International Exchange Program

Ashesi University- Berekuso, Ghana, Africa  

Ashesi Planning Tools

Everything you will need to know including: how/when to apply, eligibility, cost, etc.

Possible Course Credit

This document shows the courses Cal Poly students have taken at Ashesi University for credit.  This list is unofficial and for planning purposes only. You should have substitution petitions approved prior to completing the coursework abroad.  You are not limited to the courses on the "Sample Course List" and are encouraged to conduct more research using the link below.

Courses offered in English

For Computer Science and Software Engineering majors use this link. Mechanical, Electrical and Computer Enginering use this link. Select your major from the links on the top banner, view the available courses by title and pay attention to the semester. Semester 1 is from August to December and Semester 2 is from January to May. For questions or more information about courses to take at Ashesi, please reach out to Dr. John Oliver at jyoliver@calpoly.edu.  

KTH Royal Institute of Technology- Stockholm, Sweden

KTH Planning Tools

Everything you will need to know including: how/when to apply, eligibility, cost, etc.

Possible Course Credit

This document shows the courses Cal Poly students have taken at KTH for credit.  This list is unofficial and for planning purposes only. You should have substitution petitions approved prior to completing the coursework abroad.  You are not limited to the courses on the "Sample Course List" and are encouraged to conduct more research using the link below.

Courses offered in English

Select Filter Your Choices, then select Course Start: Autumn Period 1 & 2 (for our Fall. Period 3 & 4 for our Winter & Spring terms), then select Education Level: Second Cycle (for upper division courses), then under Other Options: Courses Taught in English. Lastly, on School, Department, etc. select the major that best fits with yours at Cal Poly. 

Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts- Lucerne, Switzerland

EXCHANGE AGREEMENT UNDER REVIEW, STUDENTS SHOULD NOT APPLY AS PRIMARY CHOICE!

Lucerne Planning Tools

Everything you will need to know including: how/when to apply, eligibility, cost, etc.

Possible Course Credit

This document shows the courses Cal Poly students have taken in Lucerne for credit.  This list is unofficial and for planning purposes only. You should have substitution petitions approved prior to completing the coursework abroad. You are not limited to the courses on the "Sample Course List" and are encouraged to conduct more research using the link below.

Courses offered in English

Select the course under subject to view the course description, courses in the 3rd, 4th year are more likely to be upper division. ECTS refers to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. To determine the credit transfer rate divide the ECTS credits by 2, then multiply by 1.5 to get quarter units.  

EE Majors Take Senior Project Fall Quarter of Senior Year!

CPE Majors Take Capstone Fall Quarter of Senior Year!

HM Hochschule Munchen University of Applied Sciences- Munich Germany

Swinburne University of Technology- Victoria, Australia

Swinburne Planning Tools

Everything you will need to know including: how/when to apply, eligibility, cost, etc.

Swinburne Possible Course Credit

This document shows the courses Cal Poly students have taken at Swinburne for credit.  This list is unofficial and for planning purposes only. You should have substitution petitions approved prior to completing the coursework abroad.  You are not limited to the courses on the "Sample Course List" and are encouraged to conduct more research using the link below.

Courses offered in English

Select the major that will correspond best with the courses you are planning to take abroad. Select from the drop down menu the "international student" option. Scroll down to see the course offered for that major and when they are offered (semester 1 or 2). You can download the course syllabus by clicking on the course that interests you.

TECNUN University of Navarra, School of Engineering- San Sebastian, Spain

TECNUN Planning Tools

Everything you will need to know including: how/when to apply, eligibility, cost, etc.

TECNUN Possible Course Credit

This document shows the courses Cal Poly students have taken at TECNUN for credit.  This list is unofficial and for planning purposes only. You should have substitution petitions approved prior to completing the coursework abroad.  You are not limited to the courses on the "Sample Course List" and are encouraged to conduct more research using the link below.

Courses offered in English

Select the course under subject to view the course description, courses in the 3rd, 4th year are more likely to be upper division. ECTS refers to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. To determine the credit transfer rate divide the ECTS credits by 2, then multiply by 1.5 to get quarter units.  The column "En Ingles" refers to how much of the course will be given in English. Tecnun offers subjects that are given completely or partially in English. The next column refers to when the courses are offered: 1 Sem (Cal Poly's Fall quarter only), and 2 Sem (Cal Poly's Winter & Spring quarters).

TECNUN FACT SHEET 2025-2026

Valencia Polytechnic University (UPV)- Valencia, Spain

OPEN TO MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SENIORS ELIGIBLE FOR SENIOR PROJECT IN FALL 2026 

UPV Planning Tools

Everything you will need to know including: how/when to apply, eligibility, cost, etc.

UPV Possible Course Credit

This list is unofficial and for planning purposes only. You should have substitution petitions approved prior to completing the coursework abroad.  You are not limited to the courses on the "Sample Course List" and are encouraged to conduct more research using the link below.

For more questions about course matching, please reach out to professors Andrew Davol adavol@calpoly.edu or Eric Ocegueda ocegueda@calpoly.edu 

Courses offered in English

Click on "Courses in English 2025/26" to download the current spreadsheet. On bottom tabs select "Course Offer by School" you can search by school (equivalent to our college), then by course name. You can also search for "English Friendly" Courses on the bottom tab to take hybrid type courses. Semester A pertains to Fall Semester, and Semester B pertains to Spring Semester.  Credits are in ECTS, to convert to Semester credits just divide the ECTS credit by 1.50 to get semester units. 

Spanish Grading System

To learn how grades are earned in the Spanish system. 

How do I get Cal Poly credit from abroad courses?

You should submit substitution petitions prior to going abroad.  These petitions forms change based on whether you are submitting a substitution for a GE or for a Major Support Course.

• For GE, use this link to learn how to complete the electronic GE Substitution Petition for Study Abroad. 
• For Major or Support credit, DO NOT use the Pdf Major or Support Course Substitution Form for Study Abroad provided by the International Center, instead the College of Engineering is using the Petition for Major or Support Course Substitution/Exception - Undergraduate. This is an electronic inquiry.  You will need to complete one inquiry form for each course you want to petition for credit.  After submitting your request, please wait a day or so to receive an email from Adobe Sign asking you to "fill and complete" the electronic form. Be sure to attach the course description or syllabus in the designated area. 

Please note that substitution petitions are not required prior to applying to our International Exchange Programs (IEP).

Note: ECTS credits can be converted to quarter units by multiplying the ECTS credits by ¾ or 0.75 (example 4 ECTS = 3 Qtr units).

See links in Step #3 above for previously approved courses.

Once courses are completed abroad, you should request to have your official transcripts sent to Cal Poly.  Cal Poly's Office of the Registrar will then input the courses into your Degree Progress Report (this process can take up to a quarter). 

How many units should I take abroad?

There is no unit restriction or minimum for our exchange programs, except if you receive financial aid. For students on financial aid, please meet with an financial aid advisor to discuss the unit requirement to keep your aid while you are abroad. In general, we encourage students to take a full load (12 Cal Poly units) to be a competitive applicant. 

How do study abroad courses/grades affect my GPA?

Courses taken abroad will be calculated into a your Higher Education GPA.  Any grades in major courses will also be applied to your major GPA.  

Can I arrange to take my finals at Cal Poly when returning from abroad?

If the semester you are abroad overlaps into Cal Poly's upcoming quarter due to the abroad school's finals schedule, please try the following options:

1. Ask the professor if it is possible to take the exam earlier (You should communicate with the professor as soon as you are enrolled in their class the possibility of taking the exam earlier - typically soon after the class is completed/prior to the final schedule)
2. If you do not have the option of taking the exam early- ask if you can have the exam proctored by a faculty member in your home department. Contact your Dept. Chair or a faculty member (perhaps your faculty recommender) to ask if they can help you arrange for the exam to be proctored. Provide all the necessary information for the exam such as the professor's contact, exam date & time and any other items needed for the exam. Follow up with both professors or anyone involved to make sure you are able to take the exam, earn a grade and be sure to submit your official transcripts to Cal Poly when a grade is issued. 
3. Other testing services: Santa Barbara City College Proctoring Services and Cuesta Proctoring Services. 

How does registration work after studying abroad?

If you completed courses abroad that fulfill prerequisites for classes you plan to take at Cal Poly upon your return, you’ll need to contact the appropriate College of Engineering department to request a permission number that overrides the prerequisite.

When making your request, be sure to:

• Explain your situation clearly.
• List the courses you completed abroad.
• Provide supporting documentation (e.g., syllabi or transcripts) if requested.

Each College of Engineering department has its own process for issuing permission numbers. Please review the detailed instructions here: https://eadvise.calpoly.edu/policies-and-forms/permission-numbers.

Most permission number request forms require you to include the instructor’s name and course section number, so be sure to submit your request after the course schedule becomes available.

Drop-ins/Appointments

• IEP Virtual Drop-ins (starting Oct. 7th):
  • Tuesdays 10:00-11:00 a.m. & 1:00-2:00 p.m.
  • Wednesdays 3:00-4:00 p.m.
  • Zoom Link: https://calpoly.zoom.us/j/98800883837 
• IEP appointments can be scheduled HERE.  These are for students that have selected an exchange program.  Students who are still exploring their options should attend a Study Abroad 101 workshop.

Contact Information

• Email: intlengr@calpoly.edu

IEP Staff

• Maria Zavala, Academic Advisor, Coordinator of International Exchange Programs
• Mayra Hutton, Academic Advsior