Transfer Credits

Readmitted students who intend to request transfer credit for work completed while away from Brown should plan to have the necessary departmental permission forms processed and submitted to the registrar no later than mid-semester. Official transcripts from the host institution should be mailed directly to the registrar.

Admission from Other Colleges

Only a limited number of transfer students can be accepted each year. A maximum of two years of study elsewhere is transferable. Students who wish to be considered as transfer candidates should write or call the Admission Office for additional information, application forms, and procedures.

NonBrown Summer Courses

Transfer credit for summer school courses is allowed in accordance with provisions established by the Faculty Rules and the Committee on Academic Standing. When such such credit is awarded, no tuition credit is associated with the transfer credit granted. The academic credit awarded may not be combined in any cumulative total of transfer credits for the purpose of determining advanced standing or tuition credit.

Credit Policies for the College

In order to receive a Brown undergraduate degree, students must enroll for a minimum of four semesters at Brown and pass a minimum of 15 courses at Brown. Transfer credit does not apply toward these minimum numbers. Students must also complete a concentration program; they should contact the appropriate department about the number of courses taken outside of Brown that may be applied toward fulfillment of the concentration requirement.

Only courses taken at a four-year accredited college or university are eligible for transfer credit. Courses in standard disciplines of the arts and sciences are eligible for transfer credit. Extension or correspondence courses are not transferable, nor are courses outside the realm of defined academic disciplines (nursing, radio electronics and/or broadcasting, or business administration, to name a few). In the case of incoming transfer students, courses will be evaluated by the Office of the Dean of the College for transfer credit. Should a student wish to reassign their initial credit placement for Pre-Brown transfer credit and/or apply these to concentration requirements, forms for this purpose can be obtained at the Office of the Reistrar. In the case of students desiring credit for work done elsewhere after matriculating at Brown, each course must be approved by a Brown faculty member in the same discipline as the course and the transfer credit application must be approved by the Committee on Academic Standing.

In a semester credit hour system, one Brown course is considered the equivalent of four semester hours. In a quarter credit hour system, one Brown course is considered the equivalent of six quarter hours. For that reason, the number of course transfer credits received from Brown for study at another institution may not be equal to the number of courses taken. For example, a student taking three four-semester-hour courses, all properly approved for Brown transfer credit, will receive the equivalent of three Brown course credits. However, a student taking three four-quarter-hour courses, all properly approved for Brown transfer credit, will receive the equivalent of two Brown course credits.

In order to be considered for transfer credit, courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. A "Pass'' or "Satisfactory'' grade is eligible for transfer credit only if the host institution's transcript specifies that such grades are equivalent to a grade of C or better. Before credit can be awarded, an official transcript must be received by Brown University from the host institution. If the study away happend outside the U.S., the transcript should be sent to the Office of the Registrar; if it happened inside the U.S., the transcript should be sent to the Office of the Dean of the College. This transcript will be retained by the University.

The Brown transcript will indicate the transfer credits received and the name of the host institution, as well as the approved course equivalencies and/or unassigned credits at Brown. Students applying to graduate and professional schools are often asked to provide official transcripts from all institutions at which they have been enrolled. In such cases, the student will need to request a copy of his/her transcript from the institution where the work was done to be sent to the other institution, as Brown will not furnish copies of another institution's official record..