Skidmore College
Transfer credit Databases
Transferology
is a nationwide network designed to help students to obtain a preliminary evaluation of their transfer credit. Students will need to set up an account to get started. (There is no charge to set up an account.) Additional questions regarding transfer credits should be directed to Paula Puckett at ppuckett@skidmore.edu in the Registrar's Office.
Abroad Course Equivalency Matrix
Current students use the Course Equivalency Matrix to select classes for their off-campus programs; faculty and staff use the Matrix to advise students regarding classes and credits for off-campus study.
Please note – The Transfer Credit Policy below applies to both Transferology and the Course Equivalency Matrix.
Transfer Credit Policies for Coursework Completed at Other Institutions
Transfer credit is awarded at the sole discretion of Skidmore College and according to the general policies below:
I. Evaluation of Credits from Accredited Colleges or Universities
A. Students are required to complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of credit at Skidmore to receive a Skidmore degree (120 credits total). A maximum of 60 credits can be awarded in transfer credit (including credit by examination).
B. To earn credit at Skidmore College, all transfer credit must come from a regionally accredited, degree-granting college or university (including community colleges) or a program preapproved by Skidmore’s Office of Off-Campus Study and Exchanges.
C. Students who have completed work at other colleges and who wish to have this work credited toward a Skidmore degree must have official transcripts from those colleges sent directly to the Registrar at Skidmore. Course descriptions/syllabi for each course should also be submitted.
D. Students who wish to complete a semester/summer abroad or study away as domestic exchange students must receive approval from the Office of Off-Campus Study and Exchanges and approval for all course work from Department Chairs, Program Directors, and the Registrar’s Office prior to enrolling.
E. A maximum of 16 credits can be earned in a summer: 8 in one session + 8 in a second session (8 credits is the limit for winter term). Sessions 1 and 2 may not overlap more than 10 days.
F. Whether taken at Skidmore or in conjunction with approved transfer credit, a student may not earn more than 20 credits within the fall and spring semesters. An Application to Overload form must be on file with the Registrar's Office. The approval of any transfer credit will be denied if the total credits result in more than 20 credits.
G. If a course being taken at another institution overlaps with a Skidmore semester more than 30 days, it must be transcripted in the latter semester. A student may not earn more than 20 credits within the fall and spring semesters. An Application to Overload form must be on file with the Registrar's Office. The approval of any transfer credit will be denied if the total credits result in more than 20 credits.
H. With the exception of Skidmore approved abroad and domestic programs, students may earn no more than 8 maturity level credits away from Skidmore.
I. A letter grade of ‘C’ or higher is required to earn transfer credit. ‘C-’ and below will not earn transfer credit at Skidmore. Courses for which a Pass or Satisfactory was earned at the other college will earn credit at Skidmore ONLY if the college can provide a letter grade in addition to the Pass.
J. Grades do not transfer to Skidmore and are not calculated into the Skidmore Grade Point Average.
K. Foreign Language courses can earn credit only with the preapproval of the World Languages and Literatures Department. Students may not repeat a language level already achieved in high school or college.
L. Courses which are not awarded academic credit by the other college will not earn transfer credit at Skidmore.
M. Courses taken in disciplines offered at Skidmore are evaluated by the Registrar in consultation with Department Chairs and Program Directors. The Department Chair or Program Director is the final authority on credit earned in his/her discipline.
N. Credit can be awarded for an All College requirement upon review by the Registrar and, when necessary, in consultation with Department Chairs and Program Directors. Fundamental Quantitative Reasoning (FQR) and Applied Quantitative Reasoning (AQR) courses need approval from the QR Director.
O. Credit can be awarded for liberal arts courses taken in disciplines not offered by Skidmore upon review by the Registrar. If approved, these courses earn general elective credit.
P. Courses taken at other colleges in technical or professional areas are usually not transferable to Skidmore.
Q. Community college courses cannot earn Maturity-Level (300-level) credit.
R. Skidmore does not award credit from these programs: Semester at Sea, NOLS, Outward Bound, Coursera. Veterans can produce form DD214 to earn one Physical Activity credit.
S. Students may not earn credit for the same course more than once.
T. A matriculated student can earn a maximum of 16 credits through any combination of Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, the International Baccalaureate Program (IB), other testing programs, or approved college courses completed at a regionally accredited postsecondary institution that contributed to the high school diploma.
U. Transfer credit limits exist within select majors and minors. Please refer to the Skidmore Catalog and/or the individual department websites to review any transfer credit limits for a major or minor.
II. Evaluation of Credits from Post-secondary Institutions which are not Accredited
Students must have received approval from the Committee on Academic Standing (CAS) to study at a non-accredited institution.
Students who have completed work at post-secondary institutions (approved abroad programs such as Charles Cecil Studios in Italy, Glasgow School of Art in Scotland, language programs abroad, or Academy of Art in San Francisco, for example ) which are not accredited colleges or universities must have an official statement of attendance with a full description of completed work, including a final assessment, sent from the institution to the Registrar. In addition, students may be asked to submit syllabi and other evidence of material covered, e.g. art portfolios. A review of the rigor of the program’s academic standards, teaching faculty, and grading practices may be required. Upon recommendation of the appropriate Department Chair or Program Director and the Committee on Academic Standing (CAS) the Registrar may award credit.
III. Evaluation of Credits for People Holding a Bachelor’s Degree
A person who has already received a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree may not be matriculated at Skidmore as a candidate for the same degree. S/he may be a candidate for the other Bachelor’s degree, or may register as a special student and complete the required work in another major field. Skidmore has a 2-year residency requirement, and 60 credits may be transferred to Skidmore. All college requirements must be completed. Applicants who have earned a baccalaureate degree are encouraged to pursue course work at the graduate level.
IV. Calculation of Credits from institutions with a Quarter System:
Quarter System: credits are calculated by taking 2/3 of the quarter system credits:
6 quarter hours at the other college = 4 credits at Skidmore
5 quarter hours at the other college = 3.33 credits at Skidmore
4 quarter hours at the other college = 2.67 credits at Skidmore
(Some institutions on the quarter system are Northeastern U, Northwestern U, Ohio State, Stanford U, U of Cincinnati, U of Minnesota, UCLA, UC-Riverside, -San Diego, -San Francisco, Oregon State U, Portland State U.)
V. Calculation of Credits from other institutions:
Skidmore credits are articulated in semester hours. When transferring credit from institutions that utilize another form of academic credit (e.g. units, trimesters), the credits will be converted into semester hours using the transcript key on the back of the transcript.