Transfer Credit
Transfer credit is awarded to students who have been admitted to the College through the transfer admissions process. Credit may be given for courses completed at the student’s previous college or university, subject to review and approval by a representative of the appropriate Penn department. To request transfer credit for a course through a Penn department, log in to XCAT (External Credit Approval Tool) and submit all course syllabi and other supporting materials from the previous institution.
A minimum grade of C is required for a course to be eligible for transfer credit. The grade earned in a course approved for transfer credit will not appear on the Penn transcript.
No student may graduate with a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania without having completed at Penn at least one-half of the total number of required course units. Students must also complete at Penn at least one-half of the courses required for their major (though some major programs may require more than this number).
Math for Transfer Students
Prior College Math Courses
Transfer students who took a math course at their previous college or university should speak with their academic advisor about the proper placement in a math course at Penn. Placement may depend, in part, on the approval for transfer credit received from the Math department via XCAT.
Starting Math at Penn
Students who did not take a math course at their previous college or university and plan to do so at Penn should take the Math placement exam to determine the proper level of calculus course to take. Transfer students wishing to take this placement exam should let their College advisor know as soon as possible, so that they may be given access to the exam. You can find out more about starting math at Penn here.
Transfer Credit from a Two-Year Institution
Credit earned at two-year institutions either while the student is in high school (including the summer after) or after the student has matriculated at Penn (Credit Away) will not be posted to the Penn transcript. For students who transfer to Penn from a two-year institution, however, departments may at their discretion grant credit for course work done at the two-year institution.