Transfer Credit Policy

Rev. March 2026, to be in effect Fall 2026

At least one-half of the courses for the degree(s) and the major(s) must be completed in residence at Lafayette. As such, a maximum of 16 course credits (18 for BS Engineering programs) may be awarded in transfer and/or through Advanced Placement.  Elements of the policy – including, but not limited to, eligibility, grade levels, applicability, and equivalents – are not eligible for petition/exception/override

  1. Transfer Course Eligibility
  2. Students Currently Enrolled at Lafayette
  3. Study Abroad
  4. Students Not Yet Enrolled at Lafayette
  5. Course-Credit Equivalency
  6. Applicability
  7. Forms

1. TRANSFER COURSE ELIGIBILITY

  • Courses must be comparable to those offered by Lafayette, as evaluated for equivalency of course topics and student learning outcomes by the related academic department at Lafayette.
  • Transfer credit is not awarded for vocational, professional, experiential, remedial/developmental, or correspondence (self-paced) courses.
  • Credit may be awarded for courses completed at an institution that holds accreditation from an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education.
  • Approved courses are transferable only if the student earns a grade of “C” or better; Pass/Fail grades are not acceptable for transfer. 
  • Grades in courses completed elsewhere will not be recorded on the permanent record, nor computed in the cumulative Lafayette grade point average, except for cross-registered courses completed at another LVAIC institution (Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges) or for study abroad courses through an approved/affiliated program in a fall or spring semester.
  • Upon receipt of an official transcript directly from the institution where the coursework was completed, approved transfer credit will be posted to the Lafayette record. 

2. STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT LAFAYETTE

  • During a fall or spring semester, whether enrolled full-time or with an approved light load at Lafayette, students may not enroll simultaneously at another institution with the intention of seeking transfer credit. 
  • During a leave of absence in a fall and/or spring semester, up to 2 courses per semester of leave may be considered for transfer back to Lafayette.
  • Transfer course 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.
  • Students should secure course transfer approval prior to enrolling at another institution. Approvals should be submitted via the Transfer Credit Petition.

3. STUDY ABROAD

  • In a fall or spring semester, study abroad is only permitted through approved/affiliated programs.
  • Courses will be recorded for both grades and course credit, and are considered resident coursework when completed through approved/affiliated programs. 
    • Grades will be computed in both the semester and cumulative Lafayette grade point averages. 
    • Semester credit hours will be adjusted to correspond to the Lafayette course credit system as outlined in Section 5 below.
  • Students must register for an equivalent full-time load during their study abroad semester program. 
  • Prior to the semester abroad, courses must be approved through the formal Study Abroad Course Equivalency Evaluation process. 
  • Summer/Interim external study abroad courses will be evaluated for transfer credit per guidelines listed in Section 1.

    • Students must enroll in a program with a US School of Record, or through an approved international program provider.

4. STUDENTS NOT YET ENROLLED AT LAFAYETTE

  • Students transferring to Lafayette after having matriculated at another college or university:
    1. All courses completed during a student’s college career must meet the pertinent criteria in Section 1. 
    2. 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:
    1. All courses completed during a student’s high school career must meet the pertinent criteria in Section 1. Enrolled students may reach the Registrar’s Office to facilitate credit review.

5. COURSE-CREDIT EQUIVALENCY

  • Lafayette awards transfer credit on a course credit basis. Courses will be evaluated as follows:
    1. 1 course unit, 4 semester credit hours, or 6 quarter hours are equivalent to 1 Lafayette course credit.
    2. For schools on a semester credit hour system, 4 semester credit hours are equivalent to 1 Lafayette course credit (3 semester credit  hours = 0.75 Lafayette course credit).
    3. For schools on a quarter credit system, 6 quarter credit hours are equivalent to 1 Lafayette course credit (4 or 5 quarter hours = 0.75 Lafayette course credit).

6. APPLICABILITY

  • This policy applies to students (first year and transfer) matriculating in Fall 2026 or later. For currently enrolled (continuing) students, the policy applies only to external credits earned from the Fall 2026 term onward, and will not be applied retroactively.