Auditing Guidelines By School

Please see below for lists of ineligible/eligible courses by school. All courses require professor and/or department approval.

Instructor names can be found by expanding the “View Available Sections” tab on the desired course in the schedule of classes, and instructor contact information can be found using the university directory. If no instructor name is listed, department approval will also be accepted. Contact information for academic departments can be found using the university directory.

Applications submitted without instructor or department approval will be denied.

The following courses are not eligible for the audit program:

  • Seminars, workshops, boot camps, internships, or independent studies
  • Courses that require a special tuition rate or are taught at other institutions through the consortium
  • Course sections with a restriction listed under “Additional Information”
  • Courses facilitated by a third-party vendor

Any questions about course eligibility should be emailed to the appropriate school or department.

Instructor or department approval is required of all courses selected from the schedule of classes, including back-up courses, and must be received as an attachment to your application. If an instructor or department will not give approval, applicants are encouraged to pick another course. Applications submitted without prior instructor or department approval will be denied.

We encourage audit applicants to use and edit the email template provided below when requesting professor or department approval for a course.

SUBJECT: Permission to Audit [Course Name]

Hello Professor [last name],

My name is [your name] and I am writing to seek permission to audit your class, [Class Code – Class Name], for the [fall/summer/spring] semester through AU's Audit Program. The program requires audit participants to receive permission from professors via email before applying.

I am currently [current job/goals/schooling]. I am looking to [what you hope to gain from auditing the course] and would appreciate the opportunity to audit your course this semester.

I am happy to discuss expectations around my participation in your course and to answer any questions you may have about my experience or interest. If you have questions about the audit program itself, you can email alumniaudit@american.edu.

Thank you,

[your name]

All courses require professor or departmental approval.

The following course sections are not eligible to audit for spring 2024:

  • ALL online courses in Health Studies and Economics
  • ALL Capstone Experience Courses
  • AMST-400 Interpreting American Culture
  • AMGT-680 Cultural Policy and the Arts
  • AMGT-696 Selected Topics: Non-Recurring
  • AMGT-794 Lit Review & Proposal Writing
  • AMGT-795 Research and Writing
  • ANTH-421/621 Health Geographies
  • ANTH-422/622 Neoliberal Globalization & Health
  • ANTH-423/623 Militarization and Health
  • ANTH-424/624 Science, Technology and Health
  • ANTH-425/625 Health, Care, and Social Movements
  • ARTH-205 Renaissance Perspectives
  • ARTH-225 Buddhist Arts of Asia
  • ARTH-256 Mediterranean Art History
  • ARTH-256 Mediterranean Art History
  • ARTH-257 Spanish & European Art History
  • CAS-301 The SEA Semester Experience
  • ENVS-324-003 Environmental Health
  • HIST-085/485/685 Hiroshima, Nagasaki & Beyond
  • HIST-399 Conversations in History
  • HIST-468/668 Topics in Public History – Museums Inside Out
  • HIST-751 Graduate Research Seminar
  • HLTH-245 Multicultural Health
  • HLTH-366 Spanish for Public Health
  • ISCI-196 Selected Topics: Non-Recurring
  • ISCI-450/650 AU I-CORPS Venture Develop
  • MATH-125 The Math Workshop
  • MATH-170 Precalculus Mathematics
  • PERF-065/165 Musical Theatre Production 
  • PERF-066/166 Musical Theatre Role Development 
  • PHIL-120 Do the Right Thing
  • PHIL-200 Introduction to Formal Logic
  • PHIL-220 Moral Philosophy
  • PHYS-230 Changing Views of Universe
  • PSYC-115/116 Psychology as Natural Science
  • SOCY-210 Power, Privilege, & Inequality
  • STAT-202 Basic Statistics
  • STAT-320 Biostatistics
  • STAT-415 Regression
  • WGSS-350 Interpreting Gender in Culture
  • WRT-025 STEP Pre-College Writing Seminar
  • WRT-100/101 College Writing
  • Any 488 World Language Course (FREN 488, GERM 488, etc.)
  • Any capstone or thesis experience courses
  • Any course sections listed as "Open only to students in the International Accelerator Program"
  • Any courses with a "CAS" or "MUS" course prefix including CAS-124
  • Courses listed with "Restriction: Applied Economics Online(MA)," "Restriction: Nutrition Education (MS)," "Restriction: Data Science Online (MS)" or “Restriction: Health Promotion Mgmt (MS)” including but not limited to:
    • ECON-600
    • ECON-601-001/003
    • ECON-605-001/003
    • ECON-623-001/003
    • ECON-624
    • ECON-632
    • ECON-642
    • ECON-661
    • ECON-673
    • ECON-680
    • HLTH-525
    • HLTH-530
    • HLTH-570
    • HLTH-610
    • HLTH-615
    • HLTH-625
    • HLTH-630
    • HLTH-640
    • HLTH-641
    • HLTH-645
    • HLTH-650
    • HLTH-651
    • HLTH-655
    • HLTH-683
    • HLTH-696

All courses require department or professor approval.

The following courses are not eligible to audit for spring 2024:

  • FIN-060 - Introduction to Finance
  • KSB-100 - Business 1.0
  • MGMT-458 - Strategic Management
  • Sections restricted to the Kogod Honors Program
  • Courses restricted to the Full-time MBA program and the MS in Marketing program
  • Online MBA course
  • Online MSAn courses
  • Online MSIRB courses
  • Online MS Accounting courses
  • Online courses offered through 2IR, 2U, or Deltek

All courses require department or professor approval.

Only the following courses are eligible to audit for spring 2024:

  • COMM 200: Writing for Communication

  • COMM 260: Quantitative Methods for Journalists

  • COMM 401: Communication Law

  • COMM 409: Journalism Ethics

  • COMM 420-009: Pop Culture and Communication

  • COMM 544: Foreign Correspondence

  • COMM 560: Backpack Documentary

  • COMM 678: Advanced Portfolio: Large Format Photography

Courses in the School of Education are eligible for audit at the professor or department’s discretion. Please obtain professor or department approval prior to submitting the application. 

All undergraduate courses require approval from the professor and from Saul Newman, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. Email him first for approval at snewman@american.edu. If he approves, you will then need to request approval from the professor. Please note for spring 2024: approval may not come until at least the week before classes begin.

All graduate courses require approval from the department chair. If the department chair approves, you will then need to request approval from the professor.

The following courses are not eligible to audit for Spring 2024:

  • GOVT-391
  • JLC-491
  • All classes in the MPAP, MSCTHS, and Key Executive MPA as well as independent studies and internship classes as well as Master’s level independent studies and internship classes.
  • All SAMI classes (SPA 085 and SPA 685)
  • PUAD-610 Public Administration Capstone
  • PUAD-688 Policy Practicum
  • All doctoral-level classes
  • All Online MPP classes including: 
    • PUAD-612 Introduction to Public Administration & the Policy Process
    • PUAD-626 Legal Issues in Public Administration
    • PUAD-606 Foundations of Policy Analysis 
    • PUAD-630 Public Managerial Economics 
    • PUAD-633 Budgeting and Financial Management
    • PUAD-660 Quantitative Methods
    • PUAD-661 Foundations of Program Evaluation
    • PUAD-684 Organizational Analysis 
    • PUAD-665 Managing Human Capital Assets
    • PUAD-650 Leadership in a Changing Workplace
    • PUAD-617 Project Management
    • PUAD-688 Policy Practicum

All courses require professor or departmental approval.

The following courses are not eligible to audit for spring 2024:

  • Online courses restricted to the MA International Relations program and Master of International Services Online program
  • SISG Online Courses
  • SISU-050 SIS Mentorship
  • SISU-105 World Politics
  • SISU-205 Intercultural Communication
  • SISU-206 Intro to Int'l Studies Rsrch
  • SISU-210 Peace, Global Sec & Conflt Res
  • SISU-220 Int'l Political Economy
  • SISU-230 Analysis of US Foreign Policy
  • SISU-240 International Development
  • SISU-250 Env Sustainblty/Global Health
  • SISU-260 Identity, Race, Gender & Culture
  • SISU-270 Justice, Ethics, and Human Rights in International Affairs
  • SISU-280 International Organizations
  • SISU-306 Advanced International Studies Research
  • SISU-419 Senior Capstone in International Relations
  • SIS-033 Topics in Int'l Communication
  • SIS-633 Sel Topics in Int'l Comm
  • SIS-653 Topics in U.S. Foreign Policy
  • SIS 793 Practicum in International Affairs