Off-Campus Permission Course Approval Instructions and Information (Undergraduates)

Permission to take a course off-campus undergraduate course procedures

Currently enrolled undergraduate students who wish to complete a course or earn credit-by-exam (e.g., CLEP, Saylor Academy, StraighterLine, etc.) at another institution must obtain written approval before registering for the course or exam. Approval must be secured through the student’s School or College of Major using the designated form.

This ensures that the proposed off-campus course aligns with the university's academic policy and that it will be applied appropriately toward degree requirements upon transfer back to Morgan State University. Students interested in securing approval to take courses through Study Abroad must complete the appropriately titled Study Abroad Permission Form available in WebSIS Self-Service. Failure to obtain prior approval may result in the course not being accepted for transfer credit.

All students must consider the following before seeking permission to take a course off-campus:

• Be a regular student pursuing an undergraduate degree.
• Have a minimum cumulative Morgan State grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher. Which means that if you are a new freshman or transfer student, you will need to wait until the final grades of your first semester at Morgan State University are posted and your GPA is calculated.
• Have a completed official degree works evaluation with a declared major.
• Coursework by permission at another institution does not satisfy the residency at MSU and does not affect MSU's GPA.
• MSU reserves the right to deny transfer credit that has not been pre-approved.

Current students within their last 30 semester hours OR graduating seniors in their final semester will be prohibited from taking courses at other colleges or universities unless they have obtained authorization for a waiver of the 30- hour rule from their Dean's office. The course must be repeated at Morgan to earn credit for a course in which a student has received a failing grade (D or F). In extraordinary circumstances, exceptions may be approved by the Dean.

Students with approved permission to take a course off-campus forms must have ALL final official transcripts sent to the Office of the Registrar by email to records@morgan.edu or by U.S. Mail to:

Office of the Registrar, Tyler Hall
Morgan State University
1700 East Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, Maryland 21251

Official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution's records office either by mail or electronically through a secured transcript service approved by Morgan State University. Please note that official transcripts sent by students from their official MSU email account as attachments will not be accepted as official. Once you have final grades, please submit the official transcript and update your request in "Service Request". From your dashboard, go to the box titled "Permission to Take Course Off Campus - Submitted". Click your request. In the details panel, check "I have completed the course." and click "SAVE". Our team will email you once the credits have been applied to your record.

All students must review and have with them when meeting with their department advisor:

• Permission to take a course(s) off-campus student checklist. This checklist contains essential information to assist you in completing the form correctly, such as department Chairpersons, Advisors, and course equivalencies.
• Permission guide and instructions for Permission to Request to Take Course Off-Campus

Off-Campus Permission Form and Contacts

For assistance in identifying your Advisor, University Chairpersons, and Deans,     please reach out to the designated contact provided below. To access and submit either the Permission to take a course off-campus or Study Abroad form, log into Websis Student Self-Service. Click "Service Request". Remember, you must use your official Morgan State University email address to access the dashboard and the form. (click here for instructions)

*Revised November 21, 2025