Viterbi Undergraduate Advising

Taking Summer Courses at Another Institution

Students may choose to complete coursework at another institution during the summer to stay on track with their academic progress. However, it is essential to understand USC’s policies on transfer credits to ensure that courses taken elsewhere will be applicable toward degree requirements.

Key Considerations:

• General Education (GE) and Writing Courses must be completed at USC and cannot be transferred from another institution.
• Select Math and Science Courses (e.g., PHYS 151, CHEM 105A, BISC 220) taken outside of USC will not fulfill GE requirements, even if they carry GE credit at the external institution.
• Submitting a summer pre-approval form is highly recommended for all courses taken at external institutions to ensure proper credit transfer prior to enrolling in the courses.

Course Equivalency & Transfer Approval

To determine whether a course is eligible for transfer, students should refer to the following resources:

• California Community Colleges: Articulation Agreements—Find equivalent courses at community colleges in California.
• Other U.S. and Out-of-State Institutions: Articulation History Site—Verify transferability for institutions outside of the California Community College system.

Note: Not all transferable courses may be listed. It is strongly recommended to consult an academic advisor before enrolling in an external course along with submitting a summer pre-approval form on your myUSC’s OASIS account.

Pre-Approval & Enrollment Process

Step 1: Submit a Pre-Approval Request

• Students must submit a pre-approval form via MyUSC > OASIS > Course Transfer before enrolling in an external course.
• Multiple pre-approval requests may be submitted to explore different course options.

Step 2: Verify Transfer Credit Eligibility

• After submitting a pre-approval request, check the Transfer Credit Report (TCR) in OASIS to confirm course equivalency before proceeding with enrollment.

Step 3: Enroll at the External Institution

• USC does not facilitate enrollment at external institutions; students must follow the registration procedures of the college or university where they plan to take summer courses. Please direct to the Financial Aid Office, if you have any questions on summer financial aid or how summer courses impact aid.