- What courses will be accepted as transfer credit?
- How do I transfer my most recent course work into CALS?
- How many credits will CALS allow me to transfer?
- How do courses transfer from quarter system schools?
- Do my grades transfer?
- Can I claim courses taken PASS/FAIL?
- What if the course at my old school is more or fewer credits than the equivalent course at Cornell?
- What if my courses were taken at an institution overseas?
- Can I receive credit for military study? for work experience?
Transfer Credit Evaluation Questions
- I just received my Preliminary Transfer Credit Evaluation and have questions.
- How can I get a course/courses re-evaluated or appeal an evaluation? And how long does it take?
- What do I do if I'm about to arrive at orientation and some of my courses do not seem to be evaluated? Is there anything I should do to speed the evaluation along?
- What should I do if I think there is an error on my evaluation?
Contact information questions
- I have read the information on this page and still have questions. Who can I speak with for additional questions?
- Where should I have my transcripts sent?
Transfer Basics
What courses will be accepted as transfer credit?
Generally, college-level courses completed at an accredited institution will transfer, provided that the grade earned on the course is equivalent to a "C-" or better (Starting Fall 2010 the grade must be equivalent to a Cornell "C" or better). The course must also be similar in content and rigor to a course offered here at Cornell. CALS must receive an official copy of a transcript from the offering institution in a sealed envelope in order for the credit to be accepted. Accrediting bodies include the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; New England Association of Schools and Colleges; North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges; Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; and Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
How do I transfer my most recent course work into CALS?
To apply your most recent coursework to your academic record at CALS, you must submit an official transcript to:
Cornell University
Attn: Torrey Jacobs
CALS Registrar's Office
140 Roberts Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Current CALS students who are considering taking a course(s) at another institution should fill out a pre-approval (can be picked up at the CALS Registrar's Office) prior to enrolling in the course.
How many credits will CALS allow me to transfer?
You are allowed to transfer a maximum of 60 academic credits into CALS. If you have more then 60 academic credits to transfer, you should work with your advisor and Torrey Jacobs in the CALS Registrar's Office to transfer credits that would best benefit your academic curriculum here in CALS. You are allowed to play "musical credits" up until you graduate, taking courses off your transcript replacing them with other credits until you are happy and confident in the courses you have decided to transfer.
How do courses transfer from quarter system schools?
CALS awards quarter credits by allowing .67 credits per each credit of study at an institution on the quarter system. A 3-credit course there will be awarded 2 credits in CALS. Your faculty advisor will work with you to apply these courses towards your major requirements, and Torrey Jacobs will work with you to apply these courses towards your college distribution requirements.
Although your transfer course grades are used by the admissions transfer counselor to make admission decisions, they will not be calculated into your Cornell GPA. Your transfer courses will not appear on your official Cornell transcript, however your advisor's will be able to see the courses that you took and the grades you received in order to better advise you in your academic curriculum here at Cornell.
Can I claim courses taken PASS/FAIL?
Yes, we are able to transfer in courses that have a grade of PASS/FAIL as long as it can be demonstrated that the coursework completed was equivalent to a "C-" or better (Starting Fall 2010, the course must be equivalent to a Cornell "C" or better). This might require the student to gather a letter from their past institution outlining that a grade of "PASS" is equivalent to a "C-" or better (Starting Fall 2010, the course must be equivalent to a Cornell "C" or better).
What if the course at my old school is more or fewer credits than the equivalent course at Cornell?
Generally, courses completed at another institution are awarded the credit that is outlined on the academic transcript from that institution. For example, a biology course earning 6 credits at one institution will be awarded an equivalent of 6 credits in CALS. If a transfer course is going to satisfy a major requirement, the student must check with their faculty advisor that the course work completed will fulfill the major requirements.
Coursework completed under the quarter system will be applied appropriately with a multiplier of .67 for each credit earned. Therefore a course completed at a quarter system earning 3 credits would make for a 2 credit course here in CALS.
What if my courses were taken at an institution overseas?
If you took courses at an accredited overseas institution, have the transcript sent to the CALS Registrar's Office for further evaluation. If the CALS Registrar's Office needs further information regarding the institution or program that was taken, they will contact the student directly to acquire such information. Please send transcripts to:
Cornell University
Attn: Torrey Jacobs
CALS Registrar's Office
140 Roberts Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Can I receive credit for military study? for work experience?
The CALS Registrar's Office awards military credit earned through an accredit institution. The CALS Registrar's Office does not award credit for non-traditional or experiential learning with out an official transcript from an offering institution. In some instances, if a student feels that they have mastered course material we encourage the student to participate in a departmental exam.
Transfer Credit Evaluation Questions
I just received my Preliminary Transfer Credit Evaluation and have questions.
- What is a Preliminary Transfer Credit Evaluation? A preliminary transcript evaluation is a review of all the college-level course work you have completed. The CALS Registrar’s Office will review all your transfer credit and Advanced Placement credit, determine which credits meet the college criteria set forth in the Non-Cornell Credit Policies, and apply those credits toward college graduation requirements. This is not a contract between the student and the college; it is a preliminary evaluation based on the information that the student has provided. Final college and high school transcripts are required before any credit can actually be awarded.
- When will I receive my "Final" Transfer Credit Evaluation? Your “final” transcript evaluation will be referred to as your Graduation Summary. You will receive an official graduation summary after the CALS Registrar’s Office receives your final transcript(s). It is your responsibility to request an official transcript be sent directly to the CALS Registrar’s Office. Upon receipt of the final transcript, your graduation summary will be updated.
- I’ve received my graduation summary. Can I make changes to it? Yes. During orientation (and throughout your Cornell career), you will meet with your faculty advisor and review your graduation summary. You and your advisor can make decisions regarding which credits should be applied toward specific major requirements. The CALS Registrar's Office is also available to advise you on the college distribution requirements. Transfer credit can be re-evaluated by you, your advisor, and the Registrar’s Office throughout your Cornell career. Adjustments can be made to the graduation summary until graduation.
- It looks like my most recent semester was not included in my transcript evaluation. The CALS Registrar’s Office has probably not received your final transcript. Please request an official transcript from your previous institution. If you have requested a final transcript and the credits still have not been applied, contact Torrey Jacobs in the CALS Registrar's Office.
- The CALS Registrar’s Office has received my final transcript, but some of my courses were not included in my evaluation. There are several reasons why a course may not have been included in your evaluation. First, you are only allowed 60 non-Cornell credits, so you may have exceeded this limit. It’s possible that some of the credits did not meet the college criteria outlined in our Non-Cornell Credit Policy. Or, it may just be a transcription error. Review our current policies and contact Torrey Jacobs for clarification.
- Why didn't I get credit from ALL of my previous institutions? In order to apply credit, the CALS Registrar’s Office requires an official, sealed transcript from each institution you have attended. Similarly, if you have earned credit through Advanced Placement (AP) exams, or International Baccalaureate (IB), an official score report must be received by the CALS Registrar’s Office, even if the test scores have been posted on a transcript from another institution. Transfer credit can be denied from the CALS Registrar's office for many reasons. Please refer to the non-Cornell credit policies and the college criteria for accepting college credits that were earned while in high school.
- It says "need syllabus" next to some of the courses on my transcript evaluation. Why? After reviewing the course title and description, an equivalent course could not be identified at Cornell. A syllabus can help ensure that transfer credit is awarded appropriately.
- I think that a course should be applied toward a distribution requirement, but it is not. What should I do? Bring a course description and/or syllabus to the CALS Registrar’s Office for review.
- What if I disagree with the final official Graduation Summary? Is there an appeal process? Yes. The CALS Registrar’s Office may request additional course information in order to re-evaluate a course. If you are dissatisfied with the final determination of the Registrar’s Office, you can petition through the Committee on Academic Achievement and Petitions. Petitions are available in the CALS Counseling and Advising Office, 140 Roberts Hall.
-
Why didn't the credit that I took to fulfill admissions requirements satisfy any of the distribution requirements for the college requirements? Admissions requirements, college distribution requirements, and major requirements are not necessarily the same. The Admissions Office may require students to complete certain course work before they will be accepted into the college. This course work serves several purposes ranging from helping the Admissions Office evaluate your preparation and ability to thrive at Cornell to ensuring that you have the necessary foundation for more advanced study at Cornell. The college distribution requirements are required of all CALS students. The purpose of the distribution is to provide a broad educational background and ensure a minimum level of competency in particular skills. Through study of the physical and life sciences, students develop their understanding and appreciation of the physical sciences, enhance their quantitative reasoning skills, and gain an appreciation of the variability of living organisms. The social sciences and humanities give students perspective on the structure and values of the society in which we live, and prepare them to make decisions on ethical issues that will affect their work and role in society. Written and oral expression is designed to help students become competent and confident in the use of oral and written communication to express themselves and their ideas. In addition to the college distribution requirements, students are also responsible for fulfilling the requirements of their major.
How can I get a course/courses re-evaluated on an evaluation? And how long does it take?
If you feel that a course should have been applied and wasn't, or was applied to the wrong distribution a syllabus will need to be provided to further evaluate the course in question. After the CALS Registrar's office has reviewed the syllabus and it the course does not fulfill a distribution requirement, the student is able to petition through Counseling and Advising once they arrive to campus.
If you are sending a syllabus for further evaluation, you can e-mail the syllabus to Torrey Jacobs for the quickest response, or you can FAX (607 254 4613) or Mail the syllabus to the following address:
Cornell University
Attn: Torrey Jacobs
CALS Registrar's Office
140 Roberts Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
If you have arrived to campus and are a matriculated student and the Registrar's Office does not fill that a course will fulfill a distribution requirement, a petition through counseling and advising will vary depending on when it is handed in. If you hand the petition in by Thursday at noon a decision will be made the following Friday afternoon.
What do I do if I'm about to arrive at orientation and some of my courses do not seem to be evaluated? Is there anything I should do to speed the evaluation along?
The CALS Registrar's Office makes every effort to evaluate all transfer students transcripts before they arrive to campus and apply the credit accordingly. If it appears that course work still hasn't been applied, please make sure that the most recent transcript has been sent to the CALS Registrar's Office. The Registrar's Office makes every effort to contact the students regarding course work that still needs additional information. If you see that a course is not listed and it should be, contact Torrey Jacobs in the CALS Registrar's Office to further investigate the transcripts.
Back to top of Page
What should I do if I think there is an error on my evaluation?
Contact Torrey Jacobs in the CALS Registrars Office. She may ask for further documentation or clarification on the matter and will work with the student to clear up the error.
Contact Information
I have read the information on this page and still have questions. Who can I speak with for additional questions?
For additional questions contact Torrey Jacobs in the CALS Registrar's Office.
Cornell University Office Hours:
CALS Registrar's Office Monday - Thursday 8:00AM - 5:00PM
140 Roberts Hall Fridays 8:00AM - 4:00PM
Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: (607) 255-2017
FAX: (607) 254-4613
E-mail: tkj8@cornell.edu
Where should I have my transcripts sent?
You should have your transcript sent to:
Cornell University
Attn: Torrey Jacobs
CALS Registrar's Office
140 Roberts Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Back to top of Page
Contact Information
|
Office Address |
Hours Of Operation: |
|
Phone: (607) 255-2017 |
Walk-In Hours: |
Important Links
University Registrar This link will take you directly to the University Registrar's course enrollment information web page.
Courses of Study This holds all the courses that the University has to offer, as well as explains each colleges policies and procedures for their students.
Academic Calendar The academic calendar will let you know important dates and deadlines regarding each semester calendar (add/drop deadlines, pre-enrollment, graduation, etc...).
Course, Time and Room Roster The course, time and Room Roster contains the most up to date information on when and where courses are being offered for the semester.
DUST DUST allows students to view their academic information, as well as advisor's to view their advisees academic information (degree progress, unofficial transcripts).For the most up to date information on your CALS distribution requirements please schedule an appointment with Registrar Staff, or come to walk-in hours.
Transcripts Use your net ID and password to order a transcript online from the University Registrar.
Distribution Requirements This document will provide you with CALS college distribution requirements as well as the courses that are currently offered and approved to fulfill CALS college distribution requirements.If you are interested in taking a course that you fill would complete a college distribution requirements, contact the CALS Registrar's Office and ask before taking the course.