The Registrar and the department or program chair are responsible for the overall evaluation of non-Bates credit, subject to established guidelines. Exceptions to the established guidelines may 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, etc.

All degree candidates must earn a minimum of sixteen Bates credits. Degree candidates matriculating as first-year students, either in the fall or winter semester, must earn a minimum of twenty-four Bates course credits or approved program credits. Transfer students may transfer a maximum of two 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 and has earned or is earning credit.

Pre-matriculation credit earned outside the United States, other than IB credit, may require evaluation by an academic credentials evaluation service to be accepted for transfer. Instructions and application forms for evaluation are available from the Registrar's Office or from the Registrar's office web page http://www.bates.edu/admin/offices/reg
 
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 universityís 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 and graded in competition with college students.
  
• Credit must be earned at a four-year, regionally accredited institution; however, courses earned in an accredited community or junior college or any non-traditional setting may be transferable with approval of the department or program and the Committee on Academic Standing; matriculated Bates students must obtain these approvals prior to enrolling in the course(s).
  
• Courses must be worth at least three semester hours or five quarter hours or meet a minimum of thirty-six 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 units may not be transferred from another institution.
  
• 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 pre-approval of the Committee on Off-Campus Study. They must study on a faculty approved program, and complete their studies in accordance with the Committeeís guidelines. The Committee on Off-Campus Study is responsible for the award of approved program credit.

Individual departments and programs decide whether approved program credits and transfer credits that have been accepted by the College may also be applied toward general education requirements or the major requirements. The Committee on Cluster Development is responsible for approving any proposed cluster, including multiple courses taken elsewhere when those courses correspond to courses in more than one department or program at Bates.

A student who fails to finish by their anticipated graduation date may transfer credits necessary to graduate for up to two years afterwards. After two years, the student will be withdrawn automatically from the College, but may petition the Committee on Academic Standing for permission to complete the degree.