Taking Courses at Other Institutions
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Registering for classes
Students enrolled at Charleston Southern University are expected to complete their coursework in residence. Exceptions to this policy are considered only on a case-by-case basis.
All students must obtain advance, written approval from the appropriate chair/program coordinator, and/or dean of the department/college of each course requested, and the University Registrar before enrolling in classes elsewhere. Charleston Southern University reserves the right not to accept courses for which permission has not been granted.
Acceptance of credit for an approved transfer course will become final only when the Registrar’s Office receives an official transcript from the accredited institution where the course was taken. Failure to provide information regarding each college or university attended or failure to submit transcripts may result in restrictions on future registration.
Please read the following information, if you still have questions concerning taking courses at another institution, please send an email to register@csuniv.edu
Students requesting permission to take courses at another institution are responsible for reading the FAQs below and all pertinent information contained on the form itself.
Request to Take Courses at Another Institution
Purpose: To allow students of record at CSU to take courses at another institution for transfer back to CSU during the fall, spring, or summer semesters. Coursework completed at other institutions must have a minimum grade of “C” (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) to be awarded transfer credit.
What schools can I transfer credit from?
A school must be regionally accredited before CSU will consider it for credit.
Is there a place where I can see what courses from other schools will transfer into CSU?
For all South Carolina Technical Colleges and Spartanburg Methodist College, please see our transfer credit agreement.
For colleges/universities within the United States (including SC schools):
- Email the following information to Register@csuniv.edu
- Proper name of college that offers the course.
- The course code and name
How do I know what my course will transfer in as after I have filled out the form?
The Chairperson of the course will confirm how the class will transfer to CSU.
Where can I obtain a copy of the Request to Take Courses at Another Institution form?
May I email the Request to Take Courses at Another Institution form?
Yes, you may email the form to Register@csuniv.edu from your Bucmail account. Please make sure the Permission to Take Courses at Another Institution has been signed by your advisor and the department chair (and dean if applicable) of the course before submitting it to the Registrar’s Office.
Will the GPA transfer from the school where I take the course?
No, taking courses at another institution has no effect on your CSU GPA.
Will the GPA affect my Life Scholarship GPA?
Yes. The Life Scholarship GPA is housed in the Financial Aid department and will be affected by taking courses at another institution.
What if I do not take the course?
You must contact Register@csuniv.edu to make us aware of the change.
How do I get the course(s) entered on my CSU record after I have completed them?
You must have an official transcript from the school you attended sent to CSU. This is not an automatic process.
- If the other institution offers electronic delivery, use this email address: Enroll@csuniv.edu
- The transcript is considered official if it comes directly from the other institution.
- By Mail: Charleston Southern University | Admissions | 9200 University Blvd | Charleston, SC | 29406
What if the institution where I am planning to take my course(s) requires a permission letter from CSU?
If proof of permission to register as a transient student is required by the institution where the course will be taken, students should send them a copy of the fully executed Permission to Take Courses at Another Institution form.
Can I take classes elsewhere during any term in a mini-session format (2-4 weeks)?
Students may not take classes elsewhere that are 2-4 weeks in length. This includes classes offered during a regular term, winter term or summer term.
Cross Registration with Trident Technical College, College of Charleston, or the Citadel
Purpose: Take courses at College of Charleston, The Citadel, and Trident Technical College during the Fall and Spring terms only. Qualified students should fill out the appropriate cross registration form for approval.
Do I qualify for cross registration?
To qualify you must…
- Must be cross registering under the “Tuition-Free Policy.”
- Be enrolled in twelve credit hours at CSU and pay full-time tuition.
- Be in good standing at CSU and have a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Must be enrolling in a course not available at CSU for which you meet the prerequisite requirements, which are applicable to your program of study and for which you have obtained the required approvals.
- Present the Host institution a current, unofficial transcript from CSU along with the Cross Registration form.
- Pay additional special fees, such as science, foreign language, and lab fees directly to the host institution, if applicable
Where can I locate the cross-registration forms?
Forms are available in the Registrar’s Office or at the links below:
How do I know which courses I can take?
The decision on whether the course is approved (or not) is made by appropriate chair/program coordinator and dean of the department/college of each course requested.
Note: If the requested course is offered at Charleston Southern University using any instructional delivery system (i.e., online, on-campus, etc.), during the same (Fall or Spring) term, then the course will not be approved for transfer unless the Vice President of Academic Affairs expressly waives this prohibition. Exceedingly accelerated courses (2–3-week terms, so on) offered in will not be approved.
Will the GPA transfer from the school where I take the course?
Yes, taking courses at these institutions affects your CSU GPA.
Will the GPA affect my Life Scholarship GPA?
Yes. The Life Scholarship GPA is housed in the Financial Aid department and will be affected by taking courses at another institution.
What if I do not take or need to withdraw from the course?
You must contact Register@csuniv.edu to make us aware of the change.
What does a cross registered course look like on a transcript?
Cross registration courses are distinguished by section numbers 31-33 on your transcript.
What if I do not take the course?
You must contact Register@csuniv.edu to make us aware of the change.
How do I pay for the cross-registration course?
Cross registration courses are paid for through your CSU student account, as the credits are applied to the semester for which the course is being taken. For example, if you are registered for twelve credits through CSU, and register for a 4-credit course through cross registration, you will be registered for a total of sixteen credits and pay for flat rate tuition. Financial Aid can be used to pay the tuition for these courses.
College Consortium from Acadeum
Purpose: The College Consortium is an agreement between over two hundred colleges and universities across the United States that opens the availability of course options for CSU students.
Consortium courses are those which students take from other institutions and can be used in place of courses a student might need to take that are not being offered for a particular semester. See the questions below for more information.
Who can use the Acadeum Consortium?
Both Graduate and Undergraduate, degree seeking, full time and part time students may be able to utilize the Acadeum Consortium.
What should I expect from an Acadeum Consortium course?
Acadeum Consortium courses are usually offered in an 8-week, online intensive format. You are expected to login to the course every day and maintain activity within the course. Failure to do so may result in the provider school dropping your registration. You will receive log in information from the school you choose to take a course from via your CSU-student email.
How do I know if a course will count towards my major/minor/degree?
Students must collaborate with their advisor, the Chair of the course, and the Registrar prior to being registered for any Acadeum Consortium course.
Can I just do a Directed Study instead?
If a course is available through the Acadeum Consortium, a student will not be able to submit a petition for a Directed Study. Please collaborate with your advisor for more information.
Will Acadeum Consortium credits impact my institutional GPA?
These courses would be treated on the academic record as an institutional course and will be calculated into cumulative GPA and credit totals.
How do I pay for the Acadeum Consortium course?
Acadeum Consortium courses are paid for through your CSU student account, as the credits are applied to the semester for which the course is being taken. For example, if you are registered for nine credits through CSU, and register for a 4-credit course through the Acadeum Consortium, you will be registered for a total of thirteen credits and pay for flat rate tuition. Financial Aid can be used to pay the tuition for these courses. You will see no additional costs outside of the normal tuition and fees charged from CSU.
Who do I talk to if I want to take an Acadeum Consortium course?
Students must collaborate with their Advisor, Chair of the course, and the Registrar prior to being registered for any Acadeum Consortium Course.
How do I see what courses/schools are available?
Students must collaborate with their Advisor to search for a course.
How does Charleston Southern University know my grade when I finish my course?
Consortia institutions who offer courses through the Acadeum Consortium upload grades to the Registrar’s Office after a course is finished. CSU will assign the grade given to you through the Acadeum Consortium Portal and roll it to your academic history to view on your transcript in MyCSU.
What does an Acadeum Consortium course look like on a transcript?
Course taken through the online Acadeum Consortium work as institutional credit. These means the credits apply to your attempted and earned credit counts, and they factor into your GPA. Acadeum Consortium courses are distinguished by section number 38 on your transcript.
Where can I obtain a copy of the CSU Student Letter of Acadeum Permission form?
The CSU Student Letter of Acadeum Permission form can be found here.
I found the course I want to take and filled out the form with all required signatures. Now what?
Submit the Acadeum Course Request Form to the Registrar’s Office by either emailing it to register@csuniv.edu or turning the form into the Registrar’s Office located in the Student Center on the second floor. Once the Registrar’s Office confirms your request and registers you for the course, then you will receive an email from both the Registrar’s Office and the Acadeum Consortium confirming your registration. Continue to watch your CSU email for log in instructions to your course as you will get access to an additional learning environment from the teaching institution.
Will 300/400 level courses taken through Acadeum count toward the residency requirement?
Yes.