Transferring BU Course Credit

Boston University Academy students typically earn as many as 48 college credits (the equivalent of 12 college courses or 1½ years) by the time they graduate.  Many graduates wish to transfer those credits into their undergraduate college for a variety of reasons:
  • College credits can save on the overall cost of a college education
  • College credits can accelerate the time to degree-completion
  • College credits can place a student out of general education requirements or advance a student in an academic program
  • College credits can provide added flexibility to a program, allowing a student to double major, study abroad, or complete a combined BA/MA program
Students interested in transferring college credit from their Boston University coursework should know the general guidelines colleges and universities abide by in awarding credit (note – each college and university devises its own policy, students should check with the registrar office of their college of enrollment to verify transfer credit policies):
  • If the credit counts toward high school graduation requirements, it is usually not eligible to be transferred.  For BUA students, that typically means that a senior year English course or Calculus I taken at Boston University is not eligible.
  • The class must be taught by a University professor.
  • The class must be a standard offering of the Boston University undergraduate/graduate curriculum.
  • The class must be taught on the Boston University campus.
In order to transfer credits, students should work with the Registrar’s Office at their college of enrollment.  Students must request that an official Boston University transcript be sent to their college of enrollment from the Boston University registrar.   Many colleges will also ask to see a letter of confirmation from Boston University Academy, which the college counselors are able to provide.  Finally, many colleges will also ask to see course syllabi, which the students must acquire from the instructor of each course.
It is important to note that not all colleges and universities allow students to transfer in college credits.

College Counseling Guidebook