Non-Transfer Students

Transfer Credit for Non-Transfer Students

The information below is for current College students who wish to take courses elsewhere and transfer the credit back to their University of Chicago degree program.

Transfer credit for courses taken at another institution by current College students must be evaluated and approved by the College Academic and Student Services Office. If approved, transfer credit is listed on the student’s University of Chicago transcript only as the number of credits approved to transfer. The grades do not appear on the University of Chicago transcript, nor do they count toward the University of Chicago GPA. Students participating in University of Chicago–sponsored direct enrollment programs will have their credits vetted by Study Abroad according to the Direct Enrollment Credit Guide instead of the College Academic and Student Services Office.

On this page, you will find guidelines for what credit may or may not be accepted by the College, as well as guidance for submitting transfer coursework for approval.

Transfer Credit for Transfer Students

Incoming transfer students should instead refer to the College's transfer credit policies for transfer students. Note that, starting with the summer immediately prior to matriculation, transfer students may not earn additional credits from schools other than the University of Chicago, with the exception of credit earned through direct enrollment programs offered by Study Abroad.

Process for Petitioning for Transfer Credit

Students who wish to take courses at other institutions after they enter the College should carefully read the regulations for transfer credit listed below and discuss their plans in advance with their Academic Adviser. To have non–University of Chicago courses considered for transfer credit, students must follow these steps:

Submit a Transfer Credit Petition to the College Academic and Student Services Office, including course descriptions and/or syllabi, units of credit, and the name of the institution where courses will be taken. This information should be submitted online at least one month prior to the start date of desired course. [Students with inactive logins should contact the College Academic and Student Services Office (casso@uchicago.edu) for a PDF version of the petition form.]
If approval to transfer is granted following submission of the petition, the student may seek additional approval specifying the use of the credit toward Core/major/minor requirements. Instructions will be provided if/when the initial petition is approved. Note that approval to fulfill these specific requirements is not guaranteed and should be sought as early as possible.
Have an official transcript sent directly from the transfer institution to their Academic Adviser upon completion of the coursework.

Note: Students should submit their Transfer Credit Petition at least one month prior to the start date of the desired courses. Students submitting petitions without a sufficient window should not expect to receive a final decision before the courses begin, especially if they hope to use the courses toward a particular requirement.

Minimum Requirements for Transfer Eligibility

Courses taken at other institutions must meet all guidelines outlined below to be eligible for consideration during the petitioning process:

Be taken at an accredited institution that grants bachelor’s degrees
Confer at least three semester hours or four quarter hours of credit (or require a minimum of 30 contact hours for institutions without standard credit hours)
Be completed with a quality letter grade of C or above (not C- or P)
Not duplicate credit that students will earn or have already earned for college-level coursework via examination credit, other transfer credit, or course enrollment at UChicago

Courses falling within any of the categories below are considered ineligible for consideration during the petitioning process:

Courses taken at a U.S. institution that are equivalent to courses taught at the University of Chicago*
Courses taken prior to matriculation, including courses taught at the University of Chicago
Courses taken through a primarily online program or institution
Courses not considered to be college level in their subject area at UChicago (e.g., pre-calculus)
Professional or technical courses such as, but not limited to: law, civil/mechanical engineering, speech, education, or leadership
Course credit granted for independent study, internships, or prior learning (e.g., work experience, professional certifications, etc.)
Select courses in subjects utilizing a separate placement and/or accreditation examination process for the granting of credit at UChicago
Courses taken during a period of suspension from the University of Chicago

Courses for which all required materials have been submitted and all standards for eligibility have been met as outlined above will, at minimum, be granted general elective credit.

*Note: Beginning in Autumn Quarter 2020, courses taken at U.S. institutions, if similar to courses offered at the University of Chicago, are ordinarily not eligible for transfer credit. Students are expected to complete coursework in residence unless there are special circumstances, or unique or extraordinary opportunities to study at another U.S. institution which cannot be pursued at the University of Chicago, and the course is not ordinarily available through the College. Such courses must follow the eligibility guidelines listed on this page, as applicable. A “unique or extraordinary opportunity” is an exceptional circumstance; accordingly, only a small number of such petitions will be approved. Courses taken at non-U.S. institutions that are otherwise similar to courses offered at the University of Chicago are eligible for transfer credit and will follow the eligibility guidelines listed on this page, as applicable.

Eligibility for Core Credit

Courses that meet the minimum requirements for transfer eligibility may also be considered on a case-by-case basis for fulfillment of the College’s general education (i.e., Core) requirements during the transfer credit petitioning process. Policies and procedures related to the awarding of transfer credit for Core requirements for non-transfer students is outlined by subject area below.

Humanities, Civilization Studies, and Social Sciences Core Requirements

Students in the College are expected to fulfill Core requirements in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Civilization Studies while in residence at the University of Chicago. Transfer credit cannot be used to fulfill these requirements.

Arts and Writing Core Requirements

Courses that meet the intended learning outcomes and fulfill the spirit in which the Core requirements for Arts and Writing were written will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by designees in the Arts & Humanities Collegiate Division and New Collegiate Division respectively. Courses in the Arts that are highly specialized or limited to studio practice will not be considered for Core credit.

Mathematical Sciences Core Requirement

Credit for prior calculus coursework (MATH 15100 Calculus I and MATH 15200 Calculus II) as a means to fulfill the Core requirement in Mathematical Sciences will be granted only upon successful completion of the Calculus Accreditation Exam or higher-level coursework as determined on a case-by-case basis by designees in the Physical Sciences Collegiate Division. Transfer credit will not be granted for lower-level mathematics courses such as pre-calculus.

Courses in computer science, data science, and statistics will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for Core course equivalency by designees in the Physical Sciences Collegiate Division.

Physical and Biological Sciences Core Requirements

Courses must have a lab component to be considered for fulfillment of Physical Sciences Core requirements. To be considered for fulfillment of the requirement using course equivalency in chemistry (e.g., CHEM 11100 Comprehensive General Chemistry I and CHEM 11200 Comprehensive General Chemistry II), previous courses must be awarded by an institution accredited by the American Chemical Society. To be considered for fulfillment of the requirement using course equivalency in physics (e.g., PHYS 12100 General Physics I and PHYS 12200 General Physics II), previous courses must be calculus-based.

Other courses that meet the intended learning outcomes and fulfill the spirit in which the Core requirements for the Physical Sciences were written will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by designees in the Physical Sciences Collegiate Division.

At least one course in the Biological Sciences Core requirement must also have a lab component. Courses that meet the intended learning outcomes and fulfill the spirit in which the Core requirements for the Biological Sciences were written will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by designees in the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division.

Language Competence Core Requirement

Only language courses taken in languages that are not available through the University of Chicago, or language courses taken at a non-U.S. institution that are otherwise similar to courses offered at the University of Chicago, are eligible for transfer credit.

Completion of an intermediate- or advanced-level course in a language other than English with a resulting quality grade of B or above will satisfy the Core requirement in Language Competence. Alternatively, completion of coursework equivalent to one year of introductory-level study in a language other than English with a resulting quality grade of C or above will qualify the student for the Language Competency Assessment offered on-campus during Winter Quarter, which may result in satisfaction of the requirement.

Eligibility for Departmental Credit

Departmental credit may be useful for current students hoping to meet specific course prerequisites or satisfy certain requirements in an intended major or minor. Current students may be granted approval for transfer credit equivalent to a specific UChicago course beyond the Core or fulfilling a specific major/minor requirement in one of two ways:

Department approval granted during the transfer credit petitioning process under the terms outlined on the relevant department’s Catalog page under Programs of Study, or
Following the approval of a Transfer Credit Petition, seeking departmental approval by submitting a General Petition to the department contact listed in the Catalog

Students intending to use transfer credit toward fulfillment of a major or minor requirement must abide by the residency requirements outlined under the College’s degree requirements.

Direct Enrollment Program Credit

Students participating in direct enrollment programs offered by Study Abroad do not need to submit a Transfer Credit Petition for evaluation by the College Academic and Student Services Office and should instead review the Direct Enrollment Credit Guide and consult their designated program manager listed on the Study Abroad website regarding the appropriate next steps.

It is expected that students not independently enroll in coursework at a college or university with which the College has a direct enrollment program, during a term in which that program is active, in order to pursue coursework that could have been pursued as part of that program. Any coursework completed in this independent manner will not ordinarily be eligible for transfer credit.

Residency Requirements

As part of the College's degree requirements, a student must be "in residence" as a degree-seeking student in the College for the equivalent of at least six quarters (excluding summers) and must successfully complete a minimum of 1800 units of credit (i.e., 18 100-unit courses) by enrollment in UChicago courses. Additionally, at least half of the requirements for any majors or minors must be completed in residence.

Course credit approved to transfer will count toward the 3800-unit credit minimum students are required to earn via course enrollment. Faculty-led study abroad programs sponsored by the College may be used to meet both the 1800-unit residency requirement and 3800-unit course enrollment requirement. Direct enrollment study abroad programs cannot be used to satisfy the residency requirement.

2026-2027 Catalog