Where to take undergrad prerequisites for PhD program?

June 14, 2017 8:15 PM

I graduated from college over 10 years ago. Now I want to start a PhD, but I need to take two prerequisites I missed out on in undergrad. How do I go about this? Do I have to apply as an undergrad to take these two classes? I feel like this is something I should know as a college graduate, but I am clueless as to how to make this happen. I live in a large metro area with lots of colleges--how do I take classes at one of them?
posted by sunrisecoffee to Education (10 answers total)

I would apply as an Open Studies student.
posted by saturdaymornings at 8:21 PM on June 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'd talk to an advisor at whatever your preferred place to take these classes would be, to make sure the credits will transfer/apply easily without any hassle.
posted by padraigin at 8:23 PM on June 14, 2017

Who told you you're missing these classes? In our graduate program, we sometime will admit (primarily masters) students with deficiencies and just let them take the 400-level course as a graduate student. So, you might talk to a graduate advisor or a professor involved in a graduate program you're thinking about.

Other options are to take classes at some convenient university as a non-degree seeking student; the admissions office at the university will help you figure out the process if you give them a call.
posted by leahwrenn at 8:30 PM on June 14, 2017 [5 favorites]

I'd talk to an advisor at whatever your preferred place to take these classes would be, to make sure the credits will transfer/apply easily without any hassle.

This is correct; you wouldn't want to get everything hung up on a technicality.

Assuming that the credits will transfer, many colleges and universities will allow you to sign up for classes under some kind of open enrollment or non-matriculating status (meaning that you take the class, but you aren't progressing towards a degree). Costs will likely be much lower at your local public institution, and lower again at a community college if the courses you need are offered there.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:31 PM on June 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

I did this - find a local state school and sign up for those two classes. Just make sure that the courses there fulfill the requirements.

It's better too because there will be older students in your class, which will be less awkward.
posted by Toddles at 8:32 PM on June 14, 2017

At the institution where I work, you apply to take classes as a non-degree student, which is someone who is enrolled as an undergraduate but is not seeking a degree. There's information on applying as a non-degree student on the admissions website. I'm taking classes as a non-degree student, and when I applied, I was asked to provide transcripts from my undergrad and grad schools but not SAT or ACT scores or recommendations. You typically pay by the credit hour. The only drawback is that non-degrees get the dead last registration dates, so it's a bit of a crapshoot if you can get what you want. I've always been able to get the classes I wanted, but sometimes I've had to get on registration waitlists and wait for other people to drop before the semester started. Your institution may vary.

Make sure you're in touch with your PhD program to double-check whether the classes you take will transfer. They should be able to tell you that.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 8:33 PM on June 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

I used to do this as a continuing education student at a local college. Continuing ed often has evening classes every semester including summer.
posted by bendy at 8:35 PM on June 14, 2017

I did this by applying to my local state school as a post-baccalaureate student; I had to go through the application/application fees/submitting transcripts/etc, but I got the impression that the admissions standards were pretty low for folks in my situation.

FWIW I got in to my PhD program of choice after this, despite taking the classes at a pretty lackluster state school. Good luck!
posted by ltisz at 10:27 PM on June 14, 2017

Just wanted to chime in that even the very top tier of PhD programs, in my experience, can be flexible about specific pre-req classes provided they are convinced the student overall is a good fit. I'd definitely suggest double-checking with the graduate programs that you're interested to make sure that these missing classes are genuinely a problem for them.
posted by kickingtheground at 11:32 PM on June 14, 2017 [5 favorites]

If you live near your alma mater, you may be able to re-enroll in the academic unit (e.g., College of Arts and Sciences) from which you graduated, instead of the Continuing Education department. I did this after I graduated. Not sure how much of a difference it really makes. Maybe less paperwork?

I would also check with the Ph.D program to see if you could take the classes at that university during your first semester, as others have suggested. Unless they're so fundamental to the program that admission is contingent on them (e.g., it's a Physics program and you've never taken Physics 101), I don't see why that would be a problem. It's fairly common.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:47 AM on June 15, 2017