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Transfer Credit

External Credit Evaluation

The Office of the University Registrar's External Credit Evaluation section determines the amount of transfer and advanced placement credit an undergraduate can apply toward graduation requirements.

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How to Transfer Credit from Another Institution

Undergraduates who want to take courses at another college or university and apply those courses toward their Stanford degree should follow the Stanford University transfer credit policy which states that academic work completed at another institution can be considered for credit if it meets the following conditions:

  • it is completed at an accredited institution
  • it is substantially similar to Stanford courses
  • it is completed with a grade of C- or better
  • it does not duplicate, overlap, or regress previous work
  • the university or college offering the courses allows these courses to be used for credit towards its own undergraduate degree

Pre-Approval: If you would like pre-approval for future transfer credit, please do the following:

  1. Obtain course descriptions and/or syllabi for classes you would like to take.
  2. Look through the Stanford Bulletin and match up the transfer classes to Stanford classes.
  3. Complete a Request for Transfer Credit Evaluation Form .
  4. Submit the transfer course descriptions or syllabi and your completed Request for Transfer Credit Evaluation Form to the staff at the Registrar's Office Service Windows at 630 Serra Street, Suite 120.

A transfer credit evaluator will determine which classes are transferable, and will contact you if your assistance is required with the transfer credit evaluation process. If you have already completed the work and did not obtain pre-approval, you may still petition for credit. However, there is no guarantee that the credit will transfer.

Work that has already been completed: to petition to transfer course work already completed, please do the following (for continuing students only):

  1. Request that an official transcript from the transfer school be mailed directly to: Office of the University Registrar, 630 Serra Street, Suite 120, Stanford, CA 94305-6032, Attn: External Credit Evaluation.
  2. Print and complete the Request for Transfer Credit Evaluation Form.
  3. Return your petition to the staff at the Registrar's Office Service Windows at 630 Serra Street, Suite 120. A transfer credit evaluator will contact you if your assistance is required with the transfer credit evaluation process.

The transfer credit will appear on both your Stanford unofficial and official transcripts within four weeks after the Office of the University Registrar has received both your petition and your transfer school's official transcript. Transfer credit may be removed from your record if subsequent Stanford course work duplicates transfer credit course content.

Freshmen and new Transfer Students: new transfer students are not required to complete a Request for Transfer Credit Evaluation Form for transfer work done prior to matriculation at Stanford. However, freshmen are required to complete a Request for Transfer Credit Evaluation Form. Transfer credit for freshmen will appear on the record on a rolling basis. Transfer credit for new transfer students will appear on the record by the beginning of Autumn Quarter of their first year at Stanford.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Transfer Credit:

Q: I am an incoming freshman. What should I do to get my transfer credit evaluated at Stanford?
A: Transfer credit is not evaluated and processed until you have enrolled in classes and instruction has begun. We recommend that you confer with your academic advisor before you apply for transfer credit. Submit your transfer credit application after you have talked to your advisor and enrolled in classes. Note that applications received prior to the beginning of Autumn Quarter will not be processed until the quarter has begun; it can take a few weeks for this processing to be completed given the large number of requests.
Q: How will the work appear on my Stanford transcript?
A: Only the name of the institution, and the units will appear. For example: UCLA, 10.0 units. Courses and grades from the other school do not appear on the Stanford transcript. However, if you apply to graduate schools or for scholarships, those organizations will want you to produce a copy of the transcript from the other school.
Q: Can I meet General Education Requirements (or the old Distribution Requirements) through transfer work?
A: Yes, but the course must match a specific Stanford course that fulfills the same requirement and must be a minimum of three quarter units. For GERs, the course must be taken for a letter grade.
Q: Can I meet major requirements through transfer work?
A: Yes, but you must also check with your major department for approval. The transfer work must be accepted into the University through the External Credit Evaluation section of the Office of the University Registrar in order to be considered by your department.
Q: How do units from the semester system transfer?
A: There is a conversion rate for each semester school. We usually multiply the semester units by 1.4 or 1.5 to get quarter units.
Q: What is the maximum number of units that can be transferred in?
A: 45 quarter units for freshmen who matriculated at Stanford in Autumn Quarter 2001-02 and thereafter.
Q: What is the minimum grade required in order for work to transfer?
A: Students must receive at least a C- in transfer course work in order for it to transfer back to Stanford.
Q: Are extension, online, and correspondence courses transferable?
A: Only if the university or college offering the courses allows credit toward its own bachelor's degree. Students are limited to a maximum of 45 quarter units for extension courses, a maximum of 15 quarter units for correspondence and online study, and a maximum of 45 quarter units for the combination of extension and correspondence or online courses. The courses must meet the other requirements for transfer credit.
Q: Can I take transfer courses for a pass/fail grade?
A: Yes, but only if a pass at the other school represents a C- or higher and you do not exceed the 36-unit maximum for classes taken pass/fail (27-unit maximum for transfer students). However, courses taken for a GER must be taken for a letter grade.
Q: Can I get a copy of my transfer transcript from the External Credit Evaluation section of the Office of the University Registrar?
A: The External Credit Evaluation section cannot release a copy of your transfer transcript to you or to any outside agency. You will need to get a copy directly from the transfer school.
Q: Can my department have a copy of my transfer transcript?
A: Yes, please submit a Student Service Center Help Ticket. Provide your name, ID number, name of the transfer school(s), and the name of your department. If the work has not yet been transferred, you must wait until it appears on your record before notifying the External Credit Evaluation section.
Q: Can I retake a class at another school to improve the grade on my Stanford transcript?
A: No, the retake policy applies only to classes retaken at Stanford.
Q: Can I transfer course work completed at a foreign institution back to Stanford?
A: Foreign work is subject to the same requirements as domestic college work. It is best to obtain pre-approval from a transfer credit evaluator before completing the work because foreign work usually requires the approval of faculty members in addition to the approval of a transfer credit evaluator. Stanford Overseas Programs are not considered transfer work; course work at Stanford Overseas Programs appears automatically on your Stanford transcript.
Q: Where do I have my transfer official transcript sent?
A: Office of the University Registrar, 630 Serra Street, Suite 120, Stanford, CA 94305-6032, Attn: External Credit Evaluation.
Q: How will I know that my transfer credit has been approved by the transfer credit office?
A: The work will appear on both your Stanford unofficial and official transcripts within four weeks after the receipt of your transfer credit petition and transfer school's official transcript.
Q: Are the grades from transfer work calculated into my GPA?
A: Grades from other colleges and universities are not included in the GPA and will not appear on Stanford transcripts. Only the grades for courses taken at Stanford are included in your GPA.

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