Transient Coursework

Transient Coursework Applications

Read the Transient Coursework Requirement and Policies section below for detailed information on requirements for transient request approvals. Unless otherwise noted, the deadline to submit your transient applications can be found below. These deadlines can be found on the FSU Academic Calendar. Applications submitted past these deadlines are not guaranteed review by our office and will be denied.

• Spring: December 1
• Summer: April 1
  • COSSPP Policy: for express courses taken in second half of summer, the deadline is one month prior to the start date of Summer B at FSU.
• Fall: August 14

Application review begins 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.

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 

• Complete the paper form with appropriate departmental approvals before submitting it to the Academic Dean’s office (cosspp-academic-dean@fsu.edu ). 

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. COSSPP Deadlines to Review Transient Applications:
   • The deadline our office will review applications for any given semester is listed below. These deadlines can be found on the FSU Academic Calendar.
     • Spring: December 1
     • Summer: April 1
       • For express courses taken in second half of summer, the deadline is one month prior to the start date of Summer B at FSU.
     • Fall: August 14
   • 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. As your academic dean’s office, we can deny an application for any reason at our discretion.
3. 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.  
4. FSU Residency Policy (on track to earn 90+ hours or have already earned 90+ hours): 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.
   • If you did not enroll in courses you were previously approved for within 6-hour the waiver: You must confirm in the comment section of your new application that you did not take the previously approved courses (list them) before additional approvals are granted.
   • Unless this information is verified, it can delay the review of your application.
   • Evaluation Based on Minimum Degree Hours (Additional Coursework Not Considered):
     • Students who have earned 90 or more total credit hours, or who are on track to reach 90 hours in the current term, will be evaluated based on the University’s minimum degree requirement of 120 total hours.
     • For approved dual degree programs requiring 150 total hours, students will be evaluated at the 120-hour threshold or above for the purposes of this policy.
     • Statements or plans indicating more than 30 remaining hours beyond the applicable minimum (120 hours) will not be considered when determining eligibility. All determinations are based on the minimum credits required to earn the degree.
5. Enrollment at FSU in Same Course: Students who submit transient requests for a course they are already enrolled to take at FSU, or are currently taking, must indicate on the comments in the transient application that they will drop the course from their FSU enrollment if approved to take as transient.
   • Unless this information is verified, it can delay the review of your application.
6. Duplicate Credit: If a student decides to enroll in a transient course that they have previously earned credit for (credit earned means: test credit, D- or better, or S grades), they will not receive additional credit at FSU upon sending official transcripts back to FSU.
7. Prerequisite Coursework for Transient Course: Students are responsible for verifying corequisite and prerequisite coursework needed to enroll in the transient coursework they are applying for, even if approved to take by our College.
   • Unless this information is verified, it can delay the review of your application.
8. Students will receive an automated email throughout the approval process of the online transient application process. 
9. 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.