Many OSU students take summer courses at an institution closer to home over the summer to knock out some general education courses or "catch up" on some technical courses.  If you are thinking about taking courses at another institution over the summer, this page outlines considerations and steps to doing so.  Please be as prepared as possible and read all the information on this page carefully!

It’s very important that you make sure the course you take will transfer back to OSU the way you expect. The best way to find out for sure how credit will transfer from another institution is to have it evaluated here at Ohio State in the department before you take the class.

There are a number of courses that generally will transfer. The Course Applicability System (CAS), which can be utilized through the registrar’s website, provides information on courses, course equivalencies, and program requirements at a CAS institution to anyone who accesses a CAS website. CAS provides information on how their specific coursework will transfer and apply towards a degree at a CAS institution.

To use the CAS system, enter as a "Guest" and use the "Course Equivalency Guides" as a tool.  A few notes to keep in mind:

• Schools on semesters will not have courses (in most cases) that directly transfer as one of our courses.  For instance, many students at a semester school take two semesters of general chemistry, while OSU students take three quarters.  Thus, if you are looking for a semester school that offers an equivalent course to Chem 122, you probably aren't going to find one class.  Since the beginning of Chem 122 would fall at the end of Semester 1 and the end of Chem 122 would fall at the beginning of Semester 2 you would have to take both courses to get full credit.  The same concept applies for Math 152 and 153. 
   

• Many schools in northern Ohio are on semesters.  Many schools in Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati are on quarters.
   

• Schools on semesters may start BEFORE you get out of Ohio State in the summer!  If you want to attend a semester school, check to see if their summer semester is broken into trimesters.  You may be able to take a course or courses in the second and/or third trimester.
   

• When reading equivalencies, be sure to check the MOST CURRENT listing.
   

• If you can't find a course, contact the OSU department specifically and ask if any equivalencies exist at a school close to where you want to go.  Not all instances exist on CAS but it's the best place to start.
   

• If the course you are taking over the summer is a pre-requisite to a course you want to take in the fall, you need to contact each individual department to see if you can obtain permission to register for the fall quarter course. 

Many schools require that a student complete a transient student agreement to register for summer courses as a non-degree seeking student.  Contact each individual school's registration office to see what paperwork needs to be submitted.  This means that you do not have to apply to the school because you are not seeking a degree at that institution. 

After you have taken the courses at the other institution, be sure to have your transcript sent back to Ohio State admissions so the coursework can be officially applied to your record. 

Request that your transcript be sent to:

The Ohio State University
Office of Admissions
Enarson Hall
154 W. 12th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210

DO NOT SEND YOUR TRANSCRIPT TO THE DEPARTMENT!!