Academic Information

• Academic Calendars
• Academic Procedures FAQs
• Academic Policy
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Translation of UK University Grades to UC Grades

Academic Policy, “Double Enrollment” and Registration

The basic principle of EAP is that you undertake a program of study that is as close as possible to the program taken by host university students, whist making progress towards the completion of your degree requirements at UC. You must meet the same academic requirements as a regular student at your host university and take a full course load there. You are not a typical “JYA” student: you are expected to follow the rules and academic regulations of the host university for full-time enrolled students. This means EAP students are not allowed to make special arrangements for substitute examinations or papers with instructors, even if such options are available or encouraged for other foreign students.

You must maintain a full course load of classes over the academic year at your host university. Generally this will be equivalent to 48 UC quarter units. You must not take less than a minimum course load (42 UC quarter units) during your EAP year, but it is your responsibility to find out which host courses fulfill specific UC campus major, minor and general education requirements. EAP cannot do this for you. If you have any questions about degree requirements, contact your departmental or college advisor at your home UC campus.

To get credit for your classes, you must be “DOUBLE” enrolled: with your host university AND with the University of California.  UC will “translate” all courses you take in your host university into UC courses.  You do not need to arrange to transfer units; you are taking UC courses. 

REMEMBER! – The Study Centre Director is your official UC “Instructor of Record” and your academic records are maintained in our office. The Director is in daily contact with EAP in California and can assist with any academic questions. The Study Centre Director has the responsibility of translating your UK host university grades to UC letter grades, using your final transcript and other information provided by the host university, which may include assessments of papers, examinations, and oral participation.

Registration thus has two components:

(1)   HOST UNIVERSITY (First Enrollment).  You must complete class registration at your host university at the start of each academic term/semester (some hosts will register you for the entire year at the start of the first term).

            If asked by your host University where your transcript should be sent, make sure they know to send it to the UC Edinburgh Study Centre, 50 Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9LP, not to your home campus or home address.

(2) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (Second Enrollment).  You must also complete your UC course registration with the Study Centre Director.

University of California Course Registration:

The Study Centre Director will meet with you individually at your host university 3-4 weeks into the start of your autumn and spring terms in order to complete your UC registration, after you have registered for your classes at your host university.

• Meetings with the Director are MANDATORY.
• You must have fully completed and submitted your Registration Study List and Course Approval Requests” on MyEAP before you meet with the Director, as highlighted at your EAP Orientation. 
• Failure to take a full course load at your host university will jeopardise your financial aid, and may result in withdrawal from UC.
• During the regular academic year you may take up to one third of your total unit load as P/NP. The P/NP grade option must be noted on the Registration Study List at the time of enrollment. Note: most UC departments prohibit students from taking classes in their majors P/NP.
• At the autumn meeting with the Study Centre Director, you register for first term/semester and yearlong courses only, even if you have already signed up for second or third term courses with your host university. You only register yearlong courses once, at the autumn meeting, unless your host university breaks them into separate parts for each term with distinct final grades for each part.

Changes to the Registration Study List:

• Adding or Dropping Courses:

You may add or drop courses only with the prior approval of your host university and the Edinburgh Study Centre. We must receive add/drop petitions by the end of Week 8 of the term/semester at your host university, or by February 15 for year-long courses. You need to complete a General Petition form if you want to add or drop courses.  If the Study Centre Director gives you permission to drop a class, you must make sure that it is officially dropped at your host institution as well.

• Changing to/from P/NP Grading Option:

Use a General Petition to submit a request to change your grading option.  Requests must be received by us by the end of Week 8 of the term/semester at your host university, or by February 15 for year-long courses.
Grading/ Examinations:

Course requirements, syllabi and course evaluations are set by your host university, NOT EAP.  The host university instructors assess your performance and record final marks for your coursework. 

• Assessed/ Non-assessed courses – WARNING.

You must ensure every class you take has a grading assessment. You are not permitted to take a class for credit with no assessment, unless you come to a special arrangement with the professor and the Study Centre Director for evaluating your performance.  If you do not do the work required by an instructor or arrange for an assessment for non-assessed courses, you will end up with an “F” for the course. Special Study Projects must be assessed for a grade; they cannot be taken P/NP.

• Grading

The Study Centre Director translates your marks in courses at your host University to UC grades, after receiving your marks and written evaluations from your instructors. You are responsible for distributing course evaluation forms to your instructors.  These forms provide supplemental information about your progress and participation in class, which the Director uses in finalising your UC grade. The evaluation forms are very useful in borderline cases, or for courses in which the final examination counts for a much higher percentage of the final grade than would be the case at UC and for which there is a large discrepancy between your coursework mark and your exam mark. Your UC grades are final and will not be changed unless there is clear evidence of a discrepancy or error.

• Essay and Examination Writing Advice

Read the instructions carefully and address the question!  Write prompts at the beginning of the essay; do not create a title of your own.  More than originality, you will be graded on addressing the question with a review of the work on the subject, citing authors, books and articles. Creative thinking is necessary for a top grade, but should follow a review of the critical discourse on the topic. An essay marked excellent requires secondary sources beyond the reading list distributed to the class. If essays count in the final course assessment, you often will be graded by your instructor and an outside reader (known as an external examiner). 

Citation format in the UK differs from the US. Make sure that you verify with individual instructors that your format agrees with his / hers, perhaps taking in a sample essay page for review. You will be marked down if there is a standard which you do not follow. 

Using the web may be an excellent research technique, but you must cite all quotations used.

Spelling and grammatical errors lower your grade. Leave time to reread your work so essays are examples of well-structured and informed arguments. You must set your computer to British spelling. 

Don’t forget that deadlines are rigidly adhered to in the UK. You lose marks for work submitted late, or perhaps fail the course. If you have problems submitting work, contact the instructor in advance.

• Examinations

Exams are a big deal in the UK, whether they are per term/semester or for the full year.  Students study hard for these exams.  You should do the same.  Although your final class mark may not entirely depend on the final exam, it will definitely contribute to a major share of your grade.

Take notes during the course. During a regular UK semester, students typically have time off preceding exams to revise.  The goal in preparing for exams is to create in your mind answers to several questions and references to major authorities or critics with succinct quotes, so that the exam hours are filled with writing what has already been thought through.  While some creative thinking is always required in the exam, it is difficult to complete the required essays without careful preparation.

Check past exam papers for your course, usually available at the library and / or on the course website. They will give you many clues about the kind of questions asked and the kind of study required to answer them.  Some instructors provide a list of sample “prompts” or questions for essay exams for you to study before the exam. Familiarize yourself with the structure of the exam before the event by asking questions of your instructor or tutor.

Read the instructions. Pace yourself. Even if you write “A” essays on three questions, if you do not complete the full number of questions or essays required, your grade will suffer. 

• Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a VERY serious offence in the UK.  If your tutor suspects your work involves plagiarism, a Misconduct Meeting will be scheduled. You and your tutor will be interviewed and a decision made as to whether to fail you in the course.  If you are involved in such a situation, we urge you to contact the Study Centre so that EAP may take written notes at this meeting.  EAP protocol requires the Study Centre Director to gather copies of all the documentation on a plagiarism case and forward it to your campus Student Judicial Affairs Office for their investigation and files.  Thus, not only do you risk a reduced grade or an "F", the incident will be on your permanent record at UC.  In the past, some students have been expelled for plagiarism.

• Learning Disabilities

If you have a learning disability on your medical form, your campus sends the Study Centre a copy of UC’s recommendations, which we forward to your host university. However, it is your responsibility to inform your professors about these recommendations. Even if you are permitted a reduced load, normal deadlines for dropping courses still apply. In some cases universities may require further information before authorising adjustments to course requirements. Don’t leave attention to this issue until the day before an exam. Contact the Study Centre if you have any problems.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

GRADES & ASSESSMENT:

Q: My host university assigns “American Grades”. Will my final UC grades be the same as these?

A:  NO. EAP has its own procedures and policies for interpreting host university marks. Thus, any “American” grades assigned or suggested by British or Irish universities do not determine your UC grade.

Q: My instructor has told me not to take the final exam for my course, because “Visiting Students” do not have to sit the exam. Is this true?

A:  NO. Our legal agreement with your host university states that you are to be treated as a regular full-time student, and this includes taking the same exams that are given to regular students. Explain this fact to the instructor. Contact the U.C. Study Centre immediately if you think there are any problems.

Q: I am taking an honours-level class, and the final examination covers two years’ worth of honours work, so I have only covered half the course. Can I be exempt from the exam?

A:  This is the only exception to the rule explained in the previous question. You must make alternative arrangements for assessment. Consult the instructor and request that you sit an alternative examination paper or write an essay in place of the scheduled exam. Again, contact the Study Centre if there are any problems.

Q: I have missed or failed a final exam. Can I arrange to take the re-sit (make-up exam) back home?

A:  NO. You are not permitted to take re-sits, either in this country or back home.

Q: When can I expect to receive my UC grades?

A:  Sometimes we receive transcripts and evaluation forms as early as July, but more often in August and September. They are then translated into UC grades by the Director, and sent to the UOEAP office in Santa Barbara for processing.  Once entered on the EAP database, the grades are sent to your home campus, which may or may not post them immediately. If your home campus does not have your grades posted by late October, contact UOEAP to enquire as to the status of your grades.

UNIT CEILING AT HOME CAMPUS:

Q: Can I take fewer classes on EAP since I am facing a unit ceiling at my UC campus?

A: NO, you still have to enroll for a full load at your host university. However, under “double enrollment” it may be possible for you to register a course at UC for less than its UC quarter unit value on your Study List. This will give you flexibility in meeting your UC home campus requirements and tailoring your academic work to your particular needs and interests. Consult the Study Centre Director about this.  If you sign up for reduced units, you are still required to complete all the work of the course.

STUDY METHODS IN THE U.K.:

Q: I have attended class for four weeks, I have had no assignments to hand in, and nobody seems to be doing any work. What’s going on?

A:  Academics are structured in a different way in the UK than UC. There is more emphasis on independent study, and often there are only two or three assignments to be handed in during the term (usually at the end). As a result, it often appears that British students do very little work! Just be warned that (a) this is a false impression – you find the students study late at night, or in the privacy of their own rooms, and it just seems as if they do not study during daylight hours, (b) British students are used to this system of study, from years of practice in high school of revising (cramming) intensively as exams approach.  If you keep up with your courses, you should be in a strong position - you have experience of consistent hard work, which should give you an edge over the students who leave it to the last minute and cram!

Q: With only one essay required, how do I know how I am doing in a course?

A: The UK system places less emphasis on continuous assessment and even final grades.  You may not receive any feedback or any grades until after the end of your course.  Think of it as a refreshing change from the US, an escape from the constant comparison of grades between students during a course. You are treated as mature individuals who are in a course to learn.  British students do not typically share grades.

Q: How can I set up access to the California Digital Library so that I can use the catalogs, periodical indexes, full-text journals, and reference works in the U.K.?

UC students on EAP can access the CDL abroad to supplement locally available resources.  To access the CDL collections and resources, go to http://cdldir.ucop.edu/collections/

Access to some resources, such as Melvyl, is unrestricted.  However, access to many resources such as journals, reference texts and databases, is restricted by license agreement to "authorized users", including current UC students and UC faculty. To access these restricted resources from abroad (or from any non-UC computer), EAP students will need to set up a proxy server on the computer being used abroad.  To set up a proxy server to access the CDL on a computer you are using abroad, please go to http://www.cdlib.org/hlp/directory/passwords.html and follow the link to instructions for your HOME UC campus (exact instructions vary by campus).  Or go directly to your home campus library proxy server web page, listed below:

UCB: http://proxy.lib.berkeley.edu/

UCD: http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/info/computers/proxy/

UCI: http://www.oac.uci.edu/help/proxy/

UCLA: http://www.bol.ucla.edu/services/proxy/

UCR: http://library.ucr.edu/?view=help/remoteaccess.html

UCSD: http://www-no.ucsd.edu/documentation/squid

UCSB: http://libraries.ucsd.edu/services/remote.html

UCSC: http://library.ucsc.edu/services/sluglink/slink_connect.html

PLEASE NOTE: A few CDL resources are not accessible remotely, even via the proxy server, for licensing reasons.  To use the web-based resources of the CDL, the computer and browser need to meet minimum technical requirements.  Some of these resources may also be accessible on-line through your host university’s library system.  Check first, before trying to access them through the CDL.

RETURNING TO UC:

Q: I am graduating at the end of my EAP year. Do I need to do anything before leaving the UK/I?

A:  You should consult your home campus no later than FEBRUARY for guidance on what procedures are necessary to complete.  Please inform the Edinburgh Study Centre at the same time. We cannot guarantee that your grades will be in by a particular date, but will do our best to speed them up.  It is virtually impossible to graduate formally before the end of the summer and sometimes graduation is delayed until the end of the fall quarter/semester of the next academic year.

Q: How do I pre-enroll for return to my UC campus?

A:  You do not have to apply for re-admission, as your campus will be expecting you to return.  Most home campus registrars do not send pre-enrollment materials overseas. To guarantee you receive pre-enrollment materials either before you leave the UK or immediately on your return, contact your home campus.  Note your affiliation with EAP, and request pre-enrollment materials and registration packets be sent to your permanent US address.  For the majority of UC campuses, the Schedule of Classes is available on-line.

UCSC NARRATIVE EVALUATIONS:

Q:  At UCSC I receive narrative evaluations from each of my instructors.  Will I get these from my UK instructors too? 

A:  The course evaluation form you distribute to your instructors does ask them to make comments on your performance.  Where comments are provided, the Study Director will forward the comments to California to add to your UC record. Most instructors do provide a comment, although rarely as detailed as the UCSC narratives you are used to seeing.

BERKELEY SEMESTER UNITS:

Q:  Berkeley is on the semester system.  How will the units I receive on EAP be converted into semester units?

A:   For your EAP year, all units are given as UC quarter units since most students are on the quarter system.  By the time you receive your grades back at Berkeley the conversion will have taken place.  But roughly speaking, 1.5 UC quarter units = 1 UC Berkeley semester unit.

TRANSLATION OF UK UNIVERSITY GRADES TO UC GRADES

After students receive marks in courses at a host university associated with the Edinburgh Study Centre, the centre director is responsible for translating those grades into University of California grades, which are in turn entered onto the student’s University of California transcript. The translation of grades does not occur until the Study Centre receives a student’s transcript from the host university, typically during the summer or early fall after the end of the academic year.

The grade translation may also factor in instructor reports on Course Evaluation Forms (CEFs). This additional information may or may not result in a slightly different grade from one based on direct translation.

Each host university uses one (or sometimes more than one) scale of grades, so the translation of grades depends on the host university involved.

Course Grade Translation Table