange Information

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES:

What to do at the Academic Dean's Office

Exchange course approvals allow an undergraduate King’s student to take UP TO 5.0 credits at a university outside Canada, as a visiting student, and transfer the credit(s) towards a degree at King’s University College.  COURSES TAKEN ON EXCHANGE MUST BE PRE-APPROVED THROUGH THE ACADEMIC DEAN’S OFFICE AT KING’S; THEY CANNOT BE APPROVED ON A RETROACTIVE BASIS. 

STEP 1: PLAN AHEAD
  • Gather information from the King’s International Office on applying for an Outgoing International Exchange. See: http://www.kings.uwo.ca/current-students/student-affairs/kings-international/outgoing-exchange/). Attend an Exchange Information Session.
  • Determine if you are eligible to go on exchange. You must be found academically eligible by the King’s International Office.
  • Your eligibility must also be confirmed by the King’s Academic Dean’s Office or ADO (DL104; academic.counselling@kings.uwo.ca).  Use this on-line form http://www.kings.uwo.ca/current-students/courses-enrolment/planning/appointment-requests/   to make an appointment with an academic counsellor to determine that the exchange plan is academically viable. The counsellor will fill out the Academic Reference for a King’s Exchange form, which must be submitted to the King’s International Office.
  • Eligibility notes:
    • Normally, students who are academically eligible will be in Year 2 or Year 3 of their program at King’s, and will have a cumulative average of 70% or more.  In exceptional circumstances, Year 1 students with excellent first term marks may be considered for an international exchange.
    • Special Students (i.e., students with degrees) are not eligible for international exchanges.
    • You must complete certain courses at King’s University College.  Consult an academic counsellor at the Academic Dean’s Office (ADO) regarding graduation and modular residency requirements. 
STEP 2: APPLY FOR THE EXCHANGE
  • Follow the instructions provided by the King’s International Office for preparing and submitting the Outgoing Exchange Application. See the Application Guidelines for International Academic Exchange handout. 
STEP 3: GET COURSE APPROVALS
  • Timeline: begin the course approval process with the King’s International Office as soon as the exchange is approved, and as soon as a preliminary timetable with the host university’s course offerings for the relevant term becomes available. Do this by March/April for a Fall exchange in any given year. Even if you are going on exchange in the second term (January), you should planning your courses by June/July of the previous year at the latest.
  • Get a list of the courses that will be offered by the host university, and shortlist the ones you hope to take.
  • Contact the International Office to have your specific courses approved. You will be given an Exchange Course Approvals form. Fill out ONLY the personal information areas and bring the form back to the International Office.
  • Along with the Course Approvals form, provide detailed descriptions or syllabi of the courses you plan to take, to the International Office. The syllabi must be provided in electronic form as well as in hard copy.  They must be edited to be readable (no logos, no instructor names, no irrelevant material)  and must include ALL the following information:
    • Host university course number and title (e.g., EECO3UF, Economic Growth and Strategic Decisions)
    • Host university course weight  (e.g., 4 ECTS)
    • Total number of hours of instruction
    • Textbooks required and recommended
    • Detailed course description/class schedule/course contents
    • Breakdown of evaluation scheme
  • The course descriptions you provide will be vetted by the ADO academic counsellors (in the case of elective credits) or by the Chairs/Co-ordinators of departments and programs (in the case of principal courses for your modules). Allow two to four weeks for the processing of your Exchange Course Approvals Form.
  • When your Exchange Course Approvals form is processed by the International Office, collect it and bring a copy to the Academic Dean’s Office. Keep a copy for yourself: you are responsible for tracking your own courses.   
  • Notes:
    • Not all courses you take on exchange will count towards your modules, though most courses will work as elective credits. 
    •  Propose a few more courses than you will need to take; not all proposed courses will be approved or available.
    • Some courses will NOT be approved:  courses intended to fulfill the designated essay requirements; Science courses considered below the 1000 level (e.g., Math 0110a/b); and courses applicable to professional programs like Education, or performance courses in Music.
STEP 4:  REGISTER IN YOUR COURSES AT THE HOST UNIVERSITY
STEP 5: KEEP TRACK OF YOUR PROGRESS
  • Your Exchange Course Approvals Form is valid only for the session indicated and for the number of courses and the specific courses approved.  Students attending other schools without a valid outgoing Exchange approval normally have to apply for readmission to King’s and there is no guarantee of transfer credit(s).
  • Contact both the King’s International Office and your academic counsellor immediately if you choose to cancel or withdraw from your exchange.
  • If you register for different courses, contact your academic counsellor immediately by email to provide syllabi for courses not previously approved, and to request a revision of the original course approvals.
  • If you withdraw from courses without penalty, the courses will normally be shown as “WDN” on your Western academic record.  YOU MUST PROVIDE NOTICE, OR A FAILING GRADE WILL BE RECORDED.
  • Late withdrawals will be recorded as failures on your Western transcript and will be included in your average.
STEP 6: SEND A TRANSCRIPT OF YOUR RESULTS TO KING’S OR WESTERN
  • It is your responsibility to have the host university forward an official transcript of your grades to Enrolment Services at King’s for exchanges arranged through the King’s International Office.  (For exchanges arranged through Western’s International and Exchange Student Centre, the transcript must be sent to that office.) Place your order for a transcript as soon as you are registered, so you don’t forget. The transcript must be sent as soon as your final grades are available. If an official transcript is not received by Western/King’s, the courses will be recorded as fails on your academic record.  This could affect your eligibility for further registration here or delay your graduation.
  • Your final transcript from the host university must match your exchange approvals. An approved course will be credited toward your degree.  The grade will be recorded as either a “PASS” or “FAIL,” rather than as a numeric value.
  • For the purpose of future registration, course content covered on a transfer of credit basis may serve as either pre- or anti-requisite, as determined by the Academic Dean’s Office.
  • If you wish to appeal a grade, contact the host university directly. 
  • The policy on determining eligibility for Dean’s Honor List and “With Distinction” is outlined in the Academic Calendar (www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca).
  • If you take the final course(s) for your program on exchange, and you want to graduate, you must apply for graduation on the web (https://student.uwo.ca) at the appropriate time and ensure that King’s Enrolment Services receives your official transcript by the deadline.  Otherwise, you must re-apply to graduate at the next Convocation.  Normally, students attending in the winter will not graduate until Fall Convocation. For the Spring (June) Convocation, apply between Dec 1st and April 30th  (transcript deadline: May 15th).  For the Fall (October) Convocation, apply between July 1st and Sept 1st (transcript deadline: Oct 1st).