Permission to Take Courses at Another Institution After Matriculation

There is an expectation that students who are earning a degree at Temple are taking their courses at Temple.  However, students may be given permission to take courses at another institution under special circumstances.  Students will not receive credit for courses taken at another institution while matriculated at Temple, unless prior permission is received from their school or college through their advising center.

To be eligible to apply:

• The student’s cumulative grade point average must be 2.00 or above.
• There must be a compelling academic reason.
• The student, while taking the course, must be residing (current or permanent home address of record) 50 or more miles from the student’s Temple University campus.
• The institution offering the course must be located 50 or more miles from the student’s Temple University campus.
• The course is currently not offered through Temple’s distance-learning program.

Students must apply during the semester prior to the one in which they wish to take the course(s) elsewhere. Students must complete a “Request for Permission” form obtained either from their advising center or at www.temple.edu/vpus/forms/index.htm.

• If a course is to fulfill a student’s college/major requirement and the course equivalency is not on the authorized list of transfer courses (ISIS A9 screen), the form must be first signed by the departmental designee/representative and then approved by the student’s advising office;
• If a course is to fulfill a Core requirement and the course equivalency is not on the authorized list of transfer courses (ISIS A9 screen), the form must be signed by the Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies/representative located in the Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies (500 Conwell Hall) and then approved by the student’s advising office;
• If a course is to fulfill a General Education requirement and the course equivalency is not on the authorized list of transfer courses (ISIS A9 screen), the form must be signed by the General Education Office (714 Carnell Hall) and then approved by the student’s advising office.

Students should note that:

• Credits will be transferred to Temple only upon the completion of the course(s) with a grade of “C-” or better. See Admissions: Transfer Credit.
• Some Temple schools and colleges have additional limitations on the kind or number of transfer credits accepted.
• Students may also receive transfer credit for courses taken through a pre-approved study abroad program.  However, students planning to receive transfer credit for courses completed on a non-Temple program must complete the form “Request for Approval to Study Abroad on a non-Temple Program” for course equivalency approvals. For information about Temple study abroad programs, see International Programs and Study Abroad. For information about receiving permission to study abroad through another institution, see Study Abroad Approval Procedures for Non-Temple Programs.
• Transfer credits do not affect a student's Temple grade point average.
• A student cannot receive credit for the same course twice.
• Grades earned in transfer courses cannot be used to replace grades earned in the Temple equivalent courses.
• Thirty (30) of a student's last 45 credits must be taken at Temple University. (Some majors have additional residency requirements.) See Academic Residency Requirements.
• To be eligible for Latin Honors at graduation, a student must complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of the program while matriculated at Temple.

Once a student has received prior permission and taken a course elsewhere, the student must have an official transcript from that institution sent to the Admissions Office as soon the transcript is available.

Placement Testing

Go to the Measurement and Research Center web site at www.temple.edu/marc/placements.html for details.

Also, see the Admissions: Placement Testing section of the Bulletin.

Plagiarism and Academic Cheating

See Academic Honesty in the Student Responsibilities and Rights section of the Bulletin.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

A course prerequisite is any requirement an academic department identifies as essential for a student to complete before taking a course. The university is responsible for publishing prerequisite requirements. All prerequisites, whether they apply to an individual course or to all courses in a department, should be stated in the printed and electronic versions of the current edition of the university’s Undergraduate Course Descriptions. They should also be stated in the course syllabus.

Course prerequisites consist of one or more of the following: completion of placement or proficiency tests or other assessments; achievement of specified scores on placement or proficiency tests or other assessments; possession of specified knowledge or skills; approval after audition; approval of portfolio; declaration of major or admission to restricted program; completion of specific courses, sets of courses, and/or kinds of courses; completion of a specified number of semester hours or achievement of a specified class level; achievement of specified grades in prerequisite courses or sets of courses; achievement of a specified GPA; approval of an application or proposal; permission of the instructor, department, or other person or office; satisfaction of other specified requirements.

Students are responsible for knowing and completing all published prerequisite requirements for a course before taking that course. The university has the obligation to inform students of prerequisite requirements. It has the right to cancel a student’s registration in a course if the student has not satisfied the published prerequisite requirements for that course.

A course co-requisite is a requirement that must be completed at the same time as the course for which it is required. The university is responsible for publishing co-requisite requirements. All co-requisites, whether they apply to an individual course or to all courses in a department, should be stated in the printed and electronic versions of the current edition of the university’s Undergraduate Course Descriptions. They should also be stated in the course syllabus. Co-requisites may be specified courses, permissions, admission to programs, and/or other requirements. Students are responsible for knowing and completing all published co-requisite requirements for a course. The university has the obligation to inform students of co-requisite requirements and the right to cancel a student’s registration in a course if the student has not arranged to satisfy the co-requisite requirements for that course.

Probation and Dismissal

See Academic Warning, Probation, Dismissal and Reinstatement.