Transient Coursework

Transient Coursework Approval – Application Deadlines 

Read the Transient Coursework Requirement and Policies section below for detailed information on requirements for transient request approvals.

  1. Application review once registration opens for that term at FSU. Applications submitted prior to this point may be denied, but the student may resubmit for consideration after FSU registration opens.
  2. Course requests when a student is currently enrolled or already enrolled for in a future term for the same class at FSU are approved or denied at the discretion of the Academic Affairs office.
  3. Requests submitted after the published deadlines in the Academic Calendar are approved or denied at the discretion of the Academic Affairs office. Those submitted for a semester after that term has begun at FSU will be denied unless preapproved as needed to complete graduation requirements that same term.
    Unless otherwise noted on the Academic Calendar, the deadline for applications for any given semester are below.
    • Spring: December 1
    • Summer: April 1
    • Fall: August 1

Transient Process Checklist 

All students taking transient coursework must have a minimum 2.0 FSU GPA. Applications submitted during a students first term of enrollment may be held for review by the Academic Affairs office until grades post for the current term. 

To take a course at a public Florida institution 

  • Complete the online form through the FloridaShines website.  
  • If you are a lower-division student (pre-/NFA-), you must select “1,2-Freshman or Sophomore” as your college or school when beginning the application. 
  • If are an upper-division student with a primary major outside of COSSPP, you must select that School’s or College’s “3,4-Junior or Senior” option when beginning the application. 

To take a course at a private or non-Florida institution 

After you have completed course(s) at another institution: 

  • It is the student’s responsibility to send back a final official transcript to FSU Office of Admissions electronically to admissions@fsu.edu or by mail to Florida State University Office of Admissions, A2500 University Center, 282 Champions Way, Tallahassee FL 32306-2400 
  • It is the student’s responsibility to verify that the coursework has been posted to their academic records. To verify this information, please contact registrar@fsu.edu.  

Transient Coursework Requirements and Policies 

  1. Transient application deadlines may be found on the FSU Academic Calendar for each semester.
    • Applications submitted after the deadline may be denied at the discretion of the COSSPP Academic Affairs office.
    • Applications submitted after the start of the semester will only be approved on a case-by-case basis related to a graduation plan for degree completion within that semester and require preapproval from a COSSPP Office of Academic Affairs director or assistant director. 
  2. FSU requires that students complete their last 30 hours of coursework in residence (taken through FSU). Students who have completed 90 or more hours are subject to additional considerations for approval as taking coursework outside FSU may result in them being required to complete an 30 hours of FSU credit after completing the transient coursework in order to meet degree requirements.  
  3. The Academic Affairs office may waive up to (but no more than) 6 hours of the 30 hours residency requirement and may approve up to this amount of transient coursework after a student has completed 90 hours. If a student completes more than 6 hours out of residence, the University will require them to complete an additional 30 hours of credit at FSU.
    • Applications will not be approved after a student has completed 90 hours if doing so would result in duplicate coursework causing the student to earn 0 additional hours towards graduation. 
      Example: If you have taken and passed a course with a D- or better grade, COSSPP Academic Affairs office will deny a transient request as you have already earned credit for the course.  
    • Transient applications will not be approved at any level when the course is not required for a student’s major and if the transient coursework would result in duplicate credit causing the student to lose overall hours towards graduation.
      Example: If you have previously taken a combined section course for 4 or more hours and apply to take the same course code for 3 or less hours, duplication would result in a potential loss of overall hours.
  4. Pending transient applications may be denied at the discretion of the COSSPP Academic Affairs office if a student submits an application and then subsequently registers for the course at FSU.
  5. Students will receive an automated email throughout the approval process of the online transient application process. 
  6.  Transient courses taken at a local state or community college do not satisfy the 9-hour summer residency requirement. Courses taken at an SUS institution will satisfy the 9-hour summer residency requirement. 
    • Applications submitted after the deadline may be denied at the discretion of the COSSPP Academic Affairs office.
    • Applications submitted after the start of the semester will only be approved on a case-by-case basis related to a graduation plan for degree completion within that semester and require preapproval from a COSSPP Office of Academic Affairs director or assistant director.