General Policy Information

Coursework taken online (or in hybrid modality) at other institutions will not be accepted for transfer credit at WashU. Transfer courses must be taken fully in-person.

Before enrolling in courses at another college or university, undergraduate students should determine if the course fulfills an Engineering bachelor’s degree requirement.

Graduate students interested in transferring coursework from another college or university should reach out to their department. 

Students interested in studying abroad should first contact a member of the McKelvey Study Abroad Team. More information can be found on the McKelvey Study Abroad and International Experience webpage.  

Please keep in mind that the university is not required to accept transfer credit from another institution. If students follow the approval process listed below, preapproved transfer credit will be accepted after an official transcript with satisfactory grade is received.

Reviewing transfer course equivalencies is a very time consuming activity. This is true for both the school and for the student who is tasked with gathering all information needed. All required information and supporting documentation must be included with any request for potential transfer coursework to be reviewed. To receive transfer credit, you must take the course for a letter grade and earn a letter grade of "C" or better. Pass/fail grades are not accepted for transfer credit. Only the credit units are transferred; the grade does not transfer and is not included in your WashU GPA.

Courses offered online and experiential learning credit are not accepted as transfer credit. Chemistry courses taken at a community college will not transfer back to Washington University. Courses from University College are not accepted as transfer courses (see University College course policy in the Undergraduate Bulletin).

When considering taking coursework outside of WashU, please be mindful of department-specific limits on the number of courses taken outside of the department that can count toward your degree program, second major or minor. This is especially relevant in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering as outlined in their residency policy: Residency Requirement for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) Credentials

In addition to department-specific limitations on outside coursework, McKelvey residency rules must be followed. Students are required to complete a minimum number of units at WashU and within McKelvey in order to meet graduation requirements. If you have questions about your degree requirements, please consult your adviser and/or review your WUachieve degree audit.

Transfer courses approved by McKelvey Engineering are approved to count only toward McKelvey requirements and not for any other requirements for other programs offered on campus. If you have questions about requirements for a program offered outside of McKelvey, please contact the adviser associated with that program.

 

Transfer Course Approval Process

Step 1.  Engineering Undergraduate Student Services maintains transfer course equivalency decisions from past years in the Undergraduate Transfer Course Equivalency Database. If the intended transfer course is already listed as equivalent to the desired WashU course, then you do not need additional authorization and can skip to Step 3.

Step 2.  If a course of interest to you does not appear in the database, then it has not yet been evaluated. You will need to request a Transfer Course Equivalency Review using our online form. A form must be completed for each course you are requesting be reviewed. Every required field on the form must be completed or the course will not be reviewed. At the end of the form you will be required to attach a course description. For all Engineering, Computer Science, Math, Science, and Writing courses you will be required to attach a course syllabus.

We will notify you of each decision by email. The evaluation process varies by the type of course you plan to take. The course review process will take several weeks to complete.

Step 3.  To receive transfer credit, you must take the course for a letter grade and earn a letter grade of "C" or better. Courses taken pass/fail are not accepted for transfer credit. Only the credit units are transferred; the grade does not transfer and is not included in your WashU GPA. After your grade is posted at the end of semester, within 30 days have the transfer institution send an official transcript to our office. Mail and email addresses along with contact information are provided alongside this page.