When students receive College credit for courses or other types of academic work done elsewhere, it is referred to as equivalent credit.
Equivalent Credit
Credit for Pre-College Courses
Credit is not awarded for college-level coursework undertaken at other institutions while a student is enrolled in high school, in the summer after high school, or during the period of deferral for students granted deferred admission. Such coursework is considered a part of a student’s preparation for a Penn education. It is used in consultation with the student’s academic advisor to inform decisions about placement into appropriate courses at Penn.
Students who enroll in regular undergraduate courses at Penn prior to their matriculation into an undergraduate degree program at the University, during the academic year or in the summer sessions, may elect to have that coursework merged with their undergraduate transcript, in which case it will count toward their undergraduate degree requirements, and the grades will be include in their grade point average.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credit is awarded to students who have been admitted to the College through the transfer admissions process. Credit may be given for courses completed at the student’s previous college or university, subject to review and approval by a representative of the appropriate Penn department. To request transfer credit for a course through a Penn department, log in to XCAT (External Credit Approval Tool) and submit all course syllabi and other supporting materials from the previous institution.
A minimum grade of C is required for a course to be eligible for transfer credit. The grade earned in a course approved for transfer credit will not appear on the Penn transcript.
No student may graduate with a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania without having completed at Penn at least one-half of the total number of required course units. Students must also complete at Penn at least one-half of the courses required for their major (though some major programs may require more than this number).
Transfer Credit from a Two-Year Institution
Credit earned at two-year institutions either while the student is in high school (including the summer after) or after the student has matriculated at Penn (Credit Away) will not be posted to the Penn transcript. For students who transfer to Penn from a two-year institution, however, departments may at their discretion grant credit for course work done at the two-year institution.
Transfer Credit to the Major
- Only the department or program advisors determine which credits transferred from another institution can count toward the major.
- At least half the course units in the major must be taken at Penn. Some departments require more.
Credit Away
After matriculation, students may receive Penn credit for courses taken during the summer at other schools. This is called credit away. Note: Students may also be interested in Penn summer courses.
IMPORTANT: Credit Away is not awarded automatically, and departmental approval does not guarantee a student will receive credit if other credit-away criteria are not met. It is each student’s responsibility to be aware of the policies regarding credit away. Students should reach out to the College Office with questions if they are unsure whether their credit-away request satisfies the established criteria.
- Penn credit will only be awarded for courses taken at another school during the summer. Penn credit will not be awarded for courses taken at another school during the academic year (fall and spring).
- Students must complete the final two semesters of full-time study in the College.
- Students pursing a degree in the College may take no more than 5 c.u. at another college or university.
- The maximum amount of credit away that can be transferred for one summer is 4 c.u.
- Penn financial aid can only be used for courses taken at Penn.
- Incoming students cannot receive Penn credit away before matriculation at Penn.
- If approved, students will receive credit away equivalency, but the grade will not appear on their transcript, nor will it be factored into their Penn GPA..
To be awarded Penn credit, a course taken at another school must meet the following criteria:
- The school must be a regionally accredited institution.
- The school must be a four-year institution that grants bachelor’s degrees.
- No credit away will be awarded for courses taken at two-year institutions (i.e., a junior or community college).
- Both in-person and online courses may be approved for credit away.
- No credit will be given for courses taken in timeframes significantly different from the regular University schedules.
- No credit will be granted for courses (other than field courses) taken on sites without appropriate facilities of a college or university (e.g., libraries and laboratories) unless supervised by School of Arts and Sciences faculty.
- A student must earn at least a grade of C to have credit away posted on their Penn transcript. Some departments, however, require a minimum grade of B- for a course to be eligible for credit away.
Prior approval must be obtained from the appropriate academic department at Penn. To seek approval, students log in to XCAT and submit a course syllabus and other supporting materials from the external institution.
A Penn department can act on an XCAT request for credit away in one of four ways:
- Departments may return the request in XCAT for more information. In that case, students should include the requested information and resubmit to the department.
- Departments can approve the request for a Penn equivalency. This approval applies to the student making the request only.
- Departments can approve the credit for the student requesting the course and set a precedent for students taking the course in the future.
- Departments may deny a request if there is no equivalency in the Penn department.
The kind of Penn credit awarded will depend on Penn departmental review through XCAT. The Penn department will also determine the number of c.u. appropriate for a credit away request.
Students may use the comment section of their XCAT request to ask that a particular course number be listed for the credit. The Penn department will consider whether the requested course number is appropriate.
With careful planning, credit away can be used to satisfy College requirements.
- A General Education Requirement, if the reviewing Penn department awards the same course number (e.g., EESC 1000) for the credit away course as they do for a Penn course that fulfills that requirement. If the Penn department does not grant the exact number, the course cannot be use to fulfill that requirement.
- Major and minor requirements, with the major or minor department's approval. Students are advised to contact the appropriate department for confirmation that the credit away course fulfills their requirements.
- Credit away courses can be used as free electives.
Students are advised to:
- Research which courses at Penn meet the requirement they would like to fulfill with credit away
- Research courses at other schools to determine if there are similar courses at the other institution
- Submit the course information including a syllabus in XCAT to the appropriate Penn department for review prior to taking the course.
- Discuss their plans with their College Contact--and also with their major advisor and the relevant department if they are intending to use credit away to fulfill a major or minor requirement.
After the course has been completed, the student must request that the institution send an official electronic transcript to the College email address: college@sas.upenn.edu or a hard copy official transcript to 120 Cohen Hall, 249 South 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6304. Students should also send a message to the above address informing the College that the transcript was sent, especially if it was done via a service such as Parchment.
Credit away cannot be posted until the course has been approved in XCAT and an official transcript has been received by the College from the institution where the class was taken. Grades received from other institutions are not recorded on the Penn transcript nor are they included in the grade point average at Penn.
The departments are asked to review a request within two weeks of submission. Students can check on the status of their request if it has not been reviewed by contacting the departmental credit evaluator. The review of requests is done by staff and faculty in Penn departments and requires a good deal of work on their part. Please do not request credit away unless you are fairly certain you will take the course if the Penn equivalency is granted.
Students can check the status of their requests in XCAT. The notations of “Precedent approved, in division queue” or “Dept. approved, in division queue,” indicate that departmental approval has been granted and, if all other credit-away criteria are met, Penn credit will be given.