Make sense of the credits you’ve already earned.
Transfer credit can be one of the biggest questions when you’re thinking about changing schools. At Lawrence, we’ll help you understand how your previous coursework may apply to your degree after you are admitted.
Have questions about your credits?
You do not have to sort through it alone. Connect with the Transfer Admission Coordinator to talk through your previous coursework, degree goals, and next steps.
How Credits Transfer to Lawrence
Some of your previous courses may transfer to Lawrence, while others may not. Courses are eligible for transfer if they are applicable to programs and degrees offered by Lawrence, were taken at an accredited college or university, and were completed with a grade of C- or better.
Students must complete a minimum of 108 of 216 units at Lawrence University. In general, if you can find the same course listed under the same subject in the Lawrence course catalog, it should be eligible for transfer.
Final decisions about transfer credit and how it applies to degree requirements are based on an evaluation of your official transcript after you have been admitted to Lawrence. Academic departments determine how transfer courses apply to major, minor, or interdisciplinary area requirements.
Transfer students should expect to complete the majority of the work for their majors at Lawrence.
A Lawrence unit is a measure of credit, similar to a semester hour or quarter hour. Students normally earn 54 units in a year, which includes fall, winter, and spring terms. This is equivalent to 30 semester hours, or two semesters, and 45 quarter hours, or three quarters.
A standard 6-unit course at Lawrence is equivalent to 3.33 semester hours or 5 quarter hours. Credit accepted from other colleges and universities will be converted to Lawrence units.
No more than 108 units, or two years, of transfer work will be applied to the requirements for a Lawrence degree. See the course catalog for complete information about degree and residence requirements.
To have your college work reviewed for transfer, you must provide an official transcript. Your former college must send it directly to the Lawrence admissions office in a sealed envelope or through an e-transcript delivery service.
This review takes place after you have been admitted to Lawrence University. Transcripts in your possession, even if sealed, are not considered official.
If you are transferring credit from an institution outside the United States, submit your transcript or documents to one of the following evaluation services:
- Education Credential Evaluators, Inc.
- World Education Services
You are responsible for any fees charged by the evaluation service. The evaluation report will be used to determine the transfer credit awarded.
Transfer students receive a statement from the registrar listing the courses accepted toward a Lawrence degree. The evaluation will include:
- The Lawrence unit value awarded to each accepted course
- A list of courses denied transfer
- A list of courses pending review of requested information, such as descriptions or syllabi
- A statement of the work required for graduation
If you have courses in progress, they will not be included in your official evaluation. You will receive an updated evaluation after you submit your final, official transcript.
Transfer credit may be used to fulfill degree, general education, major, minor, and interdisciplinary area requirements. The amount of transfer work that may be applied is governed by residence requirements for the degree and by the requirements in the course catalog.
How transfer credit applies to major, minor, or interdisciplinary requirements will be determined by Lawrence faculty and academic departments. Transfer students should expect to complete the majority of the work for their majors at Lawrence.
You should know:
- A 5-unit transfer course, equivalent to 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours, may fulfill a 6-unit general education requirement with the approval of the appropriate academic department, a requirement for a major, minor, or interdisciplinary area.
- Transfer courses may not be used to complete the writing- or speaking-intensive competency requirements. These must be completed with courses taken on the Lawrence campus.
- If you are awarded 54 or more Lawrence units with at least one course from three out of the four academic divisions, you can expect to have the First-Year Studies requirement waived.
- You will work with your academic advisor and faculty in the appropriate departments to determine how transfer credits may be applied to specific requirements for majors, minors, and interdisciplinary areas. In some cases, this may involve placement exams and, in the Conservatory, auditions to help place you at the right level.
You must earn a grade of C- or better for a course to be awarded equivalent Lawrence units.
A regular course load at Lawrence is three courses in each of three 10-week terms: fall, winter, and spring. A standard Lawrence course is 6 units, slightly more than a 3-semester-hour course. Lawrence allows 3-semester-hour courses to fulfill 6-unit general education requirements.
Ready to take the next step?
The best way to understand how your credits may apply is to connect with us or apply.
