What You Need to Know About Academic Exchange (EXCH) 🔹 How do I get credit for courses I take on exchange? 🔹 What’s an Exchange Letter of Permission and why do I need it? 🔹 How do I make sure my exchange courses count toward my degree?

Learn how to prepare for an academic exchange, including how course credits are evaluated, how to use a Letter of Permission, and what to expect from the Registrar’s Office.

✅ What you need to know:

Congratulations — you're about to begin an exciting exchange experience! 🎉 Before you go abroad, here are some important steps to follow:

🗂 Course Credit Evaluation:

• Acadia keeps a database of previously approved exchange courses, but it’s not an exhaustive database of all possible courses.
• You’ll likely need to get course syllabi from your host institution for faculty review.
• This process can take time — start early!
• Most exchange courses won’t have direct Acadia equivalents.
  Instead, they’ll be recorded as electives in your discipline.
  Example: A 3000-level history course may appear as HIST-9303.

✅ Talk to your Academic Advisor about how these electives will fit into your degree requirements.

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⏳ Course Credit Hours:

• At Acadia:

  • 9 credit hours/term = full-time
  • 15 credit hours/term = full course load

• At European institutions using ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System):

  • A 10 ECTS course ≈ 5 Acadia credit hours
  • A full load of 30 ECTS/term = 15 Acadia credit hours

⚠️ Do not exceed 15 credit hours per term or 30 per year.

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📝 Letter of Permission:

• You must complete an Acadia University Letter of Permission.
• It must be signed by your department or school.
• Submit it to the Registrar’s Office for processing.

📄 Download the Letter of Permission

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📘 Helpful definitions:

• Letter of Permission: A form that allows you to take courses at another institution and transfer the credits back to Acadia.
• ECTS: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System  — used to measure course workload in Europe.

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🔗 Suggested terms and links:

• Registrar’s Office Forms
• Registrar's Office
• Registrar's Office Email: registrar@acadiau.ca
• Academic Advising Info
• Study Abroad & Exchange

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📝 Special notes:

• Start planning early — credit evaluation and approvals can take time.
• Keep copies of your syllabi and Letter of Permission for your records.