Office of the Registrar

Frequently Asked Questions

The following information is a collection of frequently asked questions from transfer students. If you have a question that cannot be answered by way of this information, please contact the Academic Advising Resource Center at aarc@oberlin.edu 

The following information is intended for transfer students admitted to the College of Arts and Sciences.

The following information is intended for transfer students admitted to the College of Arts and Sciences.

Where can I see my transfer courses on my Oberlin transcript?Go to OberView and search for the task Degree Works. for Students. Once selected, in the upper right hand corner click the blue start button. When in Degree Works, click on Courses by Semester near the top. A list will appear of all courses on your record. This is similar to the information on your unofficial transcript.
What if some of my transfer courses are not showing in Degree Works?If you do not see all of your courses, perhaps we have not received the final grades/transcript from your last semester? Contact our transfer of credit coordinator at toc@oberlin.edu
Why are the grades from my previous institution not showing on my Oberlin transcript?Oberlin transfers in the course and the credits, but not the grade. The grade will show on your Oberlin transcript as an “X.” In other words, your Oberlin GPA is only calculated on courses taken at Oberlin for a letter grade. The Oberlin GPA is undiluted by courses from other institutions.
Are any cultural diversity (CD) courses approved from transfer of credit?No. All three required CD courses must be completed at Oberlin.
How many courses can be applied toward the graduation requirement of eight courses for curriculum exploration?Three of the eight courses required can be applied from transfer courses – one in each division of the College (if taken and successfully completed at your prior institution. One in NSMA (natural science & math), one in SSCI (social science), and one in ARHU (arts & humanities).
How can I see my progress toward graduation?Go to OberView and search for the task Degree Works for Students. Once selected, in the upper right hand corner click the blue start button. Once in Degree Works, you will see all graduation requirements listed. If you have completed a requirement, that will be shown with a green check mark. If you still need a requirement, it will be shown in red. If a requirement will be completed with the successful completion of your courses currently in-progress and preregistered for the following semester, it will be shown with a blue squiggly mark. At the top of the report in the middle of the page, you can see your course count; Full Courses Earned lists your completed courses, Full Courses In-Progress lists your courses as registered for the current semester, Full Courses PreRegistered lists your courses as registered for the following semester, Full Courses Applied is the total of all of these – earned, in-progress, and pre-registered.
Where can I read about Academic Standing and see the Academic Standing chart?Go to the catalog and click on Academic Policies along the left-hand side of the page then click on Academic Standing.

The following information is intended for transfer students admitted to the College of Arts and Sciences.

How do I find the major requirements for graduation for my major?Go to the catalog and on the left, click on College of Arts & Sciences Degree Programs & Requirements; this will give you an alphabetical listing by department. Scroll down to the department you’re interested in and click on Program Information. Major requirements will be listed in the Program Information.
How do I know how many transfer courses can apply toward my major?Each department has their own policies regarding the number of transfer courses that can apply toward their major.  To find your answer, go to the catalog and on the left, click on College of Arts & Sciences Degree Programs & Requirements; this will give you an alphabetical listing by department. Scroll down to the department you’re interested in and click on Program Information. Transfer student information will be noted.
How can I have my transferred courses count toward my Oberlin major?Once you officially declare your major by submitting a completed and signed declaration form to the Registrar’s Office, you will then need to seek the department Chair’s approval for courses toward your major.
How do I see which courses are offered for my major this semester?Go to OberView and search for the task Browse Schedule of Classes. Once selected, in the upper right hand corner click the blue start button. In the term dropdown menu select the current term then enter the department of your major in the Subject field and click Search.

The following information is intended for transfer students admitted to the College of Arts and Sciences.

Can I repeat a course at Oberlin that I took at my prior institution?No. If you repeat a course you took at your prior institution, we will remove the transfer course from your record.
How can I see if a course requires consent from the instructor (and how do I receive consent)?Go to OberView and search for the task Browse Schedule of Classes. Once selected, in the upper right hand corner click the blue start button. Search for your course. Once found, click on the course's title, this will open up a separate box with additional information about the course. Along the left side of the box, click on Restrictions. If consent is required, you will see it here. If consent is required, e-mail the instructor of the course requesting consent and plan on attending the first day of classes. After class, speak with the professor directly about receiving consent. Generally, more courses will be consent during Add/Drop than during registration (which begins in April for Fall and November for Spring).
How do I see if a course has students on the waitlist?Go to OberView and search for the task Browse Schedule of Classes. Once selected, in the upper right hand corner click the blue start button. Search for your course. Once found, click on the course's title, this will open up a separate box with additional information about the course. Along the left side of the box, click on Enrollment/Waitlist. The Waitlist Actual line represents the amount of students on the waitlist.
How do I know if a professor is keeping a manual waitlist instead of using the automated waitlist?Go to OberView and search for the task Browse Schedule of Classes. Once selected, in the upper right hand corner click the blue start button. Search for your course. Once found, click on the course's title, this will open up a separate box with additional information about the course. Along the left side of the box, click on Enrollment/Waitlist. The Waitlist Actual line represents the amount of students on the waitlist. If no waitlist information appears, the instructor might be maintaining their own manual waitlist. Send the instructor an e-mail to inquire further.
How do I take a course as Pass/No Pass (P/NP) grade mode?Please visit the Registrar’s Office (Carnegie 113) and pick up a Pass/No Pass form. Complete the form, get it signed by your academic advisor, and submit the form by the deadline (as per the academic calendar) to the Registrar's Office for processing.
Do courses taken for P/NP count toward GPA? No. Only courses taken for a letter grade at Oberlin count toward your Oberlin GPA.
Where can I see grading policies?Go to the catalog and click on Academic Policies along the left-hand side of the page then click on Grading.
What is a Private Reading?A private reading is one-on-one instruction from a professor in a topic not covered in the regular curriculum. To read more about private readings, go to the catalog and click on Academic Policies along the left-hand side of the page then click on Private Readings.