Transfer Credit

Courses must meet three criteria to be considered for transfer to Furman:

• The course should be completed through a regionally accredited institution. Credit from institutions without regional accreditation, including institutions outside of the United States, will only be considered with additional documentation to support the academic rigor of the experience.
• You must complete the course satisfactorily (a grade of C- or better if the course is traditionally graded).
• The course is directly equivalent to a Furman offering or otherwise fits into the liberal arts curriculum here at Furman.

Explore our guide to transfer course equivalencies.

Courses without a direct equivalent to a Furman offering may be considered to fulfill general education requirements based on a faculty review process coordinated by Enrollment Services. Consult with us if you have completed an experience elsewhere that you think might qualify.

A few more important items to know about transfer credit:

• Transfer credit cannot be accepted from a two-year institution once a student has earned 64 credits applicable to the Furman bachelor’s degree.
• Students on academic probation cannot earn credit through transfer.
• Equivalency for courses completed before a student has graduated from high school will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students should be prepared to present evidence as directed by Enrollment Services in consultation with academic department chairs, which could include course syllabi or graded work, demonstrating the courses completed were of appropriate rigor to ensure the possibility of success in future coursework at Furman.
• Credit will not be awarded for courses enrolled during the same term you are attending Furman.
• Credit will not be awarded for courses completed in any country on the U.S. State Department travel warning list.
• Grades earned in transfer courses do not impact the Furman grade point average (GPA).

Current students making plans to enroll at another institution, either during the summer, through a study abroad program, or while on a leave of absence from Furman, must complete a transfer course authorization. Submit the authorization to Enrollment Services with catalog-type course descriptions if possible, before you register for courses elsewhere to ensure that they will transfer. An official transcript from the other institution indicating successful completion of courses intended for transfer must be directed to Enrollment Services immediately after they have finished.

Furman recognizes excellence in a student’s preparation for higher education by awarding credit for extraordinary achievement in Advanced Placement (AP) courses and for exemplary work completed through the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programme. Credit is typically extended to students scoring 4 or greater on AP exams and 6 or greater on exams for IB courses. Credit for similar examinations conducted outside of the United States, such as International A-level exams, are evaluated on a case-by-case basis in conjunction with appropriate academic departments. Consult our current exam equivalency information for specific details about standard equivalencies.

Be aware too, regardless of your preparation, Furman may conduct placement testing in academic disciplines of interest to determine your readiness for instruction in the subject. Credit may not always be awarded on the basis of your scores on these tests alone.

A final critical note… all students seeking the bachelor’s degree must earn at least 60 of the 128 credits required for the degree through Furman courses. The final 28 credits must be included in this total unless you are earning a degree through one of our cooperative programs with another institution. Check out the university catalog for more details about academic regulations and degree requirements.