Transfer Credit Form

The following applies only to students whose home department is in the Mellon College of Science. Other colleges may have different rules regarding transfer credit.

Transfer Credit Policy

If you're in MCS and want to take courses at other schools over the summer or during a leave of absence, you can often be awarded transfer credit at Carnegie Mellon. This credit can satisfy requirements here and count toward your graduation. It's a good idea to determine how your credit will count before you spend time and money on the course. By following the steps below, you'll get a confirmation of whether your credit will transfer and how it will look on your Carnegie Mellon transcript.

Steps to Take

STEP 1: Gather the information for the classes you wish to take elsewhere:

• Name of the college or university you'll attend.
• The school's course number and title for the class(es) that you are considering.
• The course description for each class — a paragraph from their course catalog or website is fine.
• A recent syllabus for courses.
• The name and number of the Carnegie Mellon course you'd like this to substitute.
   

STEP 2: Fill out the Request for Transfer Credit form.

• If the course you are substituting is in your major department, have your departmental advisor approve the course first.
• Dr. Braun will be the final approver of the request. Her office will email you to relay her decision.

STEP 3: If approved, take the course(s). You must earn a C- or better. Pass/Fail courses cannot transfer.

STEP 4: Upon completion of the course, have the school send an official transcript either via email to mcstransfercredit@andrew.cmu.edu or mailed (in a sealed envelope) directly to: 

Carnegie Mellon University 
Tara Primiero 
5000 Forbes Ave, Doherty Hall 1324 
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

STEP 5: If your grades meet the criteria above, the Office of Undergraduate Affairs will post transfer credit to your Carnegie Mellon transcript. You'll receive confirmation by e-mail of the credit awarded.

IMPORTANT Notes:

• We cannot accept copies or unofficial transcripts.  If the transcript is sent electronically, it must be sent directly to CMU.  If sent as paper, it must arrive in an envelope sealed by the host university's registrar.
• Although the units will transfer for the courses you take, the grades will not be factored into your Carnegie Mellon QPA.
• Online courses are not currently accepted for transfer credit as MCS courses (i.e. 21-120 or 33-141). Online course policies vary by department outside of the Mellon College of Science.
• Transfer credit petitions for courses taken outside of the United States must go through the Office of International Education.
• If you are seeking credit for 03-121 Modern Biology, please review the guidelines.
• See also Advanced Placement & International Baccalaureate Credit
• See also the university's Transfer Credit Evaluation and Assignment policy.
   

For students interested in the Health Professions

Health Professions Schools may not consider transfer credit as the full equivalent of academic year courses at your undergraduate institution (Carnegie Mellon). In addition to a student's ability to succeed in a particular prerequisite course, medical admissions committees may wish to consider the academic rigor of courses as well as a student's ability to multi-task on multiple challenging courses at one time. For these reasons, a summer transfer course taken at a less rigorous institution may not be in your best interest. With these things in mind, here is a ranking of four options possible for a potential transfer course:

1. (Best option) Take the course at CMU during the semester (this maximizes academic rigor and demonstrates ability to multi-task).
2. Take the course at CMU during the summer (this maximizes academic rigor).
3. Take a summer course that is recognized by CMU to transfer in as our course number (e.g. a physics course as 33-141 or 33-142; this action carries CMU's stamp of approval).
4. (Least good, but acceptable) Take a course that meets med school requirements, even it it will not transfer into CMU.

Consult with the Health Professions Program or the Mellon College of Science advising staff if you have questions. Individual health professions school admissions policies do differ; details can typically found on school admissions websites.