How to Continue Your Education by Auditing College Courses in Columbia, Missouri

Columbia's nickname, "College Town USA," is well-earned. Columbia is home not just to the University of Missouri but also to Columbia College's home campus and Stephens College. It's a great place to live for anyone interested in continuing education.

While many people have heard of auditing a course, most aren't sure what it entails. An auditor (or "hearer") attends and participates in a course for no credit or grade, though the audit is recorded on a transcript. The advantages of auditing a course vary institution-to-institution, but the audit model is essentially about enrichment; an auditor takes a course to either to update or broaden personal knowledge or skill set.

But how does one audit a course? It's not as simple as just showing up.

1) Apply and be admitted. All three campuses in Columbia offer course audit options to degree-seeking and non-degree seeking students alike, but all of them require that individuals go through the admissions process in order to be eligible.

2) Contact the academic department for permission to audit the course. Not every course is audit eligible, but in most cases even audit-eligible courses require department or instructor permission. Students at Stephens College are explicitly limited to lecture courses only. Columbia College is more flexible; its course audit policy notes that audit students are responsible for any applicable lab fees.

3) Pay for the course. The University of Missouri, Columbia College, and Stephens College all require auditors to pay the standard credit fees to audit courses with one exception: day students at Columbia College who pay flat-rate tuition rather than by credit hour may take up to six hours of audit courses per semester at no additional cost. Also, University of Missouri students should contact the Cashier's office for a full break-down.

4) Make sure you know your instructor's expectations. Auditing a course is not the same as attending it for course credit, but your instructor may expect auditors to maintain a minimum level of class participation (or, conversely, may wish to limit it). Just because an audit course doesn't confer a grade doesn't mean an instructor can't drop an auditor from a course for poor performance or attendance problems.

5) Buy necessary books or materials. Depending on instructor recommendations, an auditor may not need all of the typical course materials a grade-seeking student does. Still, even if you don't need the textbook, taking notes is always recommended.

6) It's okay to change your mind (but there may be a deadline). Sometimes, auditors decide they'd rather take a course for credit after all. Be sure to check with your academic advisor or the office of the Registrar for deadlines related to changing course status. If you're auditing at the University of Missouri, you may also want to check with the Cashiers office as well, just to make sure there won't be any new costs associated with changing status.