Transfer credit awards are processed once you have been admitted to a Bachelor’s degree program and we have received transcripts from each institution listed on your application. Transfer credit reviews can take up to 1 week after you have received your admission’s decision.  If you would like to receive an unofficial credit evaluation before applying, please email anna.hughes@bc.edu and attach a copy of your transcripts.

Undergraduate Students

At the undergraduate level, a minimum of sixty credits must be completed at Boston College to satisfy residency requirements, and a maximum of sixty credits from regionally accredited institutions, CLEP exams, or Joint Service Transcripts may be transferred into a student’s program.

Courses from regionally accredited institutions with a grade of C or better may be accepted for transfer credits; only courses with a minimum of three credits will be considered for transfer to satisfy a Woods College program requirement. Courses with fewer than three credits will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for transfer as elective credit.

For all students, transfer credits must be submitted for evaluation by the conclusion of your first semester of study at the Woods College. After the first semester, any student who wants to bring in transfer credits needs approval by the Associate Dean.

College Credit through Examination
Students will only be awarded up to a total of 15 credits from the combination of CLEP and DSST examinations.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) offer students the opportunity to earn college credits through examination, by demonstrating comprehensive knowledge of college-level material gained through independent or prior study. The Woods College of Advancing Studies will accept up to 15 credits from the combination of the CLEP DSST examinations. The Woods College recognizes the American Council on Education’s college credit recommendations for each CLEP and DSST exam. Those recommendations can be found on the CLEP website and the DSST website

Current students must consult with their academic advisor prior to taking CLEP/DSST exams for credit to verify that any CLEP/DSST exam will support the student’s program of study. Students seeking admission to the Woods College should consult an admissions advisor for evaluation of how previously taken CLEP/DSST exams will impact their program of study.

Joint Service Transcripts
Students who have served in the United States armed forces typically have college-level credit. The American Council on Education (ACE) has worked with the U.S. military to evaluate many of the service members’ training modules. They have recommended college-level credit for many of these trainings, and the Woods College of Advancing Studies recognizes that training for possible transfer credit.

When evaluating ACE credit recommendations for transfer, the Woods College will consider training that map onto courses or disciplines that Boston College offers. For example, a recommendation for 3 credits for Computer Applications would transfer as 3 credits within the Information Systems discipline. A recommendation of 3 credits for Aircraft Maintenance would not be eligible for transfer as Boston College does not offer any courses in this area.

Please consult an academic advisor during the admissions process to evaluate how many of the ACE credit recommendations on your JST might transfer into your program of study at Boston College.
At this time Boston College will accept up to 30 credits through the JST. Any CLEP/DSST credits a student may have would also count towards this 30-credit limit. For example, a student with 9 credits through CLEP/DSST would be allowed to bring in 21 credits through the JST. Or a student with 24 JST credits would be allowed to bring in 6 credits through CLEP/DSST exams.

Students should submit their official JST for evaluation prior to the conclusion of their first semester of study at the Woods College.

Taking Courses at other Institutions
Students enrolled in the Woods College as degree students must follow the curriculum prescribed by the college. Once a student matriculates, courses may not be taken at other institutions for credit in a Boston College degree program.

Students who have taken leaves of absence or have not enrolled in consecutive semesters at Woods College are not eligible for transfer credit for courses taken during their absence from the Woods College.

Transfer of Course Credit for Pass Grades
At the undergraduate level, courses with a grade of Pass, that equate to C or better, may be accepted for transfer as free electives only. Transfer courses with a Pass grade, will not be accepted towards core or major requirements

Policy Exception
Due to the pandemic, courses with a grade of Pass from the Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 terms will be considered differently for transfer credit.

From these terms, courses with a grade of Pass the undergraduate level, that equate to C or better, may be accepted for transfer into core and major course areas.

Within the undergraduate programs, any courses transferred in with a grade of Pass taken during the above listed terms will not be counted towards the maximum number of Pass/Fail courses that a student may count toward their undergraduate degree.

Graduate Students

Graduate students may transfer no more than 6 credits into their program only with approval from the respective graduate program director. Students should consult their program director or academic advisor if they have any questions regarding the transfer of credit.

Transfer of Course Credit for Pass Grades
At the graduate level, courses with a grade of Pass are not accepted for transfer credit.

Policy Exception
Due to the pandemic, courses with a grade of Pass from the Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 terms will be considered differently for transfer credit.
At the graduate level during this period, up to two courses with a grade of Pass, that equate to B or better, may be accepted for transfer into a graduate program.