Off-Campus Study Credit

In order to earn academic credit for off-campus study, students must successfully complete all campus procedures and submit all required documents.The type of credit earned depends on the program.

Lake Forest College credit is earned on Lake Forest College programs and ACM (Associated Colleges of the Midwest) programs. Such credit is included in the student’s GPA.

Transfer credit is earned for all other approved programs and may be counted toward graduation. The courses taken and the grades earned will appear on the transcript but will not be included in the student’s GPA.

• Note: for purposes of calculating general honors (e.g. cum laude, PBK), accepted transfer credit will be used in GPA computations.

• With the approval of the appropriate department chair, transfer credit  may count toward a major or minor. 

• Only grades of “C” or higher may be transferred.
• No more than 16 transfer credits can be counted toward Lake Forest College degree requirements.
• Twelve of the last sixteen credits must be Lake Forest College credits, and the final four credits must be from Lake Forest.** 
• 15-16 semester hours must be successfully completed to earn the equivalent of one Lake Forest semester.

Variance on any of these items requires approval of the Academic Appeals Board.

**Students interested in studying off-campus during their final (8th) semester should consult with the Assistant Dean of Faculty for Off-Campus Programs. These participants must petition the Academic Appeals Board for a waiver of  this rule for any program earning transfer credit, including the College’s In The Loop program when the Columbia/Roosevelt option for courses is selected.

Note: Students who do not complete all required forms for off-campus study—including Stage 1 eligibility and Stage 2 documents—may NOT study abroad on Lake Forest College Approved Program Leave and should not assume transferability of credit from another program.

GEC Requirements

Successful completion of approved study-abroad programs will meet the GEC Breadth: Cultural Diversity Requirements. Approved study-abroad courses that count in Lake Forest College academic divisions (as transfer credit or as Lake Forest College Credit) will also count toward the GEC Breadth: Academic Divisions Requirements. 

Transcripts 

Requests to send an official transcript (required by most programs) must be made in person at the Office of the Registrar (North Hall). The first official transcript ordered is sent free. Subsequent copies are $7.00. 

You may download from your College account an unofficial transcript copy or request one free of charge at the Office of the Registrar.  An unofficial transcript does not carry the College seal. Unofficial transcripts may be submitted as a campus eligibility document.

All transcripts for completed programs should be sent directly to the College Registrar.

Note: Transcripts for completed off-campus programs will be recorded by the College Registrar as received from the sponsoring program or institution. Students who earn transfer credit from an approved off-campus program and whose financial aid has been applied to that program may not drop—in whole or in part—any such credit without also fully reimbursing the College for all aid transferred to that program.