The College of Letters & Science recognizes that in some circumstances, courses offered by other institutions of higher learning (e.g., Madison Area Technical College, Edgewood College, etc.) can complement the course of study offered by UW-Madison. Effective January 1, 2023, current L&S students may enroll in a class or classes at another institution while being enrolled at UW-Madison without special permission, subject to the credit limits described below.   Upon completion of the non-UW-Madison courses, students should submit their transcripts to the Admissions Office for evaluation.

Transferable credit will be posted to the UW-Madison transcript and credits that do not exceed L&S limits can count for L&S degree credit. Students can take up to 20 credits in total during the fall and spring terms which includes coursework from both UW-Madison and another institution. For the summer session, the maximum credit load is 13 credits.  Courses taken during the winter break are limited to four credits.

Concurrent Enrollment at UW-Extension/UW Independent Learning

Students taking courses through the UW-Extension/UW Independent Learning program can qualify for UW Extension Independent Learning Tuition Waiver by meeting the following requirements:

1. The course must be completed during a UW-Madison term (Fall, Spring, or Summer).
2. The student must be in the “tuition plateau” at UW-Madison by being registered for between 12 and 18 credits in the fall or spring term or between 7 and 9 credits in the summer term.
3. Students MUST submit a request for a UW Extension Independent Learning tuition waiver no later than the end of the fourth (4th) week of the fall and spring terms.

When approved, the tuition waiver covers the portion of UW-Extension/UW Independent Learning tuition that fits within the student’s tuition plateau.  Students must always pay the administrative fee required by the UW-Extension.  (For example, when a student is registered for 12 credits at UW and is approved for a 4 credit course at UWIL, the waiver would cover all of UWIL tuition because 12+4=16 which is within the tuition plateau. When a student is registered for 16 credits at UW and is approved for a 4 credit course, the waiver would cover half of UWIL tuition because 16+4=20 which is not within the tuition plateau.  The student would be responsible for paying for the additional credits).

General questions about taking courses through Independent Learning can be directed to il@uwex.edu.

Concurrent Enrollment While Studying Abroad through International Academic Programs (IAP) 

If students are studying abroad through International Academic Programs (IAP) they will need to contact IAP to see if it is possible to be concurrently enrolled.  Please note that if a student is approved to be concurrently enrolled by IAP, the student will not be eligible for a tuition waiver. Please contact IAP if you have additional questions.