The Basics

Please note that our offices have moved from the Tenley Campus to the fifth floor of 4200 Wisconsin Avenue, above the Greenberg Theater. Please contact Michael Sumner directly with any further questions at sumner@american.edu or 202-885-5962.

For the Spring 2012, all registration forms are due to the Office of Alumni Relations by 5 p.m. on January 20th. New registrations will no longer be accepted following those dates and times.

As a graduate of American University, you can audit one non-tutorial course per semester for the nominal fee of $100 (plus course fees). The Alumni Audit Program supports the Alumni Association Scholarship by donating $75 of your $100 registration fee to the scholarship's endowment. The scholarship is awarded every other year. For more information on the Alumni Association Scholarship, please contact Rebecca Vander Linde at 202-885-5968 or click on the link on the right hand side of the page.

Please refer to the steps below to guide you through the registration process. The registration form can be downloaded through the link on the right of this home page.

Check The Schedule

Please check the registrar's schedule of classes, linked on the right side of this page. A class must be listed as "Open" for an auditor to enroll in it.

Classes That Qualify

Institutes and seminars are NOT available for alumni audit, NOR are courses that require a special tuition rate or are taught at other institutions through the consortium. Online classes are not available for alumni audit. If you have a question about a course's availability, please contact the Alumni Programs office directly at 202-885-5962.

Department Approval

The following departments require alumni auditors to receive departmental approval (in the form of a signature or e-mail) before they can enroll in the class. Please contact the alumni programs office if you have any questions about this issue.

College of Arts and Sciences

-Anthropology (courses at the 500 level and above)

-Audio Technology (all courses)

-Art (all courses)

-Health and Fitness (all courses)
*Please note that there is a $150 course fee for all Health and Fitness classes.

-History (courses at the 500 level and above)

-Language and Foreign Studies (all courses)

-Literature (courses at the 400 level and above)

-Psychology (all courses)

Kogod School of Business

-All courses that require a prerequisite need departmental approval.

School of International Service

-All courses that require a prerequisite need departmental approval. Please note that SIS-633 and SIS-033 are not available for alumni auditors.

School of Communication

-All courses must be approved through Laura BonDurant at bonduran@american.edu.

-Click here for a list of Communication courses that cannot be audited.

-American University announces a new online graduate certificate in Digital Media Skills. For more information, contact Graduate Admissions at 202-885-2040. 

School of Public Affairs

-All courses must be approved through the respective department.

Check Your Status

Financial Record

Please call the Office of Student Accounts to make sure that you are in good financial standing with the university. Any outstanding balances must be paid before you can enroll in the alumni audit program.

Completing Your Registration

Download and Complete Registration Form

You can send in the completed form by fax, at 202-885-5964, by mail at the address below, or by scanning the form and e-mailing a copy to Michael Sumner at sumner@american.edu.

Enrollment Process

Once your form is received, the Alumni Programs office will double-check to make sure that you have graduated from the university, are in good financial standing, and that your preferred class is open. If all those conditions are met, a request will be sent to the Office of the Registrar to enroll you in the course.

Confirmation of Enrollment

While we hope to confirm all registrations as quickly as possible, please note that it can take up to three business days following the end of the add/drop period to verify all registrations. Please work with your professor during this time to stay up to date with any Blackboard postings. We appreciate your patience.

Academic Resources

Once you have received your confirmation e-mail, you will be able to sign into "Blackboard" to fully experience life as a student. If your class requires access to any particular software programs, please contact the IT Help Desk at helpdesk@american.edu for assistance in gaining access.

Mailing Address

American University
ATTN: Michael Sumner
4200 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
5th Floor Suite
Washington, D.C. 20016