General Study Programs

If you wish to take a course or courses and are not applying to a special non-degree program, you are considered a General Study Applicant. You’re also considered a General Study Applicant if you are a student visiting from another college or university, a prospective degree applicant, a working professional or if you are interested in personal development.

Our Summer 2025 application will be open Monday, March 3 through Friday, July 4. Applicants wishing to take Summer Session I courses should apply no later than Monday, May 26, 2025 in order to meet registration deadlines.

Please note: Our Fall 2025 application is currently open for specific groups only. If you submit a Fall 2025 application and are not a part of those programs, we will not be able to review it until the beginning of our Fall 2025 application review period on Monday, July 7, 2025.

Eligibility

The Office of Non-Degree Students makes credit-bearing courses available to those who are not degree candidates at GW and to students who have been admitted to the University for a future semester. Non-degree students can enroll for a maximum of 18 credits per semester at the undergraduate level, except in special circumstances as approved by the Director of the Office of Non-Degree Students. Special program credit limits can vary. A limited number of credits taken as a non-degree student can be applied toward a GW degree program, subject to determination by the school or college that offers the program. Some medical and law courses are available to non-degree students; additional information is available on the Law School and School of Medicine and Health Sciences websites.

Non-degree applicants must have appropriate academic preparation prior to enrollment. This includes course prerequisites, which are specified in course descriptions in this Bulletin. The University determines, on a case-by-case basis, whether an applicant who has been suspended or dismissed from any educational institution is eligible to enroll as a non-degree student. An applicant who has been denied admission to any GW school or college is not eligible to enroll as a non-degree student for the same semester for which the application was denied. The University reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to deny admission to any applicant if the University determines that admission is not in the best interest of either the applicant or the University. Application and registration information is available on the Office of Non-Degree Students website. Non-degree students are subject to enrollment, withdrawal, and refund policies stated on the Office of the Registrar and the Student Accounts Office websites.

Application Process

To learn more about the application process, please visit our application process page.