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Upon returning from your study abroad, your courses and grades will be added to SPIRE once your transcripts are received and processed by the Registrar. To ensure a smooth transfer, please follow these steps: 

  1. Request an Official Transcript
    • Request an electronic official transcript from your host institution, sent directly to @email. UMass typically does not accept transcripts directly from students.
  2. Verify Your Grades on SPIRE 
    • Once your grades are posted to SPIRE, check your Academic Requirements Report (ARR) and unofficial transcript to ensure everything is accurate. If you encounter any issues:

      • For ARR or grading errors: Email @email.
      • For retroactive international course approvals: Contact your departmental advisor. The department will need to update your ARR directly.
      • If you have a grade dispute: 
        • Use the grade conversion tool to verify if grades converted correctly. 
        • For transcript disputes, contact your program provider or host university. The Global Education Registrar cannot handle grade disputes. 
  3. Minor or Certificate Courses 
    • If you took courses abroad for your minor or certificate, work with your department to ensure the appropriate credits are applied once your transcript has been processed. 
  4. Gen Ed 3-Credit Courses 
    • If you took a 3-credit General Education course abroad, you may be eligible to fulfill Gen Ed requirements by requesting a Change to Transfer General Education Requirement through Transfer Credit Services. To start this process, once your courses from abroad are posted on SPIRE, email @email. 

Average timeline of when grades/courses from abroad appear on SPIRE: 

 
Time Abroad Grades/Courses Posted on Spire
Fall & Winter April/May
Spring & Summer September/October

Frequently Asked Questions