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Student-at-Large Information

Individuals who have not formally matriculated to a Rush University degree or certificate program, but who wish to enroll in a course, may do so by completing the Student-at-Large application.

Please note: Completing the Student-at-Large application does not guarantee admission as a Student-at-Large, or SAL. Each college maintains requirements regarding acceptance, which can be found below. Additionally, the University policy regarding SAL should be reviewed before applying.

Application Information

Each College determines the availability of its SAL application.

The College of Nursing SAL Application for Fall 2023 is closed. The application for Spring 2024 will open on Tuesday, September 5 and will be open through Monday, November 13. To apply, click here.

The College of Health Sciences SAL Application is open for Fall 2023 through Sunday, August 20. The application will be open for Spring 2024 from late September through Sunday, December 17. To apply, click here.

The Graduate College SAL Application is currently open. The deadline to apply for Fall 2023 is Friday, August 18. The deadline to apply for Spring 2024 is Friday, December 8. To apply, click here.

Admission Decisions

Each college determines which SAL applicants are accepted and denied. College of Health Sciences and Graduate College decisions occur on a rolling basis, while College of Nursing decisions occur en masse shortly after their application window closes. Representatives from each college will contact their applicants directly to communicate a decision.

Method of Payment

If admitted and enrolled as an SAL, payment is due to the Office of Student Financial Affairs via the University Portal by the end of the first week of classes.

Rush employees seeking to use internal Educational Assistance Benefit (EAB) funds, formerly known as LEAP, should complete all necessary paperwork with Human Resources by their deadline. Please note, this deadline may fall before your application to be a Student-at-Large is approved. For more information, please visit the Employee Service Center.

University SAL Policy

A summary of the University SAL policy can be found below. For more detailed information, please review the Academic Policies section of the Catalog.

  • Rush Medical College courses are not available to SALs.
  • Clinical courses are not available to SALs.
  • SALs are responsible for being academically prepared for requested courses.
  • Current degree- and certificate-seeking students have enrollment priority over SALs.
    • SALs may be removed from courses if degree- and certificate-seeking students need to enroll in them. Refunds will be issued if payment has already occurred.
  • Students may accumulate up to 12 credit hours as SALs; college deans/associate deans must authorize the accumulation of additional hours.
  • Credit earned as an SAL will not necessarily apply toward a Rush degree or certificate program if the student is subsequently admitted to a program.
College of Health Sciences SAL Policies and Course Offerings

The list of the available courses for Fall 2023 is below. The list of available courses for Spring 2024 will be available on the application when it launches in late September.

Fall 2023 Available Courses:

  • CLM-501: Evidence Based Research and Applied Statistics
  • CLM-502: Quality Systems and Regulatory Issues
  • CLM-508: Health Care Informatics
  • CLM-513: Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Care
  • HSC-368: Genetics
  • HSC-372: Medical Terminology
  • HSC-454: Principles of Biochemistry
  • IPE-502: Interprofessional Patient Centered Teams
  • IS-310: Sectional Anatomy and Pathology
  • IS-337: Computed Tomography Physics
  • IS-453: Computed Tomography Positioning and Protocols

To apply, click here. 

Questions? Please contact us at CHS_admissions@rush.edu

College of Nursing SAL Policies and Course Offerings

The College of Nursing maintains the following policies in addition to those of the University:

  • Nursing SALs must have a current RN license.
  • For students planning to apply to a Nursing degree or certificate program after completion of SAL credits:
    • Students taking courses under Rush student-at-large status will neither be admitted nor allowed to matriculate as an enrolled student if their Rush GPA is below 3.0.
    • A grade of B or better must be earned in any course taken at another institution or as a Rush student-at-large in order for it to be considered for transfer.
    • Due to the sequencing of courses, taking courses as a SAL may not shorten the length of time it takes to complete a program.
      • The college recommends discussing such plans with the appropriate Program Coordinator prior to SAL application/enrollment.

The following College of Nursing courses are available to Students-at-Large every term:

  • NSG 521: Antiracism in Organizational Leadership (pre/co-req NSG 523)
  • NSG 522: Applied Epidemiology & Biostatistics for Nursing Practice (no pre-req)
  • NSG 523: Research for Evidence-Based Practice (pre/co-req NSG 522)
  • NSG 524: Health Promotion in Individuals & Clinical Populations (pre-req NSG 522)
  • NSG 532: Advanced Physiology (no pre-req)
  • NSG 533: Advanced Pathophysiology (pre-req NSG 532)

All classes are offered online. Occasionally, a course may be available on-campus; the application will denote such offerings. 

To apply, click here. 

Questions? Please contact Machelle McInerney, Department Manager, at Machelle_McInerney@rush.edu or (312) 942-0785.

The Graduate College SAL Policies and Course Offerings
The deadline to apply to The Graduate College for Fall 2023 is August 18, 2023. The deadline to apply for Spring 2024 is December 8, 2023. Please click here to apply.