XCAT

All courses taken abroad must be requested through XCAT (https://xcat.at.upenn.edu/) for review, approval, and posting to the Penn transcript. 

Single degree students should expect to take no less than 4.0 CUs and no more than 4.5 CUs while abroad, except when the abroad institution expects students to enroll in 5.0 CUs.

Dual degree students should expect to take no less than 4.0C Us and no more than 5.5 CUs while abroad. 

Courses are counted in different increments in abroad institutions and credit conversions can be tricky. Please note that we reserve the right to adjust CUs when reviewing the return transcript to ensure that we do not fall below or exceed the limits of study abroad credits allowed.

XCAT is used to update your Penn transcript upon receipt of your return transcript. Therefore, it is important that you keep it as uncluttered as possible. Limiting simultaneous multiple review requests, following up on requests for more information, withdrawing from courses you are not taking, and providing real syllabi when making new course reviews can greatly expedite the approval process.

Best practices 

• Take advantage of academic advising to narrow down your course selections and determine the most appropriate department to review any new requests. This will improve your chances of getting to yes.
• You can search courses by precedent, i.e., preapproved courses on XCAT. Taking courses that are approved by precedent is the easiest way to select courses while abroad.
• When requesting a review of a new course, be sure to upload a syllabus in English. Please include any supporting documentation that outlines all relevant information that would provide the reviewer with a full picture of the course. A mere course description is not sufficient to determine course equivalency.
• If you are unable to find a course you need, please discuss your course selection with the Penn Engineering study abroad advisor.