Off Campus Courses (Non PAUSD)

• Credit/No Credit: Prior-approved off-campus courses will appear on your PAUSD transcript as Credit/No Credit (CR/NC)
   
• GPA Impact: These courses will NOT be included in your PAUSD GPA
   
• College Access to Grades: To have colleges see the actual grade, you must request a separate transcript from the outside school
   
• Transcript Submission: For courses approved to appear on your Gunn transcript, upload a copy of the transcript [here] and ensure an official transcript is sent directly to the Registrar, Mrs. Ofelia Smith (osmith@pausd.org)

• Off-campus courses must be from schools with regular WASC accreditation.
   
• Schools with supplemental (SEP) WASC accreditation are not accepted. These schools typically:
  • Do not issue a high school diploma
  • do not have UC-approved (UCOP) course lists
  • Do no issue official transcripts with grades and units

Courses may appear with a grade and count toward your GPA if:

• You are repeating a course for credit recovery (earned below a C- previously)
   
• It is a CCAP Dual Enrollment course offered through PAUSD (course number includes a "D" e.g. 4915D)
   
• It is a World Language course in a language not offered at Gunn

Before beginning an off-campus course, you must:

Check Accreditation

• Verify that the school/program is accredited (WASC or another recognized accrediting body).
   
• If applicable, ensure the course will be accepted by colleges to meet your personal goals.

Meet with Your School Counselor

• Discuss your four-year academic plan to confirm that the course aligns with your goals, graduation requirements, and workload.

Complete the Gunn Off-Campus Course Request Form

• Fill out the Gunn Off-Campus Request Form (for summer 2025-Spring 2026)

• Include your school Counselor's name and email on any required forms, even if the form requests a signature or contact info of an administrator or principal.
   
• Important: Gunn connot provide signatures for students prior to their start of 9th grade.
   
• Submit forms early to accommodate the outside institution's processing timeline.

• Upload a copy of the transcript [here] 
   
• Ensure the official transcript is sent directly to the Gunn Registrar (osmith@pausd.org)
   
• Course cannot be added to the PAUSD transcript if the institution cannot issue an official transcript.
   
• Students are responsible for ensuring that official transcripts from all completed courses are sent directly from the issuing school to any colleges or programs as part of the application process.

• Gunn cannot provide guidance or approval for courses taken before the first day of the 9th grade.
   
• 9th graders should consult their 8th grade Counselor for options and guidance

• All approvals must be obtained before the course begins.
   
• If the course is not approved within the appropriate timeline, it will not be included on the Gunn transcript.

Subject-Specific Guidelines

CTE / PE / VAPA

• All graduation requirements in PE, CTE and VAPA must be completed on campus.
• Once completed, students may take additional courses off-campus in these areas for elective credit only.

History / Social Science

• Economics must be taken on campus or during PAUSD summer school which is reserved for rising seniors. Seats are limited and PAUSD cannot guarantee placement—plan accordingly.
• Students may take off-campus electives in the social sciences. These courses will count as elective credits and will not count toward any social studies graduation requirement.
• There is no guarantee that Economics will be offered during Summer School. Each year the PAUSD reevaluates Summer School options.

Living Skills

• Must be taken on campus or during PAUSD summer school which is reserved for rising seniors. Seats are limited and PAUSD cannot guarantee placement—plan accordingly.
• There is no guarantee that Living Skills will be offered during Summer School. Each year the PAUSD reevaluates Summer School options.

Mathematics

• Entering 9th graders may choose to complete a math course off-campus that is part of the Math Sequence (Algebra 1 → Geometry → Algebra 2 → Precalculus → Calculus).
• By the first day of 9th grade (or the start of the new school year), students must submit their transcript for the completed math course HERE and provide an official copy to our Registrar, Mrs. Ofelia Smith (osmith@pausd.org).
• Summer courses, or any courses completed in a shortened timeframe, have not always led to strong outcomes for students in their subsequent math classes.
• If the transcript is from an accredited institution and shows a passing grade in a course within the math sequence, the student will be eligible to select the next course in the sequence.
• Note: Completion of an off-campus course does not guarantee seat availability in the next-level math class.

Science

• Gunn cannot approve any off-campus science courses until the graduation requirement is met: one year of Biology and one year of Physical Science (either Physics or Chemistry).

World Languages

• Students must complete Level II of a language on campus before off-campus language courses are approved.
• Exceptions exist for schools with an MOU with PAUSD (e.g., Beged Kefet/JCC for Hebrew, MVK Learning Center for Hindi).
• Students may take languages not offered at Gunn, but only at WASC-accredited institutions and with counselor pre-approval.

English & History/Social Science Off-Campus Courses:

• Off-campus courses in these subjects will not count toward the four-year graduation requirement, but students may take additional English or History/Social Science courses off-campus before completing all four years on campus.
• Students must choose courses that do not overlap with on-campus graduation curriculum.

General Notes:

• All off-campus courses count as elective credits only, unless a student is repeating a course (see exceptions below).
• A course can appear on your transcript only once. For example, if you take Psychology at a community college, you cannot take Psychology or AP Psychology at Gunn—in that case, you would choose a different Social Studies elective to meet the graduation requirement.

• It is possible to advance a level in Math or World Language; however, Gunn Counseling generally does not recommend this option.
   
• Shortened or condensed courses in any subject often do not provide enough time for students to fully master essential skills and concepts. Because these subjects build on prior knowledge, a strong foundation is critical for success in the next level.
   
• Many students who take this accelerated route find themselves struggling in the following year’s course.
   
• Start by speaking with your counselor about this option.

• Visit the Transcripts page for submission instructions.

• Students can earn a maximum of 80 credits per year. Each semester-long class in PAUSD counts as 5 credits, meaning that eight year-long courses equal 80 credits.
   
• The end of spring semester marks the close of the school year. Any credits earned during the summer count toward the next school year’s total.
   
• Students may be approved to take up to two courses off-campus during the summer. If these courses are added to the Gunn transcript, they may limit the number of classes a student can take during the following school year to stay within the 80-credit limit.
   
• College-level courses are measured in units. When placed on the Gunn transcript, the credits are calculated by doubling the number of units (e.g., a 4-unit college course equals 8 high school credits).
   
• Note: Students must be enrolled in at least five on-campus courses to remain enrolled in PAUSD.

• Up to 40 units of pre-approved off-campus coursework may be added.
• Non-approved courses cannot be added.

• Off-campus courses that transfer onto the PAUSD transcript appear as Credit/No Credit (Cr/NC) and do not affect your GPA. The grade earned will not appear on the transcript.
   
• See details above for exceptions.
   
• Dual Enrollment courses offered through PAUSD during the school year under the CCAP agreement receive a weighted grade, but not double credits. These courses are listed in the Gunn Course Catalog and do not require prior approval.
   
• Students are responsible for sending official transcripts from any off-campus institution directly to colleges when applying. Colleges expect a complete academic record, including all courses taken off-campus.

• You may retake a course only if you earned a D, F, NM, or NC the first time.
   
• Grades that impact GPA: Only D and F grades affect your GPA. To replace a D or F in the GPA calculation, the retaken course must have the exact same course name as the original course.
   
• Approval process: Follow the same process outlined above for obtaining prior approval to retake an off-campus course.
   
• Transcript: The original grade (D, F, NM, or NC) will remain on your transcript. After retaking the course, the new final grade will be included in your GPA, and credits will be awarded for the new grade only.

• Gunn counselors cannot assist with registration at other schools because each institution has its own process. Please contact the specific school directly with any questions.
   
• If you are retaking a course in which you earned a D, F, NM, or NC and need help identifying an appropriate replacement course, please reach out to your School Counselor.

• Priority Enrollment: Graduated students or middle college participants receive priority.
   
• Strict Prerequisites: Colleges enforce prerequisites; PAUSD can only verify transcripts.
   
• Unit Limits: High school students may be limited to 10 units per term.

• Students’ parents or guardians are responsible for all costs associated with off-campus courses.