This is the time of year when many students are creating their summer plans. Some students choose to pursue employment in the summer, some do internships, and others take classes. There are special considerations to keep in mind when working with students who are planning summer classes at Penn State or a different institution.
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During the summer, students are able to take courses at any Penn State campus. So, that means if a Behrend student is from the Pittsburgh area and lives near the New Kensington campus, they could enroll in a class at that campus without having to change anything in LionPATH. Utilizing the "Find Classes" feature in LionPATH is the easiest way for a student to find and enroll in summer classes.
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On Campus Classes
Some students prefer face-to-face learning and want to take an on-campus class in the summer.
Students can use the "Find Classes" feature in their LionPATH account to locate a class at a specific campus using these instructions:
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- After logging into LionPATH, students can select "Find Classes" from the menu on the right.
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- Students will select "Summer 2020" as the term and input the desired campus. Then, they can search for the specific course by inputting the Subject and Course Number. Clicking the "Search" button will show them available options.
- Helpful hint: Utilize the "Additional Search Criteria" option to locate General Education courses. For example, if a student knows they want to take a Humanities course but they do not know what classes fit into that category, they can search by that criteria and find all of the available Humanities classes in one search.
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- Students are able to view available sections, select the option best for them, and enroll in the course as they would during the fall or spring semester.
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Online Classes
Students may choose to take online courses through Penn State in the summer. Under "Find Classes," students will leave the Campus menu incomplete; online courses could be taught through any campus, so selecting the campus is not necessary. The student can input the Subject and Course Number information. Then, they can select Additional Search Criteria; this allows them to narrow down their options by specific attributes. To find an online class, select "Web" from the Mode of Instruction drop down menu, as shown here:
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- Clicking "Search" will show all available options. In this example case, there are many options of ENGL 15 taught online this summer. Students are able to view the Meeting Dates, which indicates when the class will be in session. When the student finds a section of interest, they can click on the hyperlinked information in the Section column to view more details about the class.
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- The Class Detail page provides additional information about that specific section of the course. This example section is taught through the Abington campus, but it is taught via Web, so a Behrend student would be able to enroll in this class without having to change their campus to Abington or go to the Abington campus. If the student is interested in this section, they can add it to their Shopping Cart and enroll in it, just as they would a fall or spring class.
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PLEASE NOTE
: Some summer classes (both online and on campus) are reserved for certain populations. It is important for students to view the Class Details page because there may be a Class Note that prevents them from enrolling in the course if they are not part of the specific population indicated.
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Some students do not factor finances into their decision when they are thinking about summer classes. When meeting with a student who is planning summer classes, it is important that they are aware of a few tuition considerations:
- Courses are billed per credit in the summer.
- The amount a course costs depends on what campus is teaching it and the student's residency status. They can use this website to calculate how much they can expect their class to cost. Please note: If a class is taught online but is offered through a physical campus, they will pay the rate for that specific campus. In the ENGL 15 example above, the student would pay the rate for the Abington campus even though the class is taught online.
- There are scholarships available for students taking summer classes. Encourage your student to apply here.
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Courses at Other Institutions
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Some students may choose to take courses at a different institution during the summer. It is important that students take courses that will transfer to Penn State so their time and effort is not wasted. They can utilize the Transfer Tool to help aid in their decision:
- After logging into LionPATH, students can select "Transfer Credit" in the menu on the right.
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- This will take them to a page that lists their current transfer credits if they have any. On the left, "Transfer Credit Tool" will take the student to the resource.
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- The transfer credit tool allows students to search classes two different ways: by specific college or by specific Penn State class. The student can select whichever option is most appropriate for them, and they will be able to guide their choices in taking courses outside of Penn State.
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Students can also get pre-approval to take a course if they do not see it in the tool. They can submit a syllabus for the class to preapproval@psu.edu and they will be notified if/how the class will transfer to Penn State.
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If you have questions about summer classes or have ideas for future publications of the Advising Essentials, let us know! Please reach out by calling 814-898-6164 or emailing askacpc@psu.edu.
Thank you,
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