Taking courses at another college - Prior Approval

Matriculated students may take course work at another institution with approval from this office. A Prior Approval Form must be filled out before taking any courses.

Grades from another institution will not transfer to Oneonta, only the credit.

Where can I take courses?

If your total number of credits is less than 66 and will be less than 66, you may take course work at either a 2-year or 4-year college.

If your total number of credits is more than 66 or will be more than 66, you may only take courses at a 4-year college. Unless, the course you are looking to take is a 100 level required course for general education or your major, then you may take that course at a 2-year college.

How do I find out what is being offered at another college?

Most summer course listings will be available on-line or in print form sometime in April. You need to check with the college you intend to take the course at.

How do I know if the course will transfer or fill my requirement?

You can stop by our office or use the course equivalency database as a guide to the transferability of a course. The course equivalency table shows the course number(s) at the transfer institution and the Oneonta equivalency. It also shows general education attributes in case you are looking for a specific general education requirement.

Note: If you are looking for a general education course you do not need to have equivalent courses; they just need to carry the correct general education attribute.

If the course you want does not appear in the equivalency table then you must attach a course description from the college to the prior approval form.

Who needs to sign the form?

In all cases you must bring your advisement document, and your prior approval form to the Academic Advisement Center for review and possible approval.

All business, accounting, and economics courses must have the department chair signature (Netzer 226). Every business, accounting, or economics course must be accompanied by a course description.

All Education majors must have the signature of the department chair as well as approval from the Academic Advisement Center.

What do I do after I have completed the course(s)?

Have an official transcript sent from the transfer institution to our Registrar's Office:

131 Netzer Administration Building
SUNY College at Oneonta
Oneonta, NY 13820

How will I know if the credit is transferred?

Once your transcript arrives in the registrar's office it is matched with your prior approval form. After the credit is added to your record, the registrar will send you notification.

What if I decide to take a course after I am already home?

If you decide to take a course once you have left Oneonta for the summer, we can assist you in obtaining prior approval. Please follow the steps above and fax the information to Academic Advisement at (607) 436-3392.