Transferring Credits to BU

With approval in advance, you can take a class elsewhere.

BU’s policies allow currently enrolled students to take classes at another institution (usually over the summer or in a non-BU study abroad program), but only if you get approval in advance. And not all classes will be approved.

The pre-approval process is designed to make sure that you are enrolling in a high-quality experience and that the course meets BU’s academic expectations. Talk with your advisor in advance about how the course(s) will fit into your overall plan of study at BU.

If you are currently enrolled at BU and would like to take a course at another institution in the U.S. (for example, over the summer), you must get pre-approval from your school or college before taking the course. See your academic advisor or your school’s advising office or student services office for directions on how to proceed.

While BU’s Transfer Equivalency Site does not provide a guarantee that courses listed there will be accepted by BU, it does offer an extensive listing of domestic courses that have been approved in the past. This list can help you in your initial planning.

If you are currently enrolled at BU and would like to take a non-BU course abroad, you must get pre-approval from the BU Study Abroad Program Manager for External Programs. You can write to nonbusa@bu.edu or call 617-353-9888 for more information. You must consult with the Program Manager prior to applying for a non-BU international study program in order to determine if the credits from the program will transfer to BU.

There are a few things to keep in mind about earning credits at another institution.

  1. While your grades won’t transfer in, you must earn a C or higher in order for BU to accept the credits. (Grades earned in non-BU courses will not appear on your transcript or be counted in your BU GPA.)
  2. While BU may accept the credits as elective credits toward your degree, your academic program may not count them towards your major or minor requirements, so be sure to ask about that in advance.
  3. Transfer courses (even those with BU course equivalency) may not be used to satisfy BU Hub requirements.
  4. Semester credits earned at another institution transfer in on a 1:1 ratio. If a semester-long course carries 3 credits at another institution, it will transfer in as 3 credits, even if the BU course equivalent offers 4 credits.

See the BU Bulletin for a more extensive list of policies related to transferring credits.