Transfer of Credit

A student may obtain credit toward the Wesleyan degree for courses taken during the academic year at another accredited U.S. institution or in the summer session of another accredited U.S. or international institution if (1) the courses have been approved in advance by the relevant Wesleyan department, program, or college, and (2) the grades in the courses are C- or better. (Courses taken prior to matriculation do not require preapproval and may include courses taken at an accredited international institution during the academic year.) Departments, programs, or colleges may impose other conditions for the transfer of credit, such as a higher minimum grade, review of coursework, passing a departmentally administered exam, etc. The Wesleyan academic record will not reflect grades earned at another institution; only credits may be transferred. The final amount of credit transferred to the Wesleyan transcript will be determined in accordance with Wesleyan's policy on transfer credit and the evaluation of the appropriate department. (As a guideline, it should be noted that one Wesleyan unit is equivalent to four semester hours, or six quarter-hours.) A bachelor of arts student may post a maximum of two non-Wesleyan credits (2.5 credits with a course that offers a lab) in any given summer. Study-abroad credits earned by students who currently are withdrawn or required to resign will not be accepted. Forms for permission to transfer credit are available at the Office of the Deans or on the Office of the Deans' website.

A student who wishes to receive Wesleyan credit for work done at an unaccredited institution must secure the sponsorship of a Wesleyan faculty member, the approval of the chair of the corresponding Wesleyan department, and the approval of the class dean prior to undertaking the work. (Courses taken prior to matriculation do not require preapproval.) To apply for credit, a student should write a statement that describes the work to be done and indicates the amount of academic credit sought. The statement should be endorsed by the faculty sponsor and the department chair and submitted to the class dean. The faculty sponsor will be responsible for evaluating the completed work and reporting the amount of credit earned to the class dean. For fees please see wesleyan.edu/studentaccounts/tuition.html.

Twelve-College Exchange Program

The Twelve-College Exchange Program is a cooperative program for residential student exchange between Wesleyan and the following colleges: Amherst, Bowdoin, Connecticut, Dartmouth, Mount Holyoke, Smith, Trinity, Vassar, Wellesley, and Wheaton. Two special programs associated with the Twelve-College Exchange Program are the Williams-Mystic Seaport Program in American Maritime Studies in Mystic, Connecticut, sponsored by Williams College, and the National Theater Institute, in Waterford, Connecticut, sponsored by Connecticut College. Wesleyan sophomores, juniors, and seniors in good standing are eligible to apply to any of the participating institutions for either one semester or the full year. Participation in the Twelve-College Exchange Program by Wesleyan students does not count toward Wesleyan’s residence requirement, but courses are coded for general education equivalency. Catalogs of participating colleges and information about the programs are available in the Office of Study Abroad. All courses taken on a Twelve-College Exchange Program will post to the student’s Wesleyan transcript with grades and count toward the Wesleyan GPA.

Tuition and fees are paid to the host colleges; no fees are paid to Wesleyan. Financial-aid students may apply their Wesleyan assistance, with the exception of work/study benefits, toward expenses at the host college. It is the student’s responsibility to complete any loan negotiations before leaving the Wesleyan campus. A Wesleyan student who participates in the exchange program is expected to abide by the rules and regulations of the host institution.

Students who wish to participate in the Twelve-College Exchange Program must apply through the Office of Study Abroad. Students may apply to only one college at a time. The deadline for submission of completed applications is February 1 for either one or both semesters of the subsequent academic year. However, applications will be considered as long as space is available at the desired institution. Completed and approved applications are sent by Wesleyan to the respective colleges. If rejected by the college of their first choice, students may apply to a second college.

Other Nonresident Programs

A small number of programs considered by the faculty to be of importance in supplementing the Wesleyan curriculum for bachelor of arts students with certain academic interests are treated as approved nonresident study programs. Participants continue to be Wesleyan students, pay regular tuition to the University, and are not placed on leave of absence. Information about these programs can be obtained from the Office of Study Abroad or the faculty member or office listed below. Students planning to participate in these programs should check with their faculty advisor and class dean concerning their progress toward completion of the major and graduation requirements. Participation in these programs does not count as a semester in residence.

The Woods Hole SEA Semester. Through this 12-week program, students spend six weeks at the Woods Hole Center for Oceanographic Research studying the chemistry, biology, physics, and geology of the oceans; marine history and literature; and maritime policy; and designing an independent research project. The second six weeks of the program entail lab research and sailing, navigating, and maintenance aboard a 135-foot vessel. See the chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences for information about the curriculum and application process.

Semester in Environmental Science (SES) at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole. The purpose of this program is to instruct students in the basic methods and principles of ecosystems science in a manner that enhances and supplements existing curricula in natural and environmental sciences at the colleges participating in the SES consortium. The program is interdisciplinary and offers a core curriculum, stressing team research and team study. See the chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences for information about the curriculum and application process.

The Urban Education Semester. This is a fully accredited academic immersion program combining an interdisciplinary examination of inner-city public education with supervised practical teaching experience in selected New York City public school classrooms. Each semester, students enroll in graduate courses at the Bank Street College of Education and work three days per week under the guidance of distinguished teachers. The Urban Education Semester introduces students to the theory and practice of urban education. Interested students should contact the Gordon Career Center.

Wesleyan-Trinity-Connecticut College Consortium. By special arrangement with Connecticut College and Trinity College, Wesleyan students may enroll, without additional cost, in courses given at these institutions. Normally, students will be permitted to take only courses not offered at Wesleyan. Enrollment is limited to one course per semester. Arrangements for enrollment may be made through the Office of the Registrar.

Dual-Degree Programs–Engineering. Wesleyan maintains dual-degree programs with Columbia University, Dartmouth College, and the California Institute of Technology. These programs allow students to earn two degrees in five years combined (three years at Wesleyan, two at the engineering school). While all three partners participate in the sequential 3-2 version, Dartmouth also makes a 2-1-1-1 track available in which students spend the first two years and their senior year at Wesleyan. In addition, Columbia University offers the so-called “4-2 option” in which students complete four years at Wesleyan before pursuing the BS engineering degree at Columbia. Provided that the necessary math and science courses are taken, this option allows students to pursue a wide range majors at Wesleyan before entering the engineering school.

AFROTC. Qualified Wesleyan students may participate in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) program hosted by Yale University’s AFROTC detachment. Students who wish to transfer credits for courses they successfully complete through this program may do so if (1) the courses have been approved in advance by the relevant Wesleyan department, and (2) the grades in the courses are C- or better. Students who wish to request the transfer of credit to their Wesleyan degree must do so through the same process and under the same guidelines as transfer credit from any other accredited institution. For details on how to transfer credit, please refer to Transfer of Credit from Other Institutions. For general information or assistance with Wesleyan AFROTC participation, please contact your class dean. For more information about Yale’s AFROTC program, please contact Yale AFROTC Detachment 009, 203-432-9431 or airforce@yale.edu.