Transfer Units

College of Communication Policy

Undergraduate

Students wishing to enroll in courses outside Boston University and transfer those academic units to count toward their degree must first have these courses evaluated and pre-approved by the corresponding BU school or department. The College of Communication does not allow specific major courses in COM to be fulfilled via transfer units, but communication courses taken outside of BU can count as elective units toward a student’s degree. Students can also petition to use transfer units to waive out of certain specific requirements and/or prerequisites. Students would have to take an extra course through the college or department if a requirement is waived, however.

A minimum grade of C is needed for transfer. Units are not awarded for courses completed on a pass/fail basis. Please see the COM Transfer Units Approval Form on the Undergraduate Affairs website, or go to COM Room 123 for more information and specific details.

Some courses have already been evaluated for BU-equivalent coursework. BU maintains a database called TES where students can search to find appropriate coursework and ensure the units will transfer without having the syllabus reviewed. BU also uses a service called Transferology. Please consult the Transfer Admissions office for more information.

Please note that external transfer units cannot fulfill requirements within the BU Hub.

All COM undergraduate students must complete a minimum of 128 total units to graduate from Boston University.

Pre-approved courses taken at outside colleges and universities carry no more than the number of units earned at the host institution. For example, a 3-unit course transferring from another university on a term system will transfer to BU for 3 units. Courses taken at a campus working on a quarter or trimester system will see those units transfer to BU for two-thirds (2/3) of the units. For example, a 4-unit course transferring from another university on a quarter system will transfer to BU for 2.66 units. Please keep in mind that non-BU courses will not count toward the BU GPA.

Graduate

Graduate students cannot normally transfer units from other institutions. In certain circumstances, however, the Department Chair and the Assistant Dean for Graduate Affairs may approve up to 8 units of transfer units after the student has been enrolled for one term of full-time graduate study.