A student who wishes to satisfy an Elliott School requirement with a course that has not been pre-approved for the Elliott School curriculum (e.g., a "special topics" course or a course taken at another institution, study abroad) must submit a Course Substitution Request.

Steps to complete a Course Substitution Request (CSR):

1. Determine if a CSR is needed by reviewing the list of approved courses for the requirement in the Bulletin. If the course already falls under the designated requirement in the bulletin, this means the course is already approved and no CSR is needed.  If the course is not listed, then continue with the process. 
   1. Degree requirements and approved course lists for students who started at GW before Fall 2024 (select the Bulletin year you started at GW from archives)
   2. Degree requirements and approved course lists for students who started at GW Fall 2024 or future
2. While in the bulletin, please review the descriptions for the requirement you hope to fulfill with the requested course; consider the content of the course, and whether it truly aligns with the spirit of the requirement. You can consult your academic advisor at this stage as well (or any point in the process).
3. Submit all required materials for the CSR via this online form:
   1. Demographic info (name, GWID, email, etc)
   2. Location course was taken (University (can be GW), study abroad program, etc)
   3. Semester and year course was taken (e.g. Fall 2022)
   4. The GW subject, number and title of course (if transfer course, the GW equivalent, e.g. PSC 2099)
   5. If transfer credit or study abroad course, then list the subject, number and title of the course as listed at that institution
   6. From drop-down, select the Elliott School requirement
   7. Provide a brief explanation as to why you think the course should count
   8. Attach the course syllabus (this must be included for the request to be reviewed)
      
      

Please note the following as you submit your request:

• Regularly offered GW classes have already been reviewed for Elliott School degree requirements and are highly unlikely to be approved. If a GW course, only submit if it may be a new course or a new Special Topics course.
• You must include the course syllabus. If the syllabus is not written in English, a partial translation - including the course description and weekly topics - must be included. If a syllabus is not available, an official course description may be submitted, but sometimes these are not detailed enough for the review.
• If you are submitting a study abroad course, please list the GW course equivalent (e.g., PSC 2099: Diplomacy) you have obtained from the Study Abroad course approval process. You must complete the study abroad course approval process (CATS) first before submitting your Course Substitution Request.
• The University Writing Program reviews all requests relating to UW 1020 and Writing in the Disciplines (WID) courses. Relevant requests must be submitted to the University Writing Program directly.
  
  

Review and Communication of Decision

• CSRs are reviewed by a committee of Elliott School staff and faculty.
• CSRs may take up to ten business days (which excludes weekends and university holidays) to review and process. While every attempt is made to meet that timeframe, requests submitted during busy times of the semester or that require consultation with other offices (academic departments, course instructors, etc.) may take longer. 
• Students are notified about decisions via email by their academic advisor.
• Students should not assume that course substitution requests will be approved. Until a student receives written confirmation that a substitution has been approved, the student should continue to explore or pursue alternative options. Students must have a back-up plan in case the substitution is denied, and this is particularly true for seniors.