Transfer Credit Policy

In General, Courses must meet all of the following criteria to be considered for transfer:

• Courses must be comparable to those offered by Lafayette. Courses that are vocational, professional, experiential, etc., are not eligible for transfer.
• Lafayette students wishing to take courses at another institution – whether for enrichment or to make up deficiencies – may be eligible to receive academic credit for college courses completed at a regionally-accredited college or university.
• While some departments will accept credit for online courses, to be eligible for transfer, online courses must have significant student-faculty and student-student interaction.
• Students with junior or senior status are not normally permitted to transfer courses from two-year institutions.
• Via a submission to the Registrar’s Office, all students must petition the Student Affairs Committee in advance for prior approval of all courses to be proposed for transfer credit. The Transfer Credit Petition Form must be completed and submitted, with approvals of both the academic adviser and department head in which the transfer credit is sought. The practice is that each course to be proposed for transfer credit is individually evaluated by the relevant department head or program coordinator. For the student, this normally entails providing the syllabus for the course, as well as a listing of the required textbooks and the intended student learning outcomes. It is the responsibility of the student to secure approval from both the academic adviser and the relevant department head or program coordinator for each course they propose to transfer. Students are strongly encouraged to secure course transfer approval prior to enrolling at another institution.
• Grades in courses completed elsewhere will not be recorded on the permanent record nor computed in the cumulative Lafayette G.P.A., except for courses completed at another LVAIC institution (Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges) or while on an approved/affiliated study abroad program.
• Credits for approved courses are transferrable only if the student earns a grade of “C” or better. Upon receipt of an official transcript from the institution where the coursework was completed, credit will be awarded for the grade or grades certified on the transcript. Pass/Fail grades are not acceptable. (However, courses graded on alternate scales – i.e.,Pass/Fail, Credit/No Credit – owing to the Covid-19 crisis may be considered for transfer.)

Summer/Winter Interim Semesters

• Course load maximum limits will mirror those of Lafayette loads in the summer or winter term(s): 1 course in winter interim, 2 courses in a summer session.

Fall/Spring Semesters

• Students may not enroll simultaneously at another institution with the intention of seeking transfer credit during a standard fall or spring semester.

Courses taken while the student is on leave of absence from Lafayette College (Fall/Spring semester)

• During a leave of absence during a fall or spring semester, one or two courses may be considered for transfer back to Lafayette.

Light course load with pro-rated tuition (Fall/Spring semester)

• Students approved for a light load may not enroll simultaneously at another institution with the intention of seeking transfer credit during the semester of the light load at Lafayette.

Study Abroad courses

• Study abroad is only permitted through approved programs. Courses will be transferable for both course-credit and a grade toward the Lafayette degree for semester-long programs. Grades for study abroad programs will be computed in the semester and cumulative Lafayette grade-point averages. Credit hours may be adjusted to correspond to the Lafayette course credit system. Transfer credits are normally limited to no more than the equivalent of four course credits per semester. Students must register for four units or 15-16 semester credit hours during their study abroad program. Prior to the semester abroad, courses must be approved through the formal Study Abroad Course Evaluation process. Students requesting permission to use study abroad courses to complete Common Course of Study requirements must also complete the Application for Abroad Courses in the Common Course of Study Form. More information about studying abroad can be found on the  Study Abroad website.

Students transferring to Lafayette after having matriculated at another college or university:

• All courses completed during a student’s college career must meet the pertinent criteria noted above. Courses are evaluated on a course-by-course basis and in general must be comparable to those offered by Lafayette. For schools awarding credit by semester hours, normally each 15 semester hours of transferable credit will be equivalent to four course credits/units at Lafayette. For schools awarding credit by quarter hours, normally each 24 quarter hours of transferable credit will be equivalent to four course credits/units at Lafayette. The College has a transfer articulation agreement with Northampton Community College; students may contact the Office of Admissions for details.

Courses taken during high school:

• All courses completed during a student’s high school career must meet the pertinent criteria noted above. In addition, all courses must (1) be taught on a college/university campus by a member of the post-secondary institution’s faculty, (2) be part of that institution’s regular college-level curriculum, and (3) the predominant population in the course is expected to be regular, full-time college students. Courses must meet all three additional criteria to be eligible for consideration. Students must submit a completed Course Authorization Form for each course to be reviewed.

Applicable to all categories addressed above, with special provisions noted in the transfer and study abroad sections

• Lafayette awards credit on a unit basis. Courses will be evaluated as follows: 1 unit/course credit, 4 semester hours, or 6 quarter hours are equivalent to 1 course credit/unit at Lafayette. A maximum of three 3-semester hour or 5-quarter hour credit courses may be transferred during a student’s career.