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Find a Course.
Get It Approved.

Go Abroad.

Course Approval is the study abroad management software that makes it easy for students to turn study abroad plans into academic progress—by streamlining course approvals, reducing delays, and making the entire process more transparent and student-friendly.

University of Michigan Course Approval Dashboard
laptop frame graphic
College friends walking together
University study group on the grass

Connecting Courses. Reviewed. Approved.     Done.

Course Approval makes it easy for students to turn study abroad plans into real academic progress—by helping them explore programs with approved courses, submit new requests with confidence, and stay on track for graduation while experiencing the world.

Use the Course Approval study abroad course database to instantly explore courses by:

Program
 

Course Title

Subject Area
 

Course Number

Find a Course. Get It Approved. Go Abroad

Course Approval Makes it Easy to Turn Study Abroad Plans into Academic Success.

Course Approval puts everything in one place, so students don’t have to juggle emails, spreadsheets, or guessing games. Whether they are looking up previously approved courses or submitting a new request, our study abroad management software keeps the process is clear, structured, and student-friendly.

No more delays from missing information or confusion about who to contact. Students can track their progress, see what’s been approved, and get the green light to go abroad—without the administrative headache.


     Know What's Been Approved Before

Search for courses that have already been evaluated—see how and when they were approved, and for which courses they count.


       Submit Requests with Confidence

Upload syllabi and submit new course requests without guessing what to include. Everything is structured and easy to follow.


       No More Guessing.Just Clear Updates

No more wondering where things stand. Students can log in anytime to see the current status of each request and what step comes next in the process. 


       Fewer Emails. Fewer Delays. More Progress.

No more hunting down advisors or faculty for signatures.

 

The system handles routing and reminders so you don’t have to.


         Smarter  Advising, Less Uncertainty

Because students' academic advisors can see their course requests, approval history, and key notes in one place, advising sessions are more focused and efficient.

review, approved, course approval stamp of approval

Can't Find Your Specific Course
In Course Approval?

Use the Course Approval study abroad course equivalency database to submit for approval with just a few clicks.

We’ll walk you through every step, from request to approval
with real-time updates along the way.

Why Are Thousands of Students Using Course Approval?

No More Guesswork

Know if a course qualifies before you apply. 


See approved details up front so you can plan with confidence.

No More Delays

Track your requests as they move through departments.

Stay in the loop with real-time updates at every stage.

No Missed Credits

Ensure your study abroad experience supports your graduation timeline.

Avoid surprises before you go.

No More Stress

Skip the back-and-forth emails and long waits.

Submit, track, and manage everything in one easy place.

COURSE APPROVAL FAQ

You asked — we answered.

  • Can Course Approval integrate with our existing systems or export data?
    Yes, Course Approval supports data exchange across platforms through tools like Make.com and Zapier, offering flexible options for integration. We also provide standard CSV export formats for every report in the system, making it easy to share and analyze data in other systems. Institutions like the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois have successfully used Course Approval alongside their existing infrastructure, demonstrating how the platform can adapt to complex environments.
  • Does Course Approval handle course tracking, updates, and expirations?
    Yes, the system supports automated course expirations and alerts, multiple equivalencies per host course, and flexible formatting options. Bulk upload tools are available for importing legacy equivalencies, making it easy to get started or update large datasets. While the system does not currently include duplicate prevention, we are actively developing AI-powered notifications to help identify and flag potential duplicate entries more effectively. These features are already supporting complex environments at institutions like Seattle University and the University of Tampa.
  • Can we customize workflows and routing for specific tasks?
    Yes, routing is customizable and user-friendly. Evaluators and admins can re-route, leave messages, and receive automated reminders or escalations. Workflows are configurable with a graphical interface, and the platform is accessible and mobile-responsive.
  • What reporting and analytics features are available?
    Both standard and custom reports are supported with export to CVS and print to PDF. Dashboards and some visual insights are included (bar, pie, line, area, and pivot), with the option to use external BI tools if preferred.
  • What administrative tools and user roles are supported?
    Distinct views for study abroad admin, faculty reviewers, academic advisors, the registrar, and students are supported. Easy field customization and a full-featured sandbox for testing and training are available. The greatest challenge with implementation has been with universities not having accurate access to who their academic advisors are. We have come across this often, but have developed strategies for keeping the workflow moving across all aspects of post decision.
  • How is Course Approval priced, and what support is included?
    Course Approval is offered as a SaaS solution with flexible 3- to 5-year contract options designed to fit a variety of institutional needs. The base platform is affordably priced, and institutions can scale functionality over time based on their goals. While advanced integrations can add to the total cost, we recommend a strategic approach to prioritize the most impactful connections, ensuring maximum return on investment through thoughtful workflow automation. Many schools find that flexibility in scope helps reduce costs while achieving long-term efficiency. All implementations include robust support: a dedicated help desk and ticketing system, plus direct access to a customer success manager who ensures your team has ongoing guidance and personalized assistance.
  • How does Course Approval ensure data security and compliance?
    Course Approval is a cloud-based SaaS platform designed with security and compliance at its core. We fully comply with FERPA and GDPR, ensuring that your data is handled responsibly and lawfully. All data is encrypted in transit using TLS 1.2+ with 2,048-bit keys, and encrypted at rest using AES-256 standards. Data is securely hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), remains fully owned by your institution, and can be exported at any time. The platform supports Single Sign-On (SSO) and granular, role-based permissions to ensure users only access the data relevant to their role. Our incident response plan includes structured procedures, post-incident reviews, and a continuous improvement process. Security is integrated throughout the development lifecycle through both automated and manual code reviews aligned with industry best practices. Course Approval's platform is SOC 2 certified and provides a HECVAT Lite for institutional IT teams.
  • What’s on the roadmap for Course Approval, and who are your current partners?
    Course Approval is built to be fully customizable. Each installation is tailored from the ground up to meet the unique needs of the institution—there’s no one-size-fits-all version. Looking ahead, we’re focused on strengthening the end-to-end workflow experience. We’re actively collaborating with UI/UX specialists to uncover new integration opportunities and further streamline shared processes for study abroad offices. Our client base includes a diverse range of institutions, all of which can serve as references. We’re proud to support universities that prioritize innovation, such as Grand Valley State University and Texas Christian University, where Course Approval is already embedded in highly intricate environments.

Don't see your question?
Reach out to us at 
support@courseapproval.com

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