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Academic Services

Course Away

All requests must be submitted via email as outlined in the Course Away Request Form

Submission Process

To avoid delays in the processing of your request please review the following key sections of the form:

  • Complete all required (*) sections of Course Away Request Form, including course descriptions for each class in applicable box
  • Rename the form to LAST, FIRST TERM (e.g. Smith, Joe Summer 2023). If you do not change the file name we will not be able to access your request! You must submit the form as a word document
  • Obtain course syllabus for any course from a business department or NAS Lab course; rename the syllabus to LAST, FIRST COURSE NUMBER (e.g. Smith, Joe BIOL114)
  • Pre-approval is still required for any potential course away
  • Summer 2023 course away requests will be reviewed starting March 15, 2023
  • Only one request may be submitted at a time
  • For information about summer study abroad Course Away, please refer to the Office of International Education website 
  • Email the completed Course Away Request Form and applicable syllabi as attachments
Review Process
  • Please allow two weeks after submitting a fully completed request for review
  • Only one request may be submitted at a time
  • Ensure that you have changed the file name as outlined in the submission process
  • As soon as the review of your request has been completed you will receive a response via shared file from an academic advisor
How to calculate 10% of your Bentley program
  • Add all of your advanced standing/transfer credit (i.e. credit for coursework completed prior to your initial Bentley enrollment)
  • For students entering prior to Fall 2022, deduct the total incoming credit from the total number of credits needed to earn your Bentley degree:
    • 122 credits if you enrolled as a first-year student (123 credits if Sustainability Science or Health Studies major)
    • 121 credits if you enrolled as a transfer student (122 credits if Sustainability Science or Health Studies major)
  • For students entering in or after Fall 2022, deduct the total incoming credit from the total number of credits needed to earn your Bentley degree 
    • 120 credits if you enrolled as a first-year or transfer student
  • Take 10% of that net result to determine your potential Course Away eligibility
Are online classes right for you?

Find out here!

Course Away Forms

Students Who Entered Prior to Fall 2022

Policies and Guidelines
  • Once enrolled at Bentley, students can transfer in (through Course Away) up to 10% of their Bentley program from other institutions. Please note: Students must complete a minimum of 60 credits at Bentley to meet graduation requirements.  Students are responsible for ensuring they understand and adhere to the Course Away credit maximum

  • IMPORTANT: PREREQUISITE WAIVER PRACTICE effective Summer 2020

    If a student's intended course away is needed to meet the co-or prerequisite for a course at Bentley, the prerequisite waiver form must be accompanied by documentation confirming that the student is registered for the course away. The prerequisite waiver form and the proof of course registration must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@bentley.edu. Without this documentation, you will not be permitted to register for the Bentley course with the applicable co-or prerequisite.

  • IMPORTANT: SUMMER COURSE OVERLOAD POLICY

    Students may enroll in no more than 13 credits of summer course work, 16 if their current GPA is at least a 2.7. This includes summer credits earned at Bentley*, regardless of course delivery mode, transfer credits earned at another institution through the Course Away process, or a combination of Bentley and Course Away (transfer) credits. Students taking courses for credit beyond this limit may not apply the additional course credits to their academic program.

    * Summer courses are defined as courses taken between the end of the Bentley spring semester until the beginning of the Bentley fall semester in any given calendar year. Bentley summer courses include May intensives.

  • Courses must be approved in writing by Academic Services in advance of the course being taken
  • Students take courses elsewhere at their own risk. Academic Services cannot guarantee that course content is 100% comparable to its Bentley equivalent. Students should exercise care as to whether they think courses taken elsewhere will offer the proper foundation for their subsequent coursework at Bentley

  • Students are permitted to take courses away only during interim periods between terms or during the summer term. Please note: Permission to take courses outside of Bentley during Fall or Spring terms will only be granted for students with extenuating circumstances and for compelling reasons. Requests to take courses during Fall or Spring terms must be accompanied by an Academic Petition.

    *For seniors intending to graduate in May and who are approved to take courses away in the Spring term, official transcripts must be received in time to be processed prior to graduation. (Please see the Registrar’s office for deadlines and special instructions.)
  • Undergraduate Academic Services reviews courses students wish to take at institutions outside of the U.S., but in their home country. Students taking courses at institutions outside of the U.S., but not in their home country, must submit the request and corresponding course syllabi to the Cronin Office of International Education for review

  • Upper-level business department courses must be taken at an AACSB-accredited college or university. A listing of AACSB-accredited institutions can be found at www.aacsb.edu. Please submit a full course syllabus for review

  • Students opting to take a course at another institution must ensure they meet the prerequisites established by that institution

  • Courses must be credit-bearing courses comparable to 3 or more semester credits, and may not duplicate previous coursework. Please note: CEU (Continuing Education Unit) courses are not transferable

  • All courses transfer to Bentley as 3 credits, with the exception of lab sciences which transfer as 4 credits

  • A maximum of 6 total credits may transfer into a major and 3 total credits may transfer into a minor

  • GB courses may not be taken away. In addition, the following courses may not be taken away:

  • AC 340

  • CS 360 (CS majors)

  • COM 210 (IDCC majors)

  • EC 381 or EC 431 (EC majors)

  • EC 391 or EC 441 (EF majors)

  • FI 351 (FI & FA majors)

  • MK 400 (MK majors/minors; BEMK majors) 

  • MG 240 (MG majors/minors)  

  • MG 345 (MG majors/minors)

  • Course Focus Requirements may not be transferred in 
  • Internships and/or internship courses are not eligible for Course Away credit with the exception of approved, credit-bearing internship programs offered by the Cronin Office of International Education
  • Course Away approvals apply to undergraduate program requirements only. Students considering graduate study at Bentley should consult their program requirements to assess if classes taken elsewhere meet graduate admission standards

  • A minimum grade of 2.0 (C) must be earned for the course taken away to be eligible for course away credit. Please note: Only the course away credits (TR) will appear on your Bentley transcript rather than the actual grade

  • To receive credit for approved courses, you must request an official transcript from the outside institution and have it sent to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@bentley.edu. If the transcript needs to be sent via mail, it should be directed to: Bentley University/Office of the Registrar- Rauch 111- Course Away/175 Forest Street/Waltham, MA  02452.  Transcripts for summer courses away are due by October 15 of the same year; transcripts for winter courses away are due by March 15 of the same year

Students Who Entered During/After Fall 2022

Policies and Guidelines

Once enrolled at Bentley, students can transfer in (through Course Away) up to 10% of their Bentley program from other institutions. Please note: Students must complete a minimum of 60 credits at Bentley to meet graduation requirements.  Students are responsible for ensuring they understand and adhere to the Course Away credit maximum.

If a student's intended course away is needed to meet the co-or prerequisite for a course at Bentley, the prerequisite waiver form must be accompanied by documentation confirming that the student is registered for the course away.

The prerequisite waiver form and the proof of course registration must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@bentley.edu. Without this documentation, students will not be permitted to register for the Bentley course with the applicable co-or prerequisite. If a student's intended course away is needed to meet the co- or prerequisite for a course at Bentley, the prerequisite waiver form must be accompanied by documentation confirming that the student is registered for the course away. The prerequisite waiver form and the proof of course registration must be submitted to the Registrar's office at registrar@bentley.edu. Without this documentation, students will not be permitted to register for the Bentley course with the applicable co-or prerequisite.

  • Courses must be approved in writing by Academic Services in advance of the course being taken
  • Students take courses elsewhere at their own risk. Academic Services cannot guarantee that course content is 100% comparable to its Bentley equivalent. Students should exercise care as to whether they think courses taken elsewhere will offer the proper foundation for their subsequent coursework at Bentley
  • Students are permitted to take courses away only during interim periods between terms or during the summer term. Please note: Permission to take courses outside of Bentley during Fall or Spring terms will only be granted for students with extenuating circumstances and for compelling reasons. Requests to take courses during Fall or Spring terms must be accompanied by an Academic Petition.

*For seniors intending to graduate in May and who are approved to take courses away in the Spring term, official transcripts must be received in time to be processed prior to graduation. (Please see the Registrar’s office for deadlines and special instructions.)

  • Undergraduate Academic Services reviews courses students wish to take at institutions outside of the U.S., but in their home country. Students taking courses at institutions outside of the U.S., but not in their home country, must submit the request and corresponding course syllabi to the Cronin Office of International Education for review.
  • Students opting to take a course at another institution must ensure they meet the prerequisites established by that institution
  • Courses must be credit-bearing courses comparable to 3 or more semester credits, and may not duplicate previous coursework. Please note: CEU (Continuing Education Unit) courses are not transferable
  • All courses transfer to Bentley as 3 credits, with the exception of lab sciences which transfer as 4 credits
  • A maximum of 6 total credits may transfer into a major and 3 total credits may transfer into a minor.
  • Internships and/or internship courses are not eligible for Course Away credit with the exception of approved, credit-bearing internship programs offered by the Cronin Office of International Education
  • Course Away approvals apply to undergraduate program requirements only. Students considering graduate study at Bentley should consult their program requirements to assess if classes taken elsewhere meet graduate admission standards
  • A minimum grade of 2.0 (C) must be earned for the course taken away to be eligible for course away credit. Please note: Only the course away credits (TR) will appear on the Bentley transcript rather than the actual grade.
  • To receive credit for approved courses, students must request an official transcript from the outside institution and have it sent to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@bentley.edu. If the transcript needs to be sent via mail, it should be directed to: Bentley University/Office of the Registrar- Rauch 111- Course Away/175 Forest Street/Waltham, MA  02452. Transcripts for summer courses away are due by October 15 of the same year; transcripts for winter courses away are due by March 15 of the same year.

More information is available on Course Away and policies and procedures through Undergraduate Academic Services.