Summer School Approval Process

Matriculated students who wish to take courses during summer sessions at institutions other than Skidmore College and apply these courses to their Skidmore degree may obtain approval from the Office of the Registrar before leaving campus.

Students should submit a completed Summer School Approval Form for review and arrange to have the other institution send an official copy of the final transcript to the Skidmore Office of the Registrar. Please Do Not Assume Courses Will Be Transferred.

The following policies apply:

1. Courses must be taken at an accredited, degree granting institution. Courses taken at a community college may not fulfill maturity level requirements. Students may elect to complete work at institutions in other states, and it is often more convenient to enroll for the summer at an institution close to home. Click here if you would like to search the Collegenet Database for information on other institutions. On-line and/or distance learning courses will not be accepted.

2. Courses in sessions less than four weeks are not allowed.

3. The number of courses allowed is determined by the length of the session. One course may be taken in a four week session. Two courses may be taken in five or six week sessions. A maximum of four courses (16 credit hours) may be allowed during the summer.

4. Each course must meet for a minimum of 36 contact hours in order to receive credit. Studio courses in art, dance, music, and theater must meet for a minimum of 70 contact hours.

5. A grade of "C" or better is required for transfer credit. (C- does not meet this requirement.) If courses are taken on a pass/fail basis, information must be provided showing that the policy of the institution concerned is that a pass equals a "C" or better.

6. Faculty advisor and Office of the Registrar approval is required. The chairperson of the appropriate department must also approve courses fulfilling major/minor requirements. If the student wishes to enroll in a course that has no Skidmore equivalent or wishes to apply a course to an all-College requirement such as laboratory science or foreign language, the appropriate chairperson's signature is required.

7. Courses taken in disciplines not offered at Skidmore are evaluated in consultation with department chairpersons. Courses in liberal arts may be granted credit as electives. Courses in technical or professional areas usually are not transferable. Courses already completed at Skidmore may not be repeated for credit.

8. An official transcript is required before credit can be awarded. It is the student's responsibility to arrange to have one sent from the institution to Skidmore.

9. Grades earned at the other insitution will appear on the student's Skidmore transcript, but are not used in the calculation of the Skidmore grade point average.

10. Exceptions to these policies must be approved by the Committee on Academic Standing.