Transfer Credit Evaluations
We understand that the number of credits that will transfer from a student's current institution to Barnard is an important question on the mind of every applicant. This page aims to clarify our policies regarding who may apply as a transfer student and how transfer credits are evaluated. For more information, please visit our Requirements for Transfer Students page in the Barnard College Catalogue. If you have further questions after reviewing this information, please contact our office at transfer@barnard.edu.
Who is Considered a Transfer Student?
A student who has completed 24-60 transferable credits at another higher education institution following high school is considered a transfer applicant. If you anticipate completing fewer than 24 credits before your matriculation at Barnard, you must apply as a first-year student. Please note that AP or IB credits are not considered as part of the minimum 24-credit requirement; students may request credit for qualifying scores upon enrollment at the College. The number of transfer credits accepted by Barnard will be determined by the Office of the Registrar; students will be notified of their credit status at the time of admission. A maximum of 60 credits can be transferred from another college or university toward a degree at Barnard College.
Second semester first-year students: Applicants who are currently first-year students in college may not apply for Spring transfer admission - we do not admit second-semester first-year students. Students currently enrolled in and in the process of completing at least 24 credits by the end of the term may apply as a transfer applicant.
Second bachelor degree students: Barnard College does not permit individuals to earn a second bachelor's degree from the College. If you have already earned a bachelor's degree, regardless of the institution where you earned it, you are not allowed to apply to Barnard for a second degree.
How does Barnard Evaluate Transfer Credit?
Please note: Courses completed at other accredited degree-granting colleges and universities which are similar in content and depth to Barnard courses may be submitted for transfer credit. Credit for approved work at another institution is applied to Barnard’s 121-point graduation requirement for transfers with a maximum of 16 points per term. Credit cannot be granted for courses with grades lower than C-. Acceptable transfer work does not usually include applied or professional courses or more than the equivalent of two Barnard studio courses. Please note: students applying for Spring 2023 or Fall 2023 enrollment: Fall 2022 classes need to be in person in order to be transferable.
Admitted transfer applicants receive a transfer credit evaluation with their offer of admission indicating transferable credits and notification of which Foundations requirements have been satisfied. Barnard College reserves the right to accept or decline transfer of credits based on specific academic expectations or prerequisites.
Does Barnard Conduct Pre-Evaluations of Transfer Credit?
Pre-evaluations of transfer credit prior to admission are not conducted by the College. Students are advised to compare and contrast the course descriptions at their institution(s) against Barnard's online course catalog to gain a sense of possible credit transfer outcomes. Generally, if courses taken at another institution are in alignment with courses offered at Barnard, credit is likely to be awarded but not guaranteed.
Barnard generally does not grant transfer credit for online courses. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessity for many institutions to move to remote learning, we are making an exception to our usual policy. For courses taken in Spring 2020 through Spring 2022 by incoming transfer students, we will consider granting credit for online courses where the class takes place synchronously. We will not give credit for asynchronous online classes.