Upper-level courses for credit without admission?

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but...

I'll be finishing up my AA at St. Pete College over the next few semesters, and then heading to one of the Big 3 for my bachelor's. Therefore, I'm looking to get my upper-level courses at other colleges where the costs are lower.

Can I take upper-level classes for credit online without actually being admitted to a school's degree program?

Does it vary by school? I checked UCF here in Florida which has a nice resident tuition of $71 per hour--but you must be admitted into their degree program in order to take their online classes.

 

This varies tremendously by school. Some schools require no admission at all; others require admission to a non-degree program which may or may not be easily obtained. The worst one that I have encountered is a local B&M where I have had to do a full-fledged send all my transcripts from everywhere application to get non-degree status and permission to take 1 class. The easiest has involved filling out an online basic name, address, and social security number type form.

 

most schools have a status that is "non-degree seeking student" or "visiting student" but many admissions staff have no idea how that works -- you have to get their catalog and explain it to them.

As for having to send "all your transcripts from every school...", for the most part, they only know what you tell them...

The higher the level of the course (or more prestigious the school), the more likely the school is going to want some proof that you can do the work.

There are plenty of low cost DL options for upper level work such as Brigham Young and LSU that don't require much in the way of pre-course paperwork.

 

And I've found the University of South Carolina as well, they offer independent study classes like LSU for $300 per 3-credit course.

I've also ordered a copy of Peterson's "Independent Study Catalog" and that should provide me a bunch of options as well.

 

DANTES Independent Study Catalog lists a lot of courses and credit-by-exam options.

Postsecondary Course Information

Postsecondary Credit-by-Examination

 

That may be true, but the B&M that required that of me is also the one I would like to attend for graduate school, so I would have to send them that info eventually. And, of course, sending my Excelsior transcript amounts to telling them about all the schools I have taken classes from.

I do have to admit, however, that that one class is more expensive and time-consuming to arrange than even the 9 credits in lab classes I have taken through a Canadian distance school including airfare and hotels for the instensive on-site lab portions. I am only doing it because the class is taught by the professor that I would like for a phd advisor eventually and is a prereq to many graduate classes in the program.

 

Hi Elizabeth,

You sound about like I do trying to find my courses in psychology!

It's true what the Coach said - just have to work the system with the non-degree student status. I have just had to reapply at another local state school as a "term" student and request "override" from the Department Chair in Psychology as I'm not enrolled there and these courses are closed to non-majors, etc.

But they can always make exceptions if you have good reason for asking, I have found. It also helps if you know that the course you intend to substitute will transfer in as you intend it to. I have never figured out why my school refuses to accept so many other RA institutions' courses in psychology, but what can you do?

Good Luck.