Transfer Preparation & Policies

Up to 50% of the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree may be met with work completed at an institution accredited by one of the following regional bodies:

Preliminary Transfer Credit Evaluation

If you’re considering applying to the BAAS program and would like to receive a preliminary transfer credit evaluation before submitting your application, our program team is available to assess your previous college-level coursework. Students who have completed a bachelor's degree at another institution may not apply previously earned credits toward the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree.

To begin the process:

  1. Start an application for the BAAS (standard admission or gateway) in our online application system
  2. Upload your unofficial transcript(s) and complete the academic background page in the application system. You do not need to submit the application in order for us to complete your preliminary evaluation, but we do need to receive your transcripts through the application system.
  3. Email us at lpsonline@sas.upenn.edu to request a transcript evaluation. Include your first and last names and “Transfer credit evaluation” in the subject line.

Official transfer credit evaluations are not completed until after you are admitted and enrolled in the BAAS program.

Credits must be submitted for transfer evaluation by the end of your first semester at Penn. Credits transferred from other institutions will become a part of your official record, but former grades will not be placed on the transcript or used in determining the cumulative grade point average.

 

If you are a transfer student, we encourage you to begin the transfer credit evaluation process upon accepting your offer of admission to the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences program. Courses completed at institutions outside the US may qualify for transfer credit on a case-by-case basis. Please note that students applying for a second bachelor's degree cannot transfer in credits that were used to earn their first bachelor's degree. 

Transfer Credit Distribution

Credits transferred from another institution can be distributed as described in the table below:

  Credits Required at Penn Transfer Credits Allowed Total Courses and Credits Required
Foundational Requirements 4 courses
(16 credits, 4 c.u.*)
4 courses
(16 credits, 4 c.u.)
8 courses
(32 credits, 8 c.u.)
Concentration Requirements 9 courses
(36 credits, 9 c.u.)
3 courses
(12 credits, 3 c.u.)
12 courses
(48 credits, 12 c.u.)
Electives 2 courses
(8 credits)
8 courses
(32 credits, 8 c.u.)
10 courses
(40 credits, 10 c.u.)
Total 15 courses
(60 credits, 15 c.u.)
15 courses
(60 credits, 15 c.u.)
30 courses
(120 credits, 30 c.u.)

Students can transfer up to 50% of their degree requirements with work previously completed with a grade of C or better at accredited 2-year or 4-year institutions. Penn’s academic currency is the course unit and the degree requires 30 courses. The grid above shows the breakdown in both course units and credit hours. The maximum number of transferable courses is 15 course units or 60 credits.

*Academic credit is defined by the University of Pennsylvania as a course unit (c.u.). A course unit (c.u.) is a general measure of academic work over a period of time, typically a term (semester or summer). A c.u. (or a fraction of a c.u.) represents different types of academic work across different types of academic programs and is the basic unit of progress toward a degree. One c.u. is usually converted to a four-semester-hour course.

Flexible and career-focused

About the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree
Use our course blocks to build a degree that fits your personal and professional goals.
Standard Admission Process
Learn more about the requirements for the standard admission process.
Prove Your Way In
Explore the Gateway Program, our alternative to the standard admissions process for the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree.

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