Students who matriculated prior to Fall 2021 may request permission to take a maximum of 12 credits at another institution, exclusive of official cross-registration or Babson-approved study abroad/away programs.
Students who matriculate in Fall 2021 and thereafter may request permission to take a maximum of 16 credits at another institution, exclusive of official cross-registration or Babson-approved study abroad/away programs. Students may take those off-campus credits over winter or summer sessions, during a formally declared Leave of Absence from the College, or enroll in up to 4 credits per semester during fall and spring semesters when also enrolled at Babson. Additionally, students may take up to 4 of those 12 credits following the final period of enrollment at Babson or in a Babson-approved program. Please note that if a student is already overloaded to 20 credits at Babson during a fall or spring semester, an approval for an off-campus course during that same semester is unlikely. Similarly, since students are limited to 4 credits during a winter session at Babson, typically only 4 credits of off-campus course work will be considered for approval during the winter term.F1/J-1 international students who plan to take their final credits off-campus should first consult with an international student advisor in the Glavin Office of International Education to learn how this may affect their U.S. immigration status.
Students interested in taking off-campus courses must submit an off-campus request e-form, available on the Babson Hub, along with a course description, syllabus, and rationale for their interest in taking the proposed course. Students should wait to enroll in the course until they receive approval from the Department of Student Advising & Success. The Department of Student Advising & Success evaluates requests to take courses off- campus based on the rigor of the course and the rationale of the student submitting the request. Only courses from accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities will be considered. Additionally, the Department of Student Advising & Success will only approve courses that do not overlap with or closely resemble any courses offered at Babson. Course approval for one student does not constitute approval for every student. If approved, off-campus courses are typically awarded Free Elective/General Elective credit at Babson. Thus, students should plan ahead to take their required business and liberal arts courses at Babson College and not off-campus. A student must have unsatisfied Free Elective/General Elective credit available in his or her degree in order to apply for off-campus credit. For example, if a student has already satisfied some of the required Free Elective credits, but still has 8 credits of Free Elective credit yet to be satisfied, then only up to the remaining 8 credits may be taken off-campus. For students who matriculated prior to Fall 2021, the maximum number of credits that may be taken off-campus is 12. For students who matriculate in Fall 2021 or thereafter, the maximum number of credits that may be taken off-campus is 16.
Once approved, students must earn a grade of C or higher in the approved course in order for the credits to transfer to Babson. Students’ grades from off-campus courses will not transfer to Babson College or factor into students’ cumulative GPA; rather, students’ Babson transcript will simply reflect the credits earned for the course. To receive course credit, students must submit an official transcript sent directly from the college or university attended to the Department of Student Advising & Success, Babson College, Babson Park, MA 02457, or have an official transcript sent electronically through an encrypted service offered by the other school’s registrar.
Babson College’s tuition does not cover the costs of off-campus courses. Any financial obligation incurred for an off-campus course is the responsibility of the student.