The websites of the host university or Study Abroad Program will provide information on the courses they offer that are taught in English (which most Baruch students will choose). Depending on when you begin looking, the host institution courses might not yet be posted for the term you wish to study. However, like Baruch, many institutions will offer many if not most of the same courses in the same term. Thus look for courses that had been offered in the corresponding term of the previous academic year.

The new CEAR form will ask for information about the foreign university/program course. It is unlikely that you will be able to provide all the information requested, so fill out as much as you can. For each CEAR you submit, you must upload an electronic copy of the full course syllabus.  The form and content of what we call a syllabus might well be different from the document you find at a foreign institution. For purposes of the CEAR, a syllabus should include:

• Short description of the course’s topic
• Level of difficulty (introductory, intermediate, advanced)
• Outline of subjects covered
• Number of hours the course meets during the term or number of credits in the host country’s credit system
• Textbook or course readings
• Assignments for the course
• How you will be graded (quiz, exam, final, essay, presentation)

Please note that the course syllabus must be official; copying from a website into a Word file is not acceptable, unless you include a link to the original syllabus. Many of our exchange partner universities and sponsors of popular Study Abroad Programs have electronic copies of course syllabi available online, which will make it easier. However, if they do not, you should fill out the form based on the description; you can add the full syllabus later.

In most cases it should be fairly easy to find a Baruch course that corresponds to the course you wish to take abroad, based on the course title and description. You can see which Baruch course might fit by consulting the online College Bulletin.

If you cannot find a close match among the regular courses Baruch offers, check if the Baruch department offers the equivalent of a “Special Topics in X”-type of course that might apply to the course you wish to take. You may also apply to receive general elective credit for a course without a close Baruch equivalency. This credit, usually awarded as BUS 7000, LAS 7000, or PAF 7000, may be used to fulfill a free elective or liberal arts elective, but will not fulfill a Pathways, major or minor requirement.

Do not worry if you do not find the best match; the final decision on whether a course is equivalent to a Baruch course, and if so, which course, will be determined by the Baruch department in any case.

Adding a previously approved CEAR to your Application, or having a new CEAR approved for a Baruch equivalent course is a necessary but not sufficient condition for you to earn credit for that course abroad. You must also be eligible to take the Baruch course in question, which means that you must have completed all prerequisites for the approved Baruch equivalent course (in addition to any required by the host institution), or obtain a temporary prerequisite waiver.

Prerequisite Waivers

The online Application for Study Abroad will normally check to see if you have completed all prerequisites of the Baruch course you are requesting as equivalent to the host institution course. If you have not completed a given prerequisite, you should be prompted to provide a justification for the requested temporary prerequisite waiver. This information creates Prerequisite Waiver Request, which is also evaluated by the Baruch department.

See Academic Credit and Study Abroad for more information about a Prerequisite Waiver.

How CEARs are Displayed on your Baruch Application to Study Abroad

When you add a course from the Course Equivalency Database or add a new CEAR to your Application to Study Abroad, you should be prompted to provide information about the prerequisite(s) for the Baruch course in question. Please provide the information requested. However, the Study Abroad Office must verify the information you provided. Until we do, the fields in the table displaying your courses on your application in the Portal will show “Incomplete” in the “Prerequisites” column, and “Pending.” in the “Status” column. (See example below):

Please note: The Portal may fail to list a prerequisite, or may list an outdated one. Please check the information on the College Bulletin regarding the prerequisite(s) for courses you list, and notify the Study Abroad Office of any discrepancies you find. The College Bulletin, not the Study Abroad Application Portal, is the final authority on which prerequisites are required for a given Baruch course.

Once the Study Abroad Office has verified that you have completed the prerequisite(s), and/or that you have submitted and had approved a Prerequisite Waiver Request form for any prerequisite(s) you have not completed, the “Prerequisites” column will show “Completed,” and the “Status” column will show “Approved.” (See example below):