Sarah Lawrence College

Student Handbook

Transfer Credits

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Requests for previously completed transfer credit, including college courses, advanced placement (AP), international baccalaureate (IB), advanced-level (A-level), and similar examinations, should be made prior to the beginning of the senior year. See the various types of transfer credits below.

Students may request transfer credit for courses taken at other institutions if the following conditions are met:

  1. Course(s) must have been taken at an accredited United States college or university, or at an international university of comparable accreditation. Courses completed at nonaccredited institutions require direct review by the College faculty in a process initiated through the Registrar’s Office.
  2. Students who have already attained junior standing (60 credits completed) may not transfer credits from two-year/community colleges.
  3. Online courses are considered for transfer only if the criteria specified below is followed.
  4. The grade must be C or above (C- is not accepted).

Students should discuss proposed courses with their dons and must complete the Transfer Credit form available on MySLC to ensure transferability of credit. Courses that meet the above conditions are evaluated in terms of content. In order to receive credit, courses generally must be in disciplines offered at Sarah Lawrence and must not duplicate, overlap, or regress to previous work for which the student has received credit. Courses that are not normally creditable include subject areas of business, health education, speech, and courses of a technical nature. Preprofessional courses and vocational courses are also not eligible for transfer.

Pass/fail courses are not accepted for transfer unless pass is defined by the college/university as equivalent to C or higher. If not institutionally defined as C or better, a letter from the instructor that the student’s final grade was equivalent to C or higher is accepted. Students should first consult the registrar to determine whether or not credit for the course or courses is transferable to the College. View the Transfer Credit form on MySLC to submit a request with course details.

Students may earn a maximum of eight credits in one summer semester, or 10 credits if the summer session is 10 weeks or longer. The maximum number of summer credits (including Sarah Lawrence) allotted is 16. Courses taken at other acceptable institutions during the intersession between fall and spring are eligible for a maximum of two transfer credits.

A maximum of 36 semester hours is accepted for one year of study; a maximum of 18 semester hours for one semester and a maximum of 12 semester hours for one quarter or trimester are accepted. A maximum of 60 transfer credits, including credits from an associate degree, may be applied to the requirements of the degree.

Incoming students who defer admission prior to matriculation may earn credit eligible for transfer during this deferral period. Deferred students are eligible for a maximum of 11 credits (part-time status) in each fall or spring semester of their gap year as long as the above transfer criteria is followed. Deferred students are subject to the same summer and intersession credit limitations as identified above.

Transcripts to be evaluated must be official copies sent directly by the issuing institution to the Registrar’s Office; unofficial student copies are not accepted. Transfer credit is not granted for coursework taken concurrently with Sarah Lawrence College semesters unless prior approval has been given by the Committee on Student Work.

Online Courses Transfer Criteria

  1. Online courses must be offered by a regionally accredited college or university, and must be applicable to an undergraduate degree at that school. Massive open online courses and other noncredit or credit-optional courses are not eligible for transfer credit.
  2. Online courses must be taken in liberal arts subjects akin to those offered at Sarah Lawrence and provide content, level, and comparability of such courses.
  3. Online courses must be offered during a defined term/session, with clear beginning and end dates, and may not be self-paced or entirely asynchronous. Students may not simultaneously enroll at Sarah Lawrence and in online courses.
  4. Online courses must have structured progression through course material.
  5. Online courses must include student-faculty and student-student interaction, as well as required assignments and teacher feedback.

Credit Earned Prior to Matriculation as a First-Year Student (Beginning with Fall 2022 Entrance)

Students may transfer a maximum of 30 credits earned prior to high school graduation. This includes advanced placement courses, early college programs, international baccalaureate, advanced-level exams, or other international credentials.

Students requesting credit must have earned 30 credits by the end of the sophomore year in two consecutive semesters without having been placed on academic probation. Students approved for a reduced course load must complete all credits for which they are registered. Credits must be requested by the spring of the junior year.

Types of Precollege Matriculation

  1. Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations: Credit is awarded for exam scores of 4 or 5. Official score reports from the College Board must be sent to the Registrar’s Office. Credit is not awarded for tests taken after the completion of high school. Credit for AP examinations cannot be used to satisfy distribution requirements.
  2. International Baccalaureate (IB): IB consists of international assessments for precollege students. Students entering the College with a full IB diploma may earn 30 credits toward a Sarah Lawrence degree. Nondiploma IB students who score 5 or above on higher-level exams may request three credits for a maximum of three subjects for a total of nine credits. Credit is not awarded for tests taken after the completion of high school. Only credit for higher-level IB examinations with scores of 5 or above may be applied toward distribution requirements.
  3. Advanced-Level (A-level) Examinations: A-level exams are international qualifications taken in particular subjects. Eight credits are awarded for each A-level exam in which a student has earned an A or B.
  4. Students may receive credit for college-level courses taken while in high school under the following conditions:
    1. Courses must have been taken at a United States regionally accredited two- or four-year college or university in classes intended primarily for college students. Courses may not have been taken at a student’s high school, nor in programs designed primarily for high school students, nor may they have been used to fulfill high school graduation requirements. This must be verified in writing by the student’s high school.
    2. A grade of C or above (C- is not accepted) must have been earned.
    3. Courses must satisfy all of the other requirements that govern transfer credit in general.
    4. A maximum of 30 credits may be awarded if an associate degree is earned prior to high school graduation.