Transfer a Course

Transfer Criteria

• The course is taken at a regionally or nationally accredited institution
• The course is taught at a college (non-remedial) level
• The course is of a liberal arts (not vocational or technical) nature
• The course is taken on a letter-grade basis.
• The student earns a grade of “C” or better. Please note that grades of C-minus do not transfer.
• Allegheny receives an official transcript from the other institution verifying that the course has been successfully completed.
• Accepting the transfer credit does not violate the College “residency” requirements that: a) no more than 64 credits towards the minimum number required for graduation may be transfer credits; and b) the last 16 credits towards graduation must be taken “in residence” (i.e., students must register for their final 16 credits through Allegheny).
• If taken prior to summer, 2014: the course must have been taught in a classroom setting, not on-line.

Students planning to take coursework elsewhere are strongly urged to have the courses pre-approved to ensure they meet the criteria for transfer. Please be aware that students may not take courses at Allegheny and at another institution during the same term. See the Concurrent Enrollment Policy in the course catalog. More information about course transfer is available in Allegheny’s complete Transfer Policy.

Please note that Allegheny transfers in the number of credits awarded by the other institution. Thus, a course worth three semester credit hours taken elsewhere will transfer in as three credits, even if a seemingly similar course at Allegheny is a four-credit course. Students using transfer credit to satisfy distribution requirements should pay close attention to this. For example, the Natural Science distribution requirement specifies eight credits of science, not two courses. For institutions that do not use semester credit hours (e.g., colleges on the quarter system), the institutional credits are converted to the equivalent number of semester credit hours.

Once the course has been completed, please arrange with the institution where the course was taken to have an official transcript sent to: Office of the Registrar, Box 41, Allegheny College, 520 N Main St, Meadville, PA 16335. Transfer credit will not be processed until we receive an official transcript showing that the course has been successfully completed with a grade of C or better.

Transfer Pre-Approval

Current students are strongly advised to obtain pre-approval of any courses they plan to take at other institutions for transfer to Allegheny. To have the course evaluated for pre-approval, please submit a completed Transfer Credit Approval Form to the Registrar’s Office before registering for the class. Note that you will need to obtain the signature of your advisor and of the appropriate department Chairperson on the form – the Chair will need at least a course description from the other institution in order to determine the Allegheny equivalent. The course must also meet all of the requirements described in Allegheny’s criteria for transfer. Please be aware that students may not take courses at Allegheny and at another institution during the same term (see the Concurrent Enrollment Policy).

Once you have completed the course, arrange with the institution where the course was taken to have an official transcript sent to: Office of the Registrar, Box 41, Allegheny College, 520 N Main St, Meadville, PA 16335. Please note that you must achieve at least a “C” in the course; courses with grades of C-minus and below are not eligible for transfer.

Understanding Transfer Credit on Your Transcript

If transfer credit is equated to an exact Allegheny equivalent, it will appear on your transcript as such. e.g., MATH 151 or MATH 152. That course will count in all the ways that MATH 151 or 152 counts if taken on campus.

If transfer credit is not equated to an exact Allegheny equivalent, it will appear on your transcript as one of the following. These course numbers and descriptions will start to appear as of Fall 2018.

Prior to Fall 2018, transfer credit will appear as follows:

If you have AP credit, it will appear as follows:

Please consult your advisor or the Office of the Registrar if you have questions about transfer credit equivalents.

Releasing Transcripts Sent to the College

Allegheny College cannot provide copies of official or unofficial transcripts to students or to other third parties. This includes all forms of transfer credit, including credit by examination, college in high school courses, study away, summer courses, etc. Transcripts are provided to Allegheny College at the request of a student with the understanding that they will not be shared with anyone other than the intended recipient. Any transcript is a static version of a dynamic document and may have changed since the transcript was issued. Students who need copies of their transcripts to share with graduate schools, employers, fellowship providers, or for any other purposes, must request those transcripts from the school of origin.