Skip navigation | Text-only | Español
Guidelines for Taking Courses at Other Institutions for Credit at FSU

  1. You may take courses at another institution (during the summer for example) for credit at FSU, but the courses must be pre-approved.  The process for obtaining pre-approval is described below.

  2. You may increase your total earned hours by attending another institution, but you cannot improve your GPA by attending another institution, since grades earned at another institution do not affect your FSU GPA.

  3. If you want to improve your GPA by going to summer school, you will have to attend summer school at FSU.

  4. Your best choices for credits to earn at another institution are courses in the core curriculum, such as Humanities and Fine Arts, Social Sciences and History, or a computer course.

  5. It is NOT recommended for you to take the first half of a two course sequence (NSCI 110-120; BIOL 110-130; SPAN 110-120) at another institution.  The course may not prepare you appropriately for the second half of the sequence at FSU.

  6. You should bear in mind that you must earn your last 33 hours in residence at FSU, which means that if the hours you are trying to earn are in your last 33, you will have to ask your department chair to complete a letter requesting a waiver of the residency requirement.

  7. You must have a final grade of C or better to receive credit at FSU for the course.

    If you earn credit at another institution, you will not be eligible for the awards of Valedictorian or Salutatorian.

Procedures for Obtaining Pre-approval

  1. Speak with your advisor to obtain advice for specific courses to take.

  2. Obtain "Schedule of Courses" from the other institution and make sure classes you want are being offered at times you can take them.  (Most universities now have this information on the web.)

  3. Obtain a course description from the school's catalog of the course you wish to take.  (Most universities have this information on the web.)

  4. Print out the request form. Take it with  "Schedule of Courses" and "course description" to your department chair.   The request will have to be approved by the chair, dean, and vice chancellor for academic affairs.  After your request is approved at all levels, you will receive a letter from the registrar's office granting permission to take the course.

  5. Apply for admission at the other institution.

  6. Enroll in courses.

  7. Upon completion of course, be sure to request the other institution to send a copy of your final transcript to the

Office of the Registrar
Fayetteville State University
1200 Murchison Road
Fayetteville, NC 28301-4298.