A student admitted to Barnard with fewer than 24 points of credit is considered a first-year student and is subject to all requirements for first-year students, including First-Year Writing and First-Year Seminar. A student admitted with 24 credits or more is considered a transfer student. 

To receive the A.B. degree at Barnard, a transfer student must be enrolled at Barnard (Morningside Heights, or at Reid Hall in Paris, Columbia in London, Columbia in Kenya, Berlin Consortium for German Studies, or Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies) for at least four full-time regular academic terms during which they must complete at least 60 points, including at least six courses in the major field (and three in the minor field, if a minor is elected). Additional major (and minor) courses, as well as general education requirements, may be satisfied by transfer courses. Transfer students are eligible for Latin honors when the Barnard grade point average meets the required academic standards. 

Transfer students entering with 24 or more points must complete 121 points for the Barnard degree, one point of which is for PE. 

Transfer Credit   

Courses completed at other accredited colleges and universities which are similar in content and depth to Barnard courses may be submitted for transfer credit. Transfer courses are evaluated after a complete official transcript is received in the Office of the Registrar. Students are asked to submit course descriptions with their requests for transfer credit to the Admissions Office.  Credit is not granted for courses with grades lower than C minus. 

Credit for approved work at another institution is applied to Barnard’s graduation requirement with a maximum of 61 total credits (60 academic credits plus 1 credit for Physical Education) and a maximum of 16 points per term. The 61-credit maximum applies to a student’s entire academic record at Barnard, including any credit from AP, IB or other select national examinations and diplomas; any credits transferred in from prior to Barnard; and any credits from study abroad, study leave, or non-Barnard summer courses taken while at Barnard..

Grades for coursework transferred from other institutions are not included in a student's Barnard's GPA and do not appear on the Barnard transcript.

Acceptable transfer work does not usually include applied or professional courses.  Specific course and credit maximums may apply to studio coursework (whether transfer or institutional) as outlined here. 

Students may not earn transfer credit for online classes taken at other colleges or universities after matriculating at Barnard. This includes credit taken in approved study abroad or exchange programs; credit taken while on leave of absence from the College; and credit taken during summer or winter sessions

For online classes taken prior to a student’s matriculation at Barnard, the following policies apply:

Online classes taken in spring 2020 and subsequent semesters will be considered for transfer credit, subject to the applicable policies/approvals.

In addition to the general requirements that apply to all transfer credit, online courses must also meet the following criteria to be considered for transfer credit:

  • Online courses must be offered by a regionally accredited college or university, and must be applicable to an undergraduate degree at that school. For that reason, MOOCs and other non-credit or credit-optional courses (e.g., edX, Coursera, Udacity, etc.) are not eligible for transfer credit.

  • Online courses must be offered during a defined term/session, with a definite beginning and end date, and may not be self-paced or entirely asynchronous.

  • Online courses must have structured progression through course material.

  • Online courses must include significant student-faculty and student-student interaction, in addition to assignments and feedback.

Only 1 point from PE will be used toward the 121 points required for the degree. Students will not receive credit for any additional PE classes.  Once a student has received 1 point for PE, they may receive credit for additional dance technique courses, but they may not receive credit for any further PE courses. (Transfer students who entered before Fall 2013 must complete 120 points and do not receive credit for Physical Education.)

Transfer students may apply for credit for previous summer courses under the regulations governing summer study. There is a 16-credit maximum for summer coursework, including summer courses taken both prior to and during a student’s matriculation at Barnard.