When your teen takes dual enrollment college classes during high school, or programs such as ASU’s Universal Learner, it’s important to keep a copy of the course syllabus. A syllabus is the document that explains what is taught in the class, how it is graded, and what assignments or labs are included. We have had numerous parents report that this tip saved their teen from retaking a course! Here’s an easy way to do it.
Will a college ask to see the syllabus?
Probably not. But let’s be proactive. When a future college reviews your teen’s dual enrollment courses for transfer, they may have already evaluated the course (yeah) but if your student’s transcript is the first time they’ve reviewed the course (boo), they’ll have to do an evaluation to determine if it counts (gulp). By saving the syllabus, you’re standing by with evidence to help them do their job. This is ESPECIALLY CRITICAL when your student took the course a year or two before it needs to be used. If an old version of the course included a lab and the new version doesn’t, you need to be able to prove that your student took the version with the lab.
What will they be looking for?
- To Decide if the Course Matches Their Own Colleges want to make sure the course your teen took is similar to the course they offer. A syllabus shows what topics were covered, how many weeks the class lasted, what kind of assignments or labs were included, and how the student was graded.
- To Place the Course in the Right Category Some courses can count in different ways: as general education, as a major requirement, or as an elective. A syllabus helps the college decide where the credit should go.
- Because the School Policy Changed Sometimes, colleges change their transfer policies or lose access to older transfer agreements. Even if your teen’s course was previously approved, they might need to review it again with fresh eyes—and that requires a syllabus.
- Because There’s a Mistake or Confusion A college might notice something odd on a transcript—like missing course codes, unclear titles, or missing lab notations—and ask for a syllabus to clear things up.
The bottom line is that saving the syllabus is worth it because it’s simple to do and can serve you later.
How to Save the Syllabus
It’s smart to save every course syllabus in several places and formats so you don’t lose it. Technology can fail, emails can get deleted, and computers can crash so having backups really matters. Think of these like layers of protection if one copy goes missing, you’ll have several others ready to go. Saving in the cloud, on a device, and on a portable drive gives you peace of mind and helps make college credit transfer as smooth as possible.
Here’s how to do it 5 different ways:
Print a Hard Copy
Print the syllabus and put it in a binder with other school records. Paper copies are great when you need something fast and don’t want to search through files.
On Your Device
Save a digital copy of the syllabus on your computer or laptop. Create a folder called “Course Syllabi” and make a separate folder for each class.
In the Cloud
Upload a copy to a cloud service like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. This keeps it safe even if your computer breaks or gets lost. You can also share the folder with your teen, so you both have access.
On a Portable Drive
Use a USB flash drive or portable hard drive to store copies. This gives you a backup that works even if you don’t have internet access.
Email It to Yourself
Have your teen email you the syllabus, and save that email in a special folder in your inbox. It’s one more backup that’s easy to access later.
A True Story That Shows Why This Matters
Our Texas moderator, Andrea L., shared how this method helped her teen. Back in 2020, her son took an Astronomy course through Arizona State University. The college had approved the course for science credit with a lab. However, years later, as the teen was preparing to graduate, the advisor noticed that the class wasn’t marked correctly on the transcript. Even though the parent had the original approval email, the college still asked to see the syllabus again. Luckily, they had it saved and were able to send it quickly. Because they had saved everything, the teen didn’t have to retake the course before graduating.
