Transfer Courses

Almost all courses taken elsewhere must be transferred to Muhlenberg College.  Courses offered through the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC) consortium and any course offered away from campus, but specifically identified in the College catalog, such as the London Theatre Program at Goldsmith’s College, the Maastricht Education Abroad program, or the Washington Semester, are the only exceptions.

Before a Student Enrolls in a Course Elsewhere:

• Obtain course descriptions for any course(s) of interest at another institution.
• Discuss plans for completing coursework elsewhere with an academic advisor and secure his or her signature before proceeding.

• Visit the academic department that would most likely offer the course if it were taken here.  The department chair is responsible for the decision to approve or deny coursework for transfer to Muhlenberg.
• Return the completed Transfer Course Authorization form to the Office of the Registrar.

After the Student Completes the Course:

• Forward an official academic transcript to Muhlenberg.  Please direct academic transcripts to Muhlenberg College, Office of the Registrar, 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA 18104.  No outside coursework will be posted to a Muhlenberg record until an official academic transcript is received from the institution attended.
• If any type of financial aid was received through Muhlenberg, a financial aid transcript must be forwarded as well.  Failing to do so may jeopardize eligibility for aid in future terms.  Please direct financial aid transcripts to Muhlenberg College, Office of Financial Aid, 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA 18104.

Additional Information:

• No more than 17 transferred course units may contribute to the 34 course units required to earn a bachelor’s degree at Muhlenberg.   The College will accept no more than five (5) transfer course units during a traditional academic term (fall or spring) or four (4) course units for any type of summer term.
• Only courses for which the student has earned a “C-” or better will be considered for transfer to Muhlenberg.  PASS/FAIL COURSES DO NOT TRANSFER.
• Grades earned in transferred courses will not be included in the general Muhlenberg grade point average.  Graduation honors, however, are calculated based on all college coursework attempted, regardless of where the instruction occurred and whether it successfully transferred to Muhlenberg or not.
• Once courses have been transferred, they become part of the permanent record at Muhlenberg and cannot be removed.
• Many institutions use a credit system different from Muhlenberg’s.  For the purpose of all transfer transactions, the Muhlenberg course unit should be considered equivalent to 4 semester credit hours.  In all cases, Muhlenberg College can accept transfer courses only with an official academic transcript from a regionally accredited higher education institution where courses have been successfully completed.

First-Year – Transfer Coursework:

Students who have taken college coursework may seek credit for such work by submitting a college transcript, course description, and, in some cases, other course materials.  The Office of the Registrar, working with the appropriate Department Chair, will evaluate the coursework.

• If a student wishes such a course to be evaluated by Muhlenberg College, the student’s advisor should be informed during the summer advising period.  On the initial registration worksheet in June, there is an area to indicate that the student took college level work.  At the end of June the Registrar’s Office will send a detailed letter to these students informing them of what to send to the Registrar’s Office for course transfer.
• The following materials should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office before August 1:

• A college transcript issued by an accredited college or university and the catalog course description.
• Departments may, at their discretion, request additional course materials for review.

• Should the course(s) be accepted for transfer, an advanced standing form will be completed detailing the course equivalent.
• All materials should be sent to the Assistant Registrar.