SEMESTER/YEAR LONG PROGRAMS

Keele University, UK
Course Selection and Transfer Credit Process

Modules at Keele are assigned a value according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). In ECTS terms, a full-time courseload for a single semester is 30 credits. The policy for converting ECTS to credits at Old Dominion is to divide the ECTS value in half.

• Ex. - Chaucer and His Time I (5 ECTS) will transfer to ODU as 2.5 credits
• Theoretical Issues in Criminology (7.5 ECTS) will transfer to ODU as 3.75 credits

Exchange students are expected to register for a courseload of 30 ECTS per semester at Keele. The Module Catalogue for Keele is available at: http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/aa/undergraduate/sci/modulecatalogue/:

1. Select "Module Catalog" and select the area of study of interest.
2. Read all notes regarding study in this department and print the descriptions of specific modules.

The webpage is your best resource for accessing information on the modules that will be offered. There is also a directory available in the Office of Study Abroad, but the information may be outdated. When looking at the online directory, students should pay careful attention to the notes regarding which modules are fully open to exchange students and which courses are restricted. For example:

• Modules designated "+" are generally open to exchange students.
• Modules designated "~" require exchange students to have met specific pre-requisites
• Modules designated "#" are open to exchange students only through special arrangement

Students should attempt to seek approval of a good number of "+" and "~" courses. Students should advise the study abroad advisor as to any "#" courses which they are interested in, as the Departmental Tutor at Keele should be contacted as soon as possible.

All exchange applicants to Keele are required to submit a prioritized Learning Agreement (pale green) as part of their application. You should carefully read all instructions on the back of this form before completion. Furthermore, every module listed on this form should have been pre-approved by an ODU faculty advisor on a Transfer Credit Evaluation form (available in the Office of Study Abroad). Making changes to your module requests after submission of this form can be difficult - therefore, it pays to make your selections carefully.

Academic Terminology in the United Kingdom

• Module - The basic unit of teaching (equivalent to one course/class in the U.S.)
• Course - A students' course of study (equivalent to an academic major in the U.S.)

Most undergraduate degrees in the U.K. are 3-year (rather than 4-year) programs:

• Level One modules are roughly equivalent to 100 or 200-level classes in the U.S.,
• Level Two modules to 300-level classes,
• Level Three modules to 400-level classes.
• Many Level Two and Level Three classes will require pre-requisite or co-requisite study in the field.

Degree-seeking students in the U.K. generally take modules only in their major course of study.
Although exchange students from the U.S. are permitted to take modules in a variety of areas, timetable clashes may occur. As semester schedules are not published in advance, it is very important that students select between 2-6 back-up courses in case of scheduling conflict.

Assessment in the United Kingdom
Students from the U.S. who study in the United Kingdom often find the standard of assessment to be quite high. Grades are awarded on a percentage basis, with a rough conversion to U.S. grades as follows:

UK Grade 70% and above 60 - 69% 50 - 59% 40 - 49% lower than 40% unacceptable for transfer credit

U.S. Equivalent A A-/B+ C+/B-/B C

Grades of 75% or above are very rarely awarded.

Credit for study abroad is loaded as transfer credit -- therefore, the foreign grade is not factored into students' grade point average at ODU. However, students need to earn a minimum grade equivalent to a "C" or better for the transfer credit to be accepted.