In order to enroll in a course at a school or college (within the U.S.) other than Boston University and have the credits transfer to your BU academic record, the following sequence must be adhered to in order to receive approval from the appropriate department at BU. Transfer Credit Approval forms must be submitted and approved before students begin taking classes at other institutions.

Residency requirement: In addition to satisfying all BS degree requirements, a minimum of 48 credits of coursework must be taken at Boston University in the upper-division program. Please contact engrec@bu.edu for further information.

Students should note that transfer courses will not receive Hub units. Additional course work may be required.

Chemistry and Physics departments do not accept online courses.

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Please note:

  • During the academic year, courses will not be considered for transfer credit from another institution when the equivalent course is offered during the same semester at Boston University.
  • Credit is posted only after an official transcript is received showing a grade of C or higher. Courses with grades below C are not acceptable for transfer credit, nor are courses graded Pass/Fail.
  • Grade(s) earned at an external institution will not calculate into your cumulative Boston University grade point average.
  • The number of credits for the course must be indicated on the approval form. If the course is a 4-credit course at a school on a semester system, the student will receive 4 transfer credits. If the course is a 4-credit course from an institution on a quarter system, the student will receive 2.66 credits (1 quarter hour credit = 2/3 semester hour credit). A minimum of 2.50 semester hour credits is required to satisfy a specific curricular requirement. Students are responsible for ensuring that any credit deficiency that may result from courses transferred from another institution is satisfied by additional credits from other acceptable sources. Students may confirm the number of credits posted via the Student Link.
  • Please note that courses presented for transfer that are taken during the last semester of candidacy may not be processed in time to meet commencement deadlines.

Additional BU Department Information