While academic work taken at other institutions during a summer or winter vacation may supplement a student’s program at Carleton, such course work is not usually granted Carleton credit and therefore does not appear on the student’s Carleton transcript. Students wanting Carleton credit for courses taken elsewhere while they are Carleton students must petition the Academic Standing Committee (ASC) in advance for approval of credit using the petition form available on the ASC webpage. Summer off-campus study programs (as distinguished from summer school courses) must be petitioned for through Off-Campus Studies.

Credit for summer study will usually be approved under the following circumstances:

1. when the student is deficient in either credits or requirements and the ASC has recommended or suggested it;
2. when the program (as distinguished from summer school courses) is among the off-campus study programs Carleton approves, e.g., summer field courses;
3. when it is an OCS approved language program offered in a foreign university or through a domestic post-secondary institution in a foreign country. Students can receive foreign language credit for study at domestic institutions only when deficient in credit and with permission of the ASC.

Credit will occasionally be given for work done under the following circumstances:

1. when the student must take a published departmental requirement and cannot do so at Carleton because of unusual circumstances. Usually, the ASC would expect the student to have planned the program in such a way that an exception would not have to be made. These kinds of exceptions should be rare, but they are likely to arise because students are encouraged to take part in off-campus programs or because students are off-phase in progress toward graduation;
2. when a student misses a required course because of illness or late commitment to a major makes it difficult (or impossible) to fulfill the requirement otherwise.

Credit will not be given:

1. when the student could take the required course at Carleton. Planning to take a course not offered at Carleton is not sufficient basis for approval of credit;
2. when the student has already earned equivalent credit at Carleton;
3. for the student’s convenience.

The petition form must include a statement of the student’s reasons for wanting Carleton credit for summer study, the name of the institution, the course title and number, and a brief description including the number of credits for each course. It will also include the adviser’s signature plus the written approval of a faculty member of the appropriate Carleton academic department. The Carleton faculty member may also, while approving the course, specify that credit will be granted only upon special examination or other evaluation criteria after the course has been completed. Although in all cases department approval of the course is necessary, the final approval of credit will be determined by the ASC.

The ASC petition should be submitted not later than May 15. In extraordinary circumstances, departmental approval may be sought after the courses are taken, but prior approval is strongly recommended. (For study classified as a program or for summer courses at an institution outside the United States, the regular forms for petition for off-campus study should be used.)

Summer school credits that are accepted for Carleton credits will be counted as off-campus credits and will be part of the maximum 54 off-campus credits a student is permitted to apply toward the Carleton degree.

Determination of the amount of transfer credit is established by the Registrar. No credits are transferred for work in which a grade below “C-” is earned (approved non-Carleton OCS credit excepted). Also, no credits are transferred for work deemed to be equivalent to credits already earned at Carleton. The Academic Standing Committee (ASC) must approve all off-campus study for Carleton credit.

Students entering with the class of 2026 should review the Transfer of Credit policy for updates to this policy.

See also off-campus study and transfer of credits.