TAKE NOTE: The content on this page is only relevant for undergraduate students in the Faculty of Education (B.A.(Education), B.Ed. and B.Sc. Kin). Undergraduate students in other Faculties and graduate students should contact their Faculty for the appropriate information.

Study Away & Exchange

This page contains detailed information about studying at other institutions during your McGill program.

Please click here for a comprehensive guidebook on IUT, Exchange, Study Away, and Internship opportunities available to students in the Faculty of Education. This guidebook should be reviewed prior to applying for these opportunities. For questions about what is possible and right for you and your program progression, consult your Academic Advisor.

Education students are eligible for various opportunities to complement their McGill program with studies completed at other institutions, including:

Pre-Approval of Transfer Credits

Any coursework completed at another university MUST be pre-approved to be considered for transfer credit. After-the-fact requests for transfer credit without pre-approval will be refused.

In the table below you will find the differences between Study Away and Exchange.

In Canada or Internationally

Study Away Exchange

Take classes in Canada or internationally at an accredited University as a visiting student while earning credits towards your degree.

Studying abroad for a semester or two at an international network of partner universities while earning credits towards your degree.

You pay host institution's tuition.

You pay McGill tuition.

For more information on Study Away. For more information on Exchange.

Please note, while McGill encourages study abroad opportunities, not all courses offered at host institutions may be eligible for transfer credit. Courses that are generally not accepted for transfer credit include: 

  • Continuing Studies courses 
  • Certificate/diploma program courses
  • Language courses offered by Language Centres (i.e. not associated with a degree program) 
  • Practicum (“how to”) courses (e.g. dance, fashion design, photography, web design, etc.)
  • Professional development/training courses 
  • Institution-specific orientation courses for exchange students
  • Volunteer program courses 

For questions about transfer credit and course equivalency, always consult your departmental Academic Advisor. 


International Experiences: Study Away & Exchange

Am I a good candidate?

International experiences can be exciting and enriching, but anytime you choose to study internationally, there are many aspects to consider, including:

  • Individual readiness/appropriate level of maturity to embark on an international experience
  • Potential for culture shock/reverse culture shock, homesickness, etc.
  • Financial responsibilities
  • Travel health and safety (DFATD travel advisories)
  • Potential delay to graduation
  • Potential impact on Field Experience terms
  • Ineligibility for scholarships in the year in which you are away

Conduct a thorough self-assessment to ensure that it is a good time for you to incorporate an international experience into your study plan. You can also visit the Plan and Prepare page of the McGill Abroad website.

Choosing a host school

When you first think about preparing to go on exchange, there are many important factors to consider. As the applicant, you will be responsible for conducting research on your potential host institution(s) and finding out vital information, including:

  • What is the language of instruction?
  • What is the host school's reputation? (May be a factor during grad school applications,)
  • Where is the host school situated (city, country, urban/rural/commuter, weather, etc.)?
  • What is the university's credit system?
  • How many courses must I take to receive the equivalent of 15 McGill credits for one term?
  • What is the university's grading system?
  • When does the term start? End?
  • Will I return in time to resume my studies at McGill?

Study Away

In this section:

  • What is Study Away?
  • Why Study Away?
  • Eligibility
  • Application Deadlines
  • Application Instructions
  • Updating the Transfer Credit Assessment Form
  • Cancelling an Application
  • Safety, Pre-Departure Orientation & Travel Registry
  • Final Grades
  • Graduation
     

What Is Study Away?

Students are eligible to take one or more courses at any accredited university (either within Canada or internationally) as a “Visiting Student”. At McGill, this process is known as "Study Away" or independent study. While on Study Away, students pay tuition at the host institution (warning: may be significantly higher than what you're paying at McGill!) while earning credit towards their McGill degree. 


Why Study Away?

Study Away can be a good option for a variety of reasons:

  • The host institution that you are interested in is not supported by the formal McGill Exchange program
  • A course at McGill is not offered in the desired format (e.g. online)
  • You wish to complete some of your degree requirements in your hometown while on summer break etc.  

Students are permitted to go on Study Away more than once during their degree; however, it is important to remember that a minimum of 60 credits must be completed at McGill in order to graduate. This is particularly relevant to students who have significant amounts of advanced standing.

As an Education student, you must also be aware of how a Study Away term(s) may conflict with your required courses, including regularly scheduled field experiences and pre-requisite courses. This is something that you should review with your departmental Academic Advisor. 


Eligibility

In order to be eligible for Study Away, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Be registered full-time (i.e. minimum of 12 credits per term)
  • Be in Satisfactory Standing 
  • Have a minimum CGPA of at least 2.70 at the time of application. Summer Term Away applications require a minimum CGPA of 2.0 and satisfactory standing. 
  • Have completed a minimum of 12 graded credits at McGill at the time of application
  • Students cannot simultaneously complete courses at McGill and at a different institution under Study Away for the Fall or Winter terms. This is only permitted for the Summer term. 

Students should meet with their departmental Academic Advisor to review their proposed Study Away plan and ensure that they are on track in terms of their program requirements. 


Application Deadlines

When planning to apply to Study Away, it is important to remember that McGill and the host institution may have different application deadlines. In addition to noting the internal McGill deadlines below, it is a good idea to verify the deadline for Visiting Student applications at the proposed host institution. Remember: just because you are approved by McGill to go on Study Away and have a Letter of Permission printed, there is no guarantee that a seat will be available for you in your chosen course. The earlier you start the approval process, the better.

TERM MINERVA APPLICATION OPENS APPLICATION DEADLINE
Fall February 1st July 1st
Fall + Winter (Full Year) February 1st  July 1st
Summer February 1st July 15th
Winter February 1st December 1st 

Application Instructions 

To apply for a Study Away term(s), you must: 

  1. Research and select a host institution 
  2. Research the courses offered at the host institution during the proposed term(s), identify the course(s) that you intend to register for and verify that it has been approved through McGill's Course Equivalency System; if it has not, you will need to register a request for evaluation (see FAQs)
  3. Complete the Study Away application in Minerva (Student Menu > Student Records Menu > Exchange/Study Away Menu), including a Statement of Purpose, indicating why you wish to go on Study Away
  4. Complete the Transfer Credit Assessment Form (TCAF) in Minerva; this involves listing the course(s) that you propose to take at the host institution for review and approval by the Faculty of Education; the link to the TCAF can be found at the bottom of your Study Away application; in order to populate this form, the course must already be approved in the Course Equivalency System 
  5. Once your application and TCAF are complete, e-mail your departmental Academic Advisor to request review and approval
  6. Once approved, your Academic Advisor will notify the ISA Director who will provide the final Faculty approval
  7. Once approved by the Faculty, you will receive an automated e-mail from Minerva indicating that you may log back into your Study Away application and print a “Letter of Permission” (link found at the bottom of application); this letter will allow you to apply to the host institution as a Visiting Student  
     
Explore Program:
  1. The student consults the Explore Program website to determine the course they wish to take
  2. In Minerva, the student submits a simplified Study Away Application (you must indicate in the comments that you wish to take a course offered through the Explore Program) and an Approval of Transfer Credit Assessment form to request course approval
  3. The student applies for the Explore Program on the Quebec government website
  4. If the student is accepted for the bursary and confirms their registration at the host institution, they must email this decision to their Faculty Student Affairs Office (SAO)
  5. The Faculty SAO approves the Study Away application and Transfer Course in Minerva
  6. Management of Academic Records adds a special inter-university course (EXTL-IU%-999) to the student’s record in the appropriate summer term and a notation of ‘Inter-University Explore Pgm’ reflects on the McGill transcript
  7. Upon course completion, the student requests a copy of their transcript to be sent to Management of Academic Records (see address below)
  8. Student takes a post-test at McGill’s French Language Centre and the result of the post-test must be received by the ISA Office/advisor before transfer credit is processed. Instructions can be found on this website
  9. Credit transfer is processed based on post-test results.

**Students undertaking the Explore Program should always refer to the Transfer Credit & Advanced Standing webpage (left hand menu, "Explore Program") for the most up-to-date information on the program.**


Updating the Transfer Credit Assessment Form

The Transfer Credit Assessment Form (TCAF) is linked to your Study Away application and is the means by which any eligible transfer credits will be approved for application to your McGill degree.

It is each student’s responsibility to ensure that the information on this form is accurate and up to date, particularly after final registration at the host institution, as some course selections may change. If you decide to change your course registration after your TCAF has been approved, you must log back into Minerva, update the form and have it approved by your departmental Academic Advisor again. Transfer credits completed while on Study Away will not be applied to your McGill transript until they are accurately reflected on the TCAF.


Cancelling an Application 

If you choose to cancel your Study Away term(s), please notify the ISA Office immediately by completing this online form. Failure to do so may result in an administrative fee being charged to your tuition account to remove “Study Away” notation from your unofficial McGill transcript after the Add/Drop Deadline


Safety, Pre-Departure Orientation & Travel Registry

McGill students will never be approved to study abroad in any country with a Government of Canada Travel Advisory of 3 (‘Avoid non-essential’ travel’) or 4 (‘Avoid all travel’); keep this in mind when proposing a host school.

All McGill, students who plan to complete a Study Away term(s) or formal Exchange must complete the mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation session. These sessions are available on MyCourses and provide outgoing McGill students with the necessary information to ensure they have safe and successful experiences.

Outgoing students who will travel to destinations outside the Greater Montreal Area are also required to complete a Travel Registry Form. Once you have been approved for Study Away or Exchange, you will receive an e-mail linking you to directly to the form. Please complete the form prior to your departure. Students who do not complete the mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation and Travel Registry Form prior to the deadline will have their Study Away or Exchange cancelled.  


Final Grades

Once the final grade(s) from your Study Away course(s) is available, it is your responsibility to order an official transcript to be sent from the host institution directly to McGill (i.e. students cannot submit a transcript to McGill themselves). Transcripts must be received by the below noted deadlines:

TERM DOING STUDY AWAY DEADLINE FOR ISA TO RECEIVE TRANSCRIPT
Summer (May-Aug) October 1st of the following calendar year
Fall (Sep-Dec) October 1st of the following calendar year
Winter (Jan-Apr) October 1st

It is your responsibility to order an official transcript to be sent from the Study Away  institution directly to McGill (i.e. students cannot submit a transcript to McGill themselves, transcripts will only be accepted from the institution itself). Electronic official transcripts are accepted and encouraged, and can be sent to officialschooldocs [at] mcgill.ca. If you are attending an international school, please ensure the transcript sent to McGill is in French or English. Students may also wish to order additional copies of their Study Away transcript for their own records or for future applications (e.g. graduate school, job interviews, etc.).

Once your transcript is received, your final grade and any applicable transfer credit will appear on your unofficial transcript in Minerva. Please note:

  • Eligible courses count for credit only; specific grades earned will not appear and are not calculated into your CGPA
  • Study Away courses will only be eligible for transfer credit if the final grade earned is equal to or greater than the grade required to graduate from the host school (e.g. if the minimum requirement to graduate from the host school is a CGPA of 2.00 (C) then this is the minimum grade you must obtain)
  • Grades of Pass (P) and Satisfactory (S) will not be approved for transfer credit
  • If both a letter grade and a numerical grade appear on the transcript, the letter grade earned will take precedence over the corresponding numerical grade
  • If you withdrew from a Study Away course, received a failing grade or the course will be excluded from your record ([E] flagged as additional to your program requirements), it will still appear on your transcript; however, it will be assigned 0 credit
  • Study Away courses that do not have direct McGill equivalents will be recorded on the unofficial transcript using generic subject codes (e.g. ENGL 2XX or TRNS LANG, etc.)

It is important to be aware that some international universities do not use the letter grade system (e.g. A, B, C, etc.). Please refer to the following chart for information on minimum passing grades for some popular destinations:

COUNTRY PASSING GRADE
Argentina 4 (Scale of 0 - 10)
Australia 50%
France 10 (Scale of 0 - 20)
Germany 1,0 - 4,0 (Scale of 1,0 - 6,0 where 1,0 is the highest possible grade)
Netherlands 6 (Scale of 0 - 10)
Spain  5.5 (Scale of 0 - 10)
United Kingdom 40% (3rd Class Honours or higher)

Graduation

If you are planning to graduate following the term in which you are on Study Away, please note that your graduation may be delayed by a term if your mark is not received by McGill's grade submission deadline.



Exchange

In this section:

  • What Is an Exchange?
  • Eligibility
  • Application Fee
  • Application Deadline
  • Preparing to Apply
  • Applying
    • Additional Step for a Full Year Exchange
  • Once Nominated
  • Registering at Your Host Institution
  • Pre-Departure Orientation & Travel Registry
  • Transfer Credit Approval
  • Final Grades
  • Graduation
  • Exchange Advisory Agreement
  • Exchange Student Checklist
     

What Is an Exchange?

The University maintains an international network of partner universities who agree to host McGill students who wish to study abroad on exchange for one or two semesters (Fall/Winter). While on exchange, students pay McGill tuition and earn credit towards their McGill degree. Please see the McGill Exchange website for further details about the exchange program, associated costs and a full list of host schools. Due to high demand for popular destinations and limited space, some universities are only eligible for one term.

Exchange is an exciting opportunity that can enrich your educational experience; however, as an Education student, you must be aware of how an exchange term(s) may conflict with your required courses, including regularly scheduled field experiences and pre-requisite courses. For each program, there are optimal terms for exchange which will have less of an impact on your degree progression. This is something that you can discuss with your departmental Academic Advisor. 


Eligibility

In order to be eligible for a formal exchange, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Be registered full-time (i.e. minimum of 12 credits per term)
  • Be in Satisfactory Standing
  • Have a minimum CGPA of at least 3.00 at the time of application (and maintain this CGPA in all terms leading up to the exchange); students with a CGPA of less than 3.00 who can demonstrate extenuating circumstances may be eligible
  • Have completed a minimum of 12 graded credits at McGill at the time of application (and plan to complete a minimum of 24 graded credits by the end of the academic year)

When considering whether or not you wish to apply for exchange, it is important to note the following:

  • When going on exchange, you can expect to incur additional costs, including airline tickets, accommodations and other living expenses; consider how you will cover these additional costs and, if necessary, research your options for funding
  • As a result of your exchange, you may miss or have to delay your regularly scheduled field experience; in this situation, no special accommodations will be made and you must take the field experience when it is next offered
  • If you select a host school with a term of study that ends after the next term of classes begin at McGill, you will have to apply for readmission in the following term (see dates for readmission applications on the ISA website)
  • Students on exchange are ineligible for scholarship competitions based on the academic year in which they are away
  • Students on exchange for a full year (Fall and Winter) are ineligible for the Dean’s Honour List in the academic year in which they are away; however, students on exchange for one term only are eligible, provided they complete at least 14 graded credits during the term in which they are at McGill

Exchange Advisory Agreement

When you are ready to apply for exchange, print this form and take it to a meeting with your Academic Advisor. Both you and your Advisor must sign the form. You must return the completed form to the isa.administrator [at] mcgill.ca (subject: EAA) (ISA Office) so that your exchange application can be evaluated.


Application Fee

A $150.00 non-refundable application fee will be charged to your student account when you submit an exchange application on Minerva. This fee is non-refundable, even if the application is cancelled or the nomination not accepted. 


Application Deadline

TERM MINERVA APPLICATION OPENS DEADLINE

Fall /
Full Year*

December 5, 2023 January 15, 2024
Winter

April 15, 2024

(pending confirmation)

June 10, 2024

(pending confirmation)

If spots remain with host institutions after the initial round of nominations, a second call for application may go out. If a second round of applications will be accepted, students will receive a notification via their McGill e-mail.  


Preparing to Apply

    Once you have a firm grasp of the types of school(s) that you would like to apply for, you must take the following steps:

    1. Visit your Academic Advisor to complete an Exchange Advisory Agreement (see Forms section below) and submit it to the ISA Office 
    2. Visit the McGill Exchange website to review prospective host schools and select those that you are interested in attending (you may select up to 4 schools per application)
    3. Prepare a Statement of Purpose (one page or less, typed) in the language of instruction of the host institution(s); a strong Statement of Purpose should address the following: a) Your reason(s) for applying to go on exchange to the host institution(s); b) How you expect the proposed courses will contribute to the successful completion of your McGill degree; c) How the exchange opportunity will impact your life in terms of experience, education and prospective career, etc.
    4. Prepare a list of courses that you propose to take at the host institution(s); you must submit a minimum of 8 courses per term per host institution (i.e. if you plan to be away for two terms, you must submit 16 proposed courses per institution); please note, this list of courses serves only as a preliminary study plan to demonstrate that the course offerings of the host institution(s) are compatible with the requirements of your McGill program; courses do not need to be officially approved as equivalents at this time

    Applying

    To begin a formal exchange application, go to the Minerva Exchange Request Form (Student Menu > Student Records Menu > Exchange/Study Away Menu). At the time of application, you should be prepared to enter the following information:

    • Statement of Purpose 
    • List of courses

    Once your application has been submitted, it cannot be modified. Should you wish to make changes, you will have to cancel your application and complete a new one. If you wish to cancel your exchange application, contact Service Point.

    Applications will not be reviewed until after the deadline; therefore, do not rush your application in the belief that it is “first-come-first-serve”. Cover all of your bases and only submit when you are ready.

    *Additional Step for a Full Year Exchange

    Students who wish to go away for a full year exchange must first submit a Fall exchange application in Minerva by the posted deadlines. After this step is complete, students must then submit a full year request form via this webform on the McGill Abroad website.


    Once Nominated

    If you meet the eligibility criteria and your application has been approved by your Faculty, then, space permitting, you will receive a nomination to go on exchange. Service Point will notify you of your nomination within a few weeks of the application deadline. You must then either accept or decline the nomination by the deadline indicated via your Minerva application. Should you fail to accept or decline the nomination by the deadline, your nomination will be cancelled.

    If you have accepted your nomination but you wish to cancel it, please complete the Request to Cancel Exchange Term.


    Registering at the Host Institution

    Once you accept your nomination, you will need to apply to your host school so that you may register for courses. It is imperative that you do not apply on your own to the host school until you receive the appropriate instructions via e-mail from McGill’s Service Point. For a Fall term/full year exchange, expect to receive this e-mail between February and July. For a Winter term exchange, expect to receive this e-mail between July and November.

    When you apply, as part of your application, the host institution may ask you to supply supporting documents, including:

    • Transcript/academic references
    • Passport photos/copy of valid passport
    • Proof of language proficiency
    • Bank statement(s)
    • Letter(s) from parents/guardians

    Once the host school receives your complete application, they will process it and either extend an offer of admission (or not). For a Fall term/full year exchange, expect to receive an offer of admission by the end of June. For a Winter term exchange, expect to receive an offer of admission by the end of December. Your offer of admission will contain information about any next steps and how to begin registering for courses via your host institution.


    Pre-Departure Orientation & Travel Registry

    McGill students will never be approved to study abroad in any country with a Government of Canada Travel Advisory of 3 (‘Avoid non-essential’ travel’) or 4 (‘Avoid all travel’); keep this in mind when proposing a host school.

    All McGill, students who plan to complete an Exchange term must complete the mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation session. These sessions are available on MyCourses and provide outgoing McGill students with the necessary information to ensure they have safe and successful experiences.

    Outgoing students who will travel to destinations outside the Greater Montreal Area are also required to complete a Travel Registry Form. Once you have been approved for Study Away or Exchange, you will receive an e-mail linking you to directly to the form. Please complete the form prior to your departure. Students who do not complete the mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation and Travel Registry Form prior to the deadline will have their Study Away or Exchange cancelled.


    Transfer Credit Approval

    The Transfer Credit Assessment Form (TCAF) is linked to your Exchange application in Minerva and is the means by which any eligible transfer credits will be approved for application to your McGill degree. It is each student’s responsibility to ensure that the information on the TCAF is accurate and up to date, particularly after final registration at the host institution.

    Please complete the following steps to have your Exchange courses approved for transfer credit:

    1. Use the website of your host institution and the Course Equivalency System to explore courses that have previously been approved for McGill equivalency; if the course(s) that you wish to take are already in the database, go to Step #2; if the course(s) is not in the database, go to Step #7
    2. Return to your exchange application in Minerva and scroll to the bottom, where you will find a link to the TCAF
    3. Once in the TCAF, navigate to the ‘Course’ drop-down menu, select ‘External’ and type in the course code from the host institution (i.e. CENG201); the information from the Course Equivalency System will populate the TCAF
    4. Click ‘Add’ to add the course to the TCAF
    5. Once added, you have the option to suggest how the course may apply to your degree requirements (e.g. required, complementary, elective, etc.)
    6. After you have finalized the entry of all courses on to your TCAF, e-mail your departmental Academic Advisor to request that they review and approve your selections; you will know that your courses have been approved/rejected when you see the green *Approved* notation or the red *Not Approved* notation on the TCAF
    7. If the course(s) you are registered to take is not in the Course Equivalency System, you will not be able to add it to the TCAF until it has been assessed and approved by the associated McGill department (e.g. History for a HIST course); to make a new request through the Course Equivalency System log in via the ‘Login’ button in the upper right hand corner of the website; when you make the request, you should be prepared to upload a PDF of the course syllabus, which must include details about the course (e.g. required textbooks, readings, method of evaluation and any other relevant information)
    8. Once you submit the request, you may be contacted by the department to provide further details; please ensure that you respond to these requests in a timely fashion; once the equivalency has been assessed and approved (or not), you will receive an e-mail, informing you of the outcome; if the course has been approved, it will be added to the Course Equivalency System and you will be able to return to Minerva to add it to your TCAF

    The deadline for finalization of your TCAF is November 15th for Fall term courses and March 15th for Winter term courses.


    Final Grades

    Once you finish your Exchange courses, it is your responsibility to order an official transcript to be sent from the host institution directly to McGill (i.e. students cannot submit a transcript to McGill themselves, transcripts will only be accepted from the host institution itself). Electronic official transcripts are accepted and encouraged, and can be sent to officialschooldocs [at] mcgill.ca. If you are attending an international school, please ensure the transcript sent to McGill is in French or English. You may also wish to order a copy of your transcript for your own records or future applications (e.g. graduate school, job interviews, etc.). Students are required to order an official transcript from their host university, even if the university has a partnership with McGill. Transcripts must be received by the below noted deadlines:
     

    TERM DEADLINE
    Summer October 1st of the following year
    Fall October 1st of the following year
    Winter October 1st

    Once your transcript is received, your final grade and any applicable transfer credit will appear on your unofficial transcript in Minerva. Please note:

    • Eligible courses count for credit only; specific grades earned will not appear and are not calculated into your CGPA
    • Courses will only be eligible for transfer credit if the final grade earned is equal to or greater than the grade required to graduate from the host school (e.g. if the minimum requirement to graduate from the host school is a CGPA of 2.00 (C) then this is the minimum grade you must obtain)
    • Grades of Pass (P) and Satisfactory (S) will not be approved for transfer credit
    • If both a letter grade and a numerical grade appear on the transcript, the letter grade earned will take precedence over the corresponding numerical grade
    • If you withdrew from a course, received a failing grade or the course will be excluded from your record ([E] flagged as additional to your program requirements), it will still appear on your transcript; however, it will be assigned 0 credit
    • Courses that do not have direct McGill equivalents will be recorded on the unofficial transcript using generic subject codes (e.g. ENGL 2XX or TRNS LANG, etc.)

    It is important to be aware that some international universities do not use the letter grade system (e.g. A, B, C, etc.). Please refer to the following chart for information on minimum passing grades for some popular destinations:

    COUNTRY PASSING GRADE
    Argentina 4 (Scale of 0 - 10)
    Australia 50%
    France 10 (Scale of 0 - 20)
    Germany 1,0 - 4,0 (Scale of 1,0 - 6,0 where 1,0 is the highest grade)
    Netherlands 6 (Scale of 0 - 10)
    Spain 5.5 (Scale of 0 - 10)
    United Kingdom 40% (3rd Class Honours or higher)

    Graduation

    If you are planning to graduate following the term in which you are on Exchange, please note that your graduation may be delayed by a term if your mark is not received by McGill's grade submission deadline.

     

     

    McGill University is on land which long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. We acknowledge and thank the diverse Indigenous people whose footsteps have marked this territory on which peoples of the world now gather. Learn more.

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