Incoming First-Year Students

Transfer Unit Policy for Incoming First-Year CGS Students

The following policy applies only to incoming first-year students who have not yet matriculated to Boston University. Current CGS students should refer to the Transfer Unit policy for Current Students.

Incoming first-year students may complete no more than two (2) courses externally prior to Matriculation. Students may only take classes part-time as a non-matriculated, non-degree student. Gap Semester courses cannot be used towards CGS Program Requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to follow the Transfer Unit Policy as noted. Students who enroll in unapproved courses may not receive units at Boston University. All students must discuss external course options with their CGS Academic Advisor prior to registration.

Step 1: Make an appointment with your CGS Advisor

To begin the Transfer Unit Process, schedule an appointment with your advisor through MyBU Student. Call Student Services at 617-353-2850 if you have any issues scheduling this appointment.

To prepare for the meeting with your advisor, it is recommended that you review the CGS Academic Pathways and BU Bulletin for any major or minor you are interested in pursuing.

Step 2: Check Transferology

After discussing course selection with your CGS academic advisor, use Transferology to see if the course you plan to take is listed. Boston University’s transfer equivalency site is provided as a guide to how classes taken at other colleges or universities may transfer to Boston University.

If you have questions about course options on Transferology, please contact your CGS academic advisor directly.

Step 3: Submit appropriate forms

• Approved Courses: If the course you plan to take is listed on Transferology, complete the Gap Semester Course Request Form.
• Unapproved Courses: If the course you plan to take is not listed on Transferology, you must have the course evaluated. In order to evaluate an external course equivalency, please obtain the course description and course syllabus and complete the External Course Evaluation Request form. This form and all supplemental materials must be submitted to credeval@bu.edu. Please note that the external course approval process can take up to three weeks. 

Step 4: Request an official transcript

As noted above, students must earn a final grade of ‘C’ or higher for BU to accept units for approved external courses. 

Once the course is completed and you have received a final grade of “C” or higher in your course, please contact the external institution directly to request that an official external transcript be sent directly to BU.

• Electronic (Preferred Method): Send to CEtscrpt@bu.edu
• Paper Mail: Credit Evaluation Department, 881 Commonwealth Avenue 2^nd Floor, Boston, MA 02215

Once submitted, please email your CGS academic advisor to notify them that a transcript is being sent to Boston University.