Summer Course Approval Process for Courses Outside Georgetown

If you are interested in taking a non-Georgetown summer course, you must fill out the McDonough summer approval request form during the Spring semester. It can be found on the McDonough Forms page. This form secures approval from the McDonough Undergraduate Programs Office to take summer courses away from Georgetown University. All requests must be submitted prior to enrollment in the summer course(s), ideally by the last day of classes in the Spring.

What kinds of courses can be taken during the summer?

Courses that can be considered for transfer back to Georgetown:

Philosophy
Theology
Diversity
History or Government
Liberal Arts Elective

Courses that cannot be considered for transfer back to Georgetown:

Writing & Culture Seminar
HALC
Science for All
Quantitative & Data Literacy
Pathways to Social Justice
Business Core
Any major coursework

Other courses:

Calculus – It is recommended that students take this course at Georgetown
Minor Coursework outside the MSB – Student must seek minor department approval prior to submitting the MSB approval form
Economics – Read policies on their website

Eligibility & Requirements for Transferring Coursework Outside Georgetown

To be eligible to transfer, coursework must be taken at an accredited college, accepted toward an undergraduate bachelor’s degree at that institution, and represented on that institution’s official transcript.
All courses must be taken for a grade, and a grade of C or better is required for transfer. However, grades for courses taken during non-Georgetown summer school will not appear on the Georgetown transcript and are not computed in the Georgetown GPA.
A maximum of FOUR (4) non-Georgetown summer courses may be transferred to the Georgetown transcript during your undergraduate studies.
Please note that external transfer students may not transfer more than 60 credits to the Georgetown degree.
Students are expected to fulfill all major and Business core requirements at Georgetown. If you are seeking credit for a course to count towards a minor, you will need to receive permission from your minor department prior to completing the MSB summer approval request form.
Students are allowed to take pre-approved online courses, with some exceptions for Economics courses. Online courses must meet specific requirements as outlined below.
Students are allowed to take a maximum of FOUR (4) pre-approved community college and/or university courses outside of Georgetown.
For in-person classroom courses, credits are evaluated using classroom hours and a session calendar. A three-credit course must meet for a minimum of 36 hours over three weeks. Sessions shorter than three weeks will not be approved. Four-credit courses will require additional classroom hours.
Students attending a university that meets on a quarter system are advised that a five-unit class normally equates to a three-credit course at Georgetown University.
All students must upload a Summer 2025 course syllabus and class schedule for review as part of this approval form.

Policy for Online Coursework Outside Georgetown

Students are allowed to take a maximum of FOUR (4) pre-approved online courses. This does not include courses in Economics.
For online courses, please submit a syllabus that confirms the following criteria are met. The syllabus must be current (i.e. for the online version of the course in the term in which it will be taken, Summer 2025, and prepared by the instructor of record).
The structure of the online course should approximate 36 contact hours by alternate means.
The course must meet for a minimum of three weeks, with fixed start and end dates.
Self-paced courses or independent studies will not be approved.
The syllabus should provide evidence of class interaction, regular instructor feedback, intermediate deadlines throughout the term, and a culminating assignment at the end of the course.

Policy for International Coursework

Students seeking Georgetown transfer credit from an international institution or international summer programs need to submit an International Travel Authorization Application for review and approval BEFORE submitting this form. Students will need to upload the approval email as part of this approval form.
The McDonough Undergraduate Programs Office will not approve transfer credits from an international institution without health and safety approval through the international travel authorization process.
If you are an International Student applying to take a course in your home city, then you do not need to complete the International Travel Authorization. However, you still need to apply if you are taking a course at another institution that requires you to travel within your home country.

* POLICIES FOR ECONOMICS COURSES FOR SUMMER 2025*

Since we often receive requests for summer Macroeconomics and Microeconomics courses each year, we wanted to make sure you were aware of new policies from Georgetown’s Economics Department regarding taking non-GU Economics courses, which began in Summer 2024 and will continue to apply for Summer 2025:

Non-GU Economics courses are strongly encouraged to be taken in person. Online Economics courses must be synchronous, meaning you are virtually attending class sessions each week, at the same time as your instructor and classmates.
Asynchronous and self-paced Economics courses will not be approved.
All courses must be taught by qualified instructors (typically PhD, not graduate teaching assistants) who meet the minimum educational criteria required. Courses taught by graduate students will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to ensure proper faculty oversight.
You can read the updated policies on the Economics department’s website: https://econ.georgetown.edu/non-georgetown-course-credit/

If your course was approved and it has now concluded:

Students must ask the host institution to send an official transcript to McDonough School of Business. That transcript must contain your letter grade and it must be a C or better. Students may request for an electronic copy to be sent to msbundergrad@georgetown.edu or a hard copy to be mailed to the address below.

Attention: Catherine Vaz
McDonough School of Business
Rafik Hariri Building, Suite 120
37th & O Street NW
Washington, DC 20057

***Please note that an electronic transcript is the preferred method for receiving official transcripts, if the option exists at your institution.***

Frequently Asked Questions:

How is a syllabus assessed for academic rigor?

A rigorous syllabus may include: regular interactions with the professor and peers, intermediate assignments and deadlines throughout the course, listed learning outcomes/course objectives, college-level academic readings, a listed attendance policy, no excessive extra credit or test/paper retakes, proctored exams, a stated methodology for grading on a letter scale and a rigorous culminating assessment.

I am studying abroad in London. How long does it take to get approval on the International Travel Authorization Application?

Please allow for up to 2-3 weeks for approvals on the International Travel Authorization application. Once you have the approval email, please attach it to your summer approval request form.

Can my Dean provide me with a list of potential classes I could take?

No. You’re not limited to a certain list of colleges or universities. Students take courses all around the world at various universities.

Do I need to fill out the summer approval request form for classes taught at Georgetown?

No. Toward the beginning of the Spring semester, you can register for Georgetown classes on GU Experience, just as you would for Fall or Spring classes.

When does the summer approval request form open for submissions?

It opens in early February. We recommend you submit all requests before the last day of your Georgetown classes in the Spring.

What do I need to do after I’ve completed the course?

It’s your responsibility to send us an official transcript with your recorded grade (C or better). We ask that you send us the official transcript electronically, if possible. You can have them emailed directly to Dean Vaz at msbundergrad@georgetown.edu. We are aware that some institutions do not have an electronic transcript option. If that is the case for your host institution, it is still fine to send the official transcript through the mail.

I no longer plan to take the course I was approved for. What should I do?

Please email Dean Vaz, and we will update our records.

What if I was approved for multiple courses?

According to the Bulletin, students may not take more than 4 courses in any one summer and no more than 2 courses concurrently in the same summer session. If you were approved to take multiple non-GU summer classes and they don’t meet these rules, please email Dean Vaz to let us know which of your approved summer classes you’ve decided not to pursue.

Can I take a non-GU summer course during winter or spring break?

No. The dates of the non-Georgetown course cannot overlap with days that Georgetown courses are in Fall or Spring session (see the academic calendar), which includes winter and spring break. Only summer courses can be considered.

I took a college course prior to starting at Georgetown. Could that transfer back?

Please read the policy on courses taken prior to matriculation and work with your advising dean. You do not need to fill out the summer approval form.

Can I take a non-academic course over the summer for Georgetown transfer credit?

Though proposed courses do not need to be directly equivalent to existing Georgetown courses to be approved, we do limit our approvals to courses and areas of study contributing to the aims and spirit of a Georgetown liberal arts education. Courses offering non-academic training (paralegal studies, EMT, word processing, etc.) and that prepare students for college work (pre-calculus, expository writing, grammar) are not transferable.

Can I take a language course outside Georgetown?

Yes, please be aware that all language credit at the learning level is subject to the results of a department-administered placement exam upon return. For this reason, we don’t highly recommend language courses taken outside of Georgetown.

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to or consult with your academic dean concerning coursework taken outside Georgetown.