Barnard College Barnard College
Office of the Registrar

Transfer Credits

Types of transfer credit

A maximum of 60 external credits can be transferred toward a degree at Barnard College.  “External credit” includes the following categories of credit, which are described in more detail below on this page:
  • Credit resulting from AP, IB, or other national exams
  • College credit taken prior to matriculating at Barnard
  • Summer credit taken at Columbia University (except CU classes taken by students matriculated at Barnard during summer 2021)
  • Summer credit taken at other colleges and universities
  • Credit taken elsewhere during the fall and spring semesters, while on voluntary or required leave of absence
  • Credit taken as part of the JTS dual-degree program  
  • Credit taken while participating in approved study abroad programs (Coursework taken at Reid Hall in Paris, Columbia in London, Columbia in Kenya, Berlin Consortium for German Studies, or Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies is not treated as transfer credit) 

Credit for Advanced Placement exams & International Baccalaureate diploma

Advanced Placement exams: Students who earned an upper-level score on an AP exam may receive college credit. (For the specific scores required, please click the link below for your entering class year.) Incoming students should have ETS send their official scores to the Barnard Registrar’s Office.

International Baccalaureate diploma: Students who earned an International Baccalaureate diploma may receive credit for the number of points indicated on the diploma, up to the maximum credit limit for their entering class year. Incoming students should have their official diploma or exam scores sent to the Barnard Registrar’s Office by the examiner of record.

CLEP Exams: Barnard does not accept CLEP exams for credit.

** FOR EXAMS TAKEN IN SPRING 2020**: Barnard will accept AP and IB exams in the new format this year for credit. AP scores of 4 or 5 or IB scores of 5, 6 or 7 on HL exams will be considered for credit. Scores can determine placement into Barnard class sequences, but they will not exempt students from Foundations requirements. Students who would like their scores considered for credit should have their official scores sent to the Office of the Registrar. Barnard will accept a maximum of 16 credits.  

Select National Examinations and Diplomas: Students who complete the French Baccalaureate, the German Arbitur or the Italian Maturità may receive college credit, up to the maximum AP/IB credit limit for their entering class year.  We may grant similar credit for the Israeli Bagrut. Each GCE A-level or A2-level grade is individually evaluated for college credit. No credit is given for O-level or AS-level examinations. Credit for other national exams or diplomas will be evaluated for college credit on a case-by-case basis.

Barnard’s policy on AP/IB credit varies depending on the year a student entered the College:

For students entering Barnard in fall 2019 and forward

Credit Limit: Maximum 16 credits

General education requirements: Students receive credit for AP/IB work (see chart below), but you cannot satisfy any General education requirements using AP/IB credit.

Class Placement & Exemptions: The AP/IB score can determine placement into Barnard class sequences and/or exemptions from course requirements. If the AP credit is to be used as a substitute for a major requirement, students must take another course in its place.

Barnard’s policies on duplicate credit and placement will apply.  Credit may be granted either for AP/IB or for the equivalent college course, but not for both. Students who take a college class considered to be equivalent to AP credit will forfeit their AP credit in that subject.

 

For example:

-A student with a score of 4 or 5 in a foreign language cannot receive credit for elementary or intermediate courses in that language.

-A student with AP credit for AP Calculus cannot receive credit for Calculus I.

(An exception: A student may receive credit for both AP Psychology and PSYC BC1001.)

Click here for details on the accepted scores for each subject.

For students entering Barnard in fall 2016 through spring 2019

Credit Limit: Maximum 30 credits

General education requirements: Students receive credit for AP/IB work (see chart below), but you cannot satisfy any General education requirements using AP/IB credit.

Class Placement & Exemptions: The AP/IB score can determine placement into Barnard class sequences and/or exemptions from course requirements. If the AP credit is to be used as a substitute for a major or minor requirement, students must take another course in its place.

Barnard’s policies on duplicate credit and placement will apply. Credit may be granted either for AP/IB or for the equivalent college course, but not for both. Students who take a college class considered to be equivalent to AP credit will forfeit their AP credit in that subject.

 

For example:

-A student with a score of 4 or 5 in a foreign language cannot receive credit for elementary or intermediate courses in that language.

-A student with AP credit for AP Calculus cannot receive credit for Calculus I.

(An exception: A student may receive credit for both AP Psychology and PSYC BC1001.)

Click here for details on the accepted scores for each subject.

For students entering Barnard prior to fall 2016

Credit Limit: Maximum 30 credits

General education requirements: In addition to earning credit, AP/IB work may make a student exempt from a general education requirement (see chart below).

Class Placement & Exemptions: The AP/IB score can determine placement into Barnard class sequences and/or exemptions from course requirements. If the AP credit is to be used as a substitute for a major requirement, students must take another course in its place.

 

For example:

-A student with a score of 4 or 5 in a foreign language cannot receive credit for elementary or intermediate courses in that language.

-A student with AP credit for AP Calculus cannot receive credit for Calculus I.

(An exception: A student may receive credit for both AP Psychology and PSYC BC1001.)

Similarly, a student who entered before fall 2016 with AP credit for a science can use it for QR or toward lab science but not both.

Click here for details on the accepted scores for each subject.

Credit for College Work Prior to Barnard

Incoming Transfer Students

Students who have completed 24-60 transferable credits at another higher education institution following high school can apply to Barnard as incoming transfer students.  As part of the admission application, students submit transcripts and course descriptions of their previous college coursework.  The number of transfer credits accepted by Barnard is determined by the Office of the Registrar; students are notified of their credit status at the time of admission. 

Incoming transfer students must earn a total of 121 credits in order to graduate.  A maximum of 60 academic credits (plus 1 credit of P.E.) can be transferred from another college or university toward a degree at Barnard College.

Incoming First-year Students

First-year students with a record of prior coursework taken as non-matriculants at an accredited college in the United States may request up to 15 points of transfer credit.  The courses must be intended primarily for college students and taught at the college by members of its faculty, and must be in excess of the courses required for the high school diploma. Such work will be evaluated after the student has completed 12 points at Barnard.  

Use the form here to request credit.

Courses completed at other accredited colleges and universities which are similar in content and depth to Barnard courses may be submitted for transfer credit. Students can transfer a maximum of 16 academic credits per term.  Credit cannot be granted for courses with grades lower than C-. Acceptable transfer work does not usually include applied or professional courses.  Specific course and credit maximums may apply to studio coursework (whether transfer or institutional) as outlined here.  Barnard College reserves the right to accept or decline transfer of credits based on specific academic expectations or prerequisites. 

Admitted transfer applicants receive a transfer credit summary with their offer of admission indicating how many credits have been tentatively awarded. Upon acceptance of the offer of admission, students receive a more detailed transfer credit evaluation outlining which Foundations requirements have been satisfied. Final credit approval will not be granted until all final official transcripts from previous institutions have been received and reviewed by the Registrar’s Office.

Your transfer credit evaluation will indicate which Foundations requirements can be satisfied using your transfer credit.  After beginning your studies at Barnard, you can speak with your intended major department about which classes can satisfy requirements for your major.  In order to satisfy a specific Barnard degree requirement, a class must transfer as the equivalent of 3 Barnard semester credits (5 units for quarter schools).

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, synchronous online classes taken during spring '20 through summer '21 will be considered for transfer credit, subject to the applicable policies/approvals.

Semester & Academic Year Study Abroad

Before you go (or before registering for your courses abroad): 

  1. Submit each course for approval using the Study Abroad Course Approval form in Slate.  See the “Course Approval Process” section of this page for instructions.
  2. Verify that each course was fully approved by the registrar’s office and/or department chair in Slate.   If any approvals are pending, follow up with the appropriate person.

When you return:

  1. Have your program or university send an official transcript to the Barnard Registrar’s Office no later than October 15 (if you studied abroad in the spring) or Feb 15 (if you studied abroad in the fall).

Summer Course Approval

Summer 2021 coursework

Because of the added third semester, we expect that all summer 2021 coursework will be taken at Barnard or Columbia. Students taking summer 2021 classes at Barnard or Columbia do NOT need to fill out the Summer course approval form to get credit. Generally speaking, we will not grant credit for summer 2021 coursework taken elsewhere.  We will consider granting credit to students who were full time in both Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 for classes taken at other colleges and universities as an exception only, and on a case-by-case basis. Students who would like to discuss their options should speak with their class dean about next steps and then complete this form. IMPORTANT: Students who do not have their class dean's approval before taking the class will not receive credit.  

See more summer 2021 information HERE.

 

Summer course Approvals (applicable to Summer 2020 and earlier)

Credit for summer courses taken at other accredited institutions (including Columbia summer session) is treated as transfer credit and requires approval by your adviser and the Registrar’s Office.  

The full regulations on summer credit are located on the Summer Course Approval form.  Please note:

  • All summer courses require approval, including all Columbia summer courses.
  • Courses must meet for at least 35 hours and at least 5 weeks.  In some exceptional circumstances, a 4-week course may be considered if it meets the 35-hour requirement.
  • In general, Barnard does not grant credit for online courses. As an exception, we will consider courses taken online during the summer of 2020. These online courses must be synchronous, with regularly scheduled meetings times during which students and faculty meet, albeit remotely, for the requisite 35 hours per session. 
  • A maximum of 16 credits of summer coursework can be applied towards the degree.  Students may take no more than 2 courses (totaling no more than 8 Barnard credits) in a single summer session.
  • A class must earn at least 3 Barnard credits in order to satisfy general education (Foundations or Nine Ways), major, or minor requirements.

To receive credit for summer courses, fill out the Summer Course Approval form in advance, including all requested documentation. If you have any questions, please email summercredit@barnard.edu.

Official transcripts for summer coursework are due to the Registrar’s Office by October 15.  Credit will be transferred when we have received both the approved Summer Course Approval form and an official transcript (sent directly to the Registrar's Office by the institution attended) showing that the student completed the coursework with a grade of C- or higher.  Some academic departments may have additional requirements. 

Read about Columbia University Summer School.

**For Incoming First-Year students, summer classes are offered here through College Edge.**

 

  • To be credited toward the degree, courses must be given at accredited institutions.

  • Barnard's standard policy is that summer courses must meet for at least 35 hours and at least 5 weeks.  In certain circumstances, we will consider classes that meet only one of those two criteria on a case-by-case basis.

  • With the exception of classes taken in summer 2020 and summer 2021, Barnard does not give credit for online courses.
  • No more than 2 courses (for a total of no more than 8 credits) may be taken in a single summer session. (Some institutions may have more than one session in a summer.)
  • Courses that earn fewer than 3 semester credits or 5 quarter credits will not be accepted in fulfillment of general education, major, or minor requirements. They may count toward the 122 (or 121 for transfers) points for the degree. (3 quarter points are equal to 2 semester points.)
  • All summer courses, including those taught at Columbia, must be approved in order for credit to transfer.

  • Credit will be given only for grades of C- or higher. P (Pass) is not acceptable.
  • Summer course grades are not included in the Barnard grade point average but they will be included in the calculation for Latin honors.
  • These courses and grades may be considered by graduate or professional schools, which normally require the submission of an applicant's transcripts from all the colleges attended.

No more than 16 semester points of summer session credit may be counted toward the degree.

Although a student may not receive degree credit for summer courses exceeding the 16-credit maximum, they may fulfill degree requirements with additional summer courses, subject to approval, and in some cases, subject to satisfactory performance on a Barnard placement examination.

  • No credit will be given for a language course, whether or not taken to fulfill the requirement, if it is at the same level as a previously credited course.

  • A minimum of 6 courses in the major must be taken in the autumn or spring terms while the student is enrolled at Barnard.
  • Additional major courses may be taken in the summer if approved by the major adviser and the major department chair.

Students who entered Barnard as transfer students should be aware that all summer session credit -- including summer classes taken at Columbia  -- is considered transfer credit.  (As a pandemic-related exception, classes taken at Columbia's Morningside Heights campus by Barnard students matriculated in summer 2021 are not treated as transfer credit.)  A maximum of 60 total transfer credits (including all transfer credit, summer credit, study abroad credit, and college credit taken prior to entering Barnard) can be applied toward your Barnard degree. One additional credit may be granted for P.E.  A maximum of 16 total summer credits is allowed (including credit taken during summer terms prior to your matriculation at Barnard).  Please make sure that you have not already exceeded your transfer credit maximum before registering for any summer coursework.

  •  The Summer course approval form requires catalog descriptions as well as documentation of the class's credit value, weekly meeting times, and the start and end dates of the summer session.
  • Once a student files the application, she will normally receive notification of the Committee's action within three weeks.  Replace with:   Evaluations of summer courses may take up to 15 business days from our receipt of your completed application.  Be sure to check your institution's course registration, tuition payment, and tuition refund deadlines to allow adequate time for processing your request.
  • Students will normally receive notification of the Committee's decision within 15 business days of our receipt of the completed application.  Be sure to check your institution's course registration, tuition payment, and tuition refund deadlines to allow adequate time for processing your request.

A fee of $100 will be charged to the student's account when credit is applied toward the Barnard degree.

Transfer credit policy

Credit for online classes

Effective fall 2021, Barnard will resume its standard policy of not granting transfer credit for online classes taken elsewhere (outside of BC/CU). (Synchronous online classes taken during spring 2020 through summer 2021 will be considered for transfer credit, subject to the applicable policies/approvals.)  Barnard students approved to study abroad in fall ‘21 and/or spring ‘22 should consult with the Barnard Global Office regarding possible limited COVID-related exceptions to this policy.  

Also, beginning in fall 2021, Barnard will only consider granting credit for CU courses that moved online from a traditional, in-person format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  CU courses that are normally delivered remotely (e.g. courses offered through CU's Online Prerequisites for Entry to Nursing program) are not eligible for Barnard credit. 

Duplicate Credit

Students should take care not to take coursework at Barnard that duplicates credit they earned at other schools or from AP/IB exams.  Credit may not be given twice for the same academic material.  Generally speaking, if a student has earned AP/IB credit in a subject area, the student should consult with the department to verify whether they can also receive credit for an introductory-level course in that same subject.  In many cases, this is not allowed.  A student who registers for duplicate coursework will forfeit the AP/IB credit where applicable. Where the duplicate credit comes from two courses, the student will forfeit the credit earned in the second instance of the course.

Removal of Transfer Credit

Once posted to a student’s transcript, transfer or other external credit (including AP/IB credit) is considered part of the student’s academic record at Barnard and cannot be removed except in a situation of duplicate credit.

Slate for Students

Visit Slate for Students, a central online location for academic forms and resources. You will now be able to submit requests to the Registrar’s Office, obtain the approval of your advisers and academic departments, upload additional supporting information, and track the status of your pending requests through the Slate for Students online portal. This system will also allow you to update your personal profile information, such as your address, phone and directory preferences, as well as find the contact information for your advisers.

If you have any issues accessing the new system, please contact slate-support@barnard.edu.  

Students taking time off from Barnard should be in touch with the College Case Manager to discuss any plans to take classes elsewhere during their leave.  A maximum of 9 credits per semester may be transferred back to Barnard during a voluntary leave of absence.  Students who are required to take a leave of absence may transfer back additional credits if required by the College’s Committee on Programs and Academic Standing in the terms of their leave.  All credits are subject to approval by the student’s adviser, College Case Manager, Registrar’s Office, and academic department where necessary.

Due to the unusual circumstances impacting the 2020-2021 academic year and the need to manage student enrollment, students who took a leave of absence during that academic year are not allowed to transfer coursework taken elsewhere during their leave.