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:
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
- Higher Learning Commission
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges
- Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Preliminary Transfer Credit Evaluation
If you are considering applying to the BAAS program and would like a preliminary transfer credit evaluation, our program team is available to assess your previous college-level coursework.
Note: College credits earned prior to the date of the high school diploma are not eligible for transfer credit. Students who have previously completed a bachelor’s degree may not apply those credits toward the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree.
To receive a preliminary transfer credit evaluation, please follow these steps:
- Start an application for the BAAS (standard admission or gateway) in our online application system. Complete the academic background page.
- Upload an unofficial transcript from each regionally accredited US institution you attended. If you have transcripts from international institutions, you will need to upload official evaluations; please follow the instructions regarding international transcripts under “Documents Needed”.
- You do NOT need to submit the application to receive your preliminary transfer credit evaluation, but we DO need to receive your documents IN THE SYSTEM to evaluate them.
- Email lpsonline@sas.upenn.edu and put “Preliminary Transfer Credit Evaluation” in the subject line. In the email, please supply the following information:
- Full name matching that in the application
- Confirm that you uploaded your documents in the system
- Request a preliminary transfer credit evaluation
Please note that official transfer credit evaluations and detailed degree audits can be conducted for admitted students after they submit their intention to enroll.
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.
