USAC is committed to offering high-quality academic programs that meet the academic standards of colleges and universities in the United States, including the University of Nevada, Reno, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the University of Idaho, which serve as USAC schools of record and are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
Specialty Programs
All Specialty Program courses and faculty are vetted by USAC schools of record and approved by the relevant academic department and school or college on a five-year renewal cycle.
Each USAC course meets or exceeds NWCCU standards of 15 contact hours (defined as a nominal 50-minute classroom hour) per semester credit. Contact hours may include course specific tours, guest lectures, student projects or other activities furthering the specific learning objectives of the course, but do not include long distance or inter-site travel time, tours outside the focus of a specific course, meals, recreational activities, receptions, or local travel.
Partnership Programs
Host university courses offered through USAC Partnership Programs are accredited through the Ministry of Education, or equivalent, of the host country and adhere to higher education accreditation standards therein.
AACSB Accredited
Business schools at the following Partnership universities are AACSB accredited:
- Gold Coast, Australia - Griffith Business School, Griffith University
- Melbourne, Australia - Deakin Business School, Deakin University
- Brighton, England - School of Business and Law, University of Brighton
- Reading, England - Henley Business School, University of Reading
- Cork, Ireland - School of Business, University College Cork
- Gwangju, Korea - College of Business Administration, Chonnam National University
- Seoul, Korea - Korea University Business School, Korea University
- Seoul, Korea - School of Business, Yonsei University
- Maastricht, Netherlands - School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University
- Palmerston North, New Zealand - College of Business, Massey University
- Lisbon, Portugal - Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, Universidade Católica Portuguesa
- Stirling, Scotland - Stirling Management School, University of Stirling
- Stellenbosch, South Africa - College of Business, Stellenbosch University
- Växjö, Sweden - School of Business and Economics, Linnaeus University
ABET Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA)
Select engineering programs at the following Partnership universities are recognized under ABET mutual recognition agreements (MRA) as signatories of the Washington, Sydney, and Dublin Accords:
- Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
- Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
- University of Brighton, Brighton, England
- University of Bristol, Bristol, England
- London Metropolitan University, London, England
- University of Reading, Reading, England
- University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea
- Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea
- Korea University, Seoul, Korea
- Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
- Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
- University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
- University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland
- Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Course Descriptions and Syllabi
Course descriptions and course information, including area of study, level, credits, language of instruction, and prerequisites are available on the courses page for each Specialty program on the USAC website. Specialty program course syllabi are available upon request by contacting the USAC Enrollment Department at syllabus@usac.edu.
Course descriptions and information are available on the courses page for each Partnership program. USAC Program Advisors are available to assist with questions regarding Partnership program courses and syllabi.
Graduate Courses
Graduate-level (600-level) credit may be arranged for 400-level Specialty program courses on a case-by-case basis. Students receiving 600-level credit are taught by a Ph.D. instructor and complete supplemental work beyond the requirements of the 400-level course. Requests for Specialty program graduate credit must be made at least two months before the application deadline. In addition, graduate-level courses are offered at the following Partnership program universities:
- Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
- Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
- University of Bristol, Bristol, England
- London Metropolitan University, London, England
- Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea
- Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
- Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- University of St. Andrews, Scotland
- Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden
For more information about earning graduate credit contact the USAC Enrollment Department at enrollment@usac.edu.
Credit Load
Specialty Programs
Summer/January Course Load
- Minimum = 3 credits
- Maximum
- 3-week session = 4 credits
- 4-week session = 5 credits (6 when taking one or more language courses)
- 5-week session = 6 credits (7 when taking one or more language courses)
- 6-week session = 7 credits (8 when taking one or more language courses)
Students enrolled in an optional 1-credit field study course may exceed the credit maximum since summer field study courses occur outside of the regular program dates.
Semester/Yearlong Credit Load
- Minimum = 12 credits
- Maximum = 18 credit
The minimum credit load for summer and semester programs must be met through a combination of 3- or 4-credit courses. 1-credit courses, such as cuisine or dance, do not count in meeting the minimum credit requirement.
Partnership Programs
Credit loads are determined by host university policy and vary by program. For more information, refer to the courses page for each Partnership program on the USAC website. Please note courses may be measured in units/points rather than credits on some partnership programs. For more information on credit and grade conversions for Partnership programs, contact the USAC Enrollment Department at enrollment@usac.edu. Program applicants may also consult the Academic Guide in their Student Gateway portal.
