In accordance with faculty legislation, credit from institutions other than Bates may be transferred to the Bates record.

For students entering in the fall of 2015 and thereafter, degree candidates matriculating as first-year students, either in the fall or winter semester, must earn at least 28 Bates course credits or approved program credits (such as Junior Semester or Year Abroad credit), not including Short Term credits. Therefore, the maximum amount of non-Bates credit, such as transfer credit or Advanced Placement credit, that may be applied to the graduation requirement of 32 earned credits is 4. Transfer students must earn a minimum of 16 Bates course credits, not including Short Term credits. They may transfer a maximum of 2 non-Bates course credits earned after matriculating at Bates. A transfer student is defined as any student who has previously matriculated as a degree candidate at another institution.

The Registrar and the department or program chair are responsible for the overall evaluation of non-Bates credit, subject to established policies. A transfer credit application must be filled out. Exceptions to the established policies may only be granted by the Committee on Academic Standing. All non-Bates course credits awarded are equivalent to one Bates course credit and two quality points. Please note: “non-Bates” course credits include transfer credits, AP credits, IB credits, A-Level credit, etc.

Non-Bates credit is awarded based on specific requirements:

• Credit must be awarded from an official college or university transcript, from an official Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test score report, or from an official document considered equivalent to a transcript by the Registrar.
• Courses must be appropriate to a liberal arts and sciences college, comparable in quality to those offered at Bates, and students must achieve a grade of C or better.
• Courses taken in a college or university’s continuing education or extension program must be applicable toward the BA or BS degree being pursued by full-time undergraduate students at that institution.
• College courses taken prior to secondary-school graduation must have been taught on a college or university campus, have been graded in competition with college students, and not count towards the high school degree.
• Credit must be earned at a regionally accredited non-profit institution.
• Courses taught online may transfer, as long as they are pre-approved by the respective department/program.
• Courses must be worth at least three semester hours or five quarter hours or meet a minimum of 45 class meeting hours to be eligible for transfer. When appropriate, quarter hours may be added together and multiplied by 2/3 to determine the equivalent total number of semester hours to be used toward unspecified transfer credits.
• Students may receive credit for a maximum of two courses taken during summer school sessions.
• All credits must be transferred by the beginning of the final semester of the senior year.
• Credit for Short Term courses may not be transferred from another institution.
• Students may not transfer credit into Bates that are the result of simultaneous enrollment (i.e. being enrolled at Bates during a semester while also being enrolled in a course at another institution). However, students who have a compelling reason to do so may request permission in advance by petitioning the Academic Standing Committee. In order for such credit to transfer into Bates, approval must be given by the Academic Standing Committee in advance of enrolling in the course.
• Students must be enrolled at Bates for the final semester of their senior year.

With the exception of summer courses, matriculated students who wish to receive credit for study outside the United States must have the preapproval of the Committee on Off-Campus Study. They must study on a Center for Global Education approved program, and complete their studies in accordance with the Committee’s guidelines. The Committee on Off-Campus Study is responsible for the award of approved program credit.