Transfer Credit

Transferring Credit for Biology Courses from U.S. Institutions

Credit for biology courses taken at other universities may be transferred to Duke, subject to University guidelines and limitations. In general, no more than 2 course credits can be transferred from a US institution while a student is enrolled at Duke or during the summer. Courses must be taken at an accredited four-year institution. Note that courses taken in Beaufort at the Duke Marine Lab are not considered to be transfer credit. 

See T-reqs for Trinity College guidelines on transfer and for a copy of the Transfer Request Form.

Transferring Credit for Biology Courses from International Institutions

Biology credit may be transferred from approved Study Abroad programs, subject to University guidelines and limitations. Note that credit for "Duke in ..." programs, such as Duke in Australia BIO 288A, is not considered to be transferred credit. 

Procedures for Transferring Credit

Before enrolling, provide the Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies in Biology with a complete description of the course (syllabus or bulletin description) and a completed copy of the "Tentative Approval" form. Be sure to list all courses that you are interested in, even if you don't take them all.

It is not necessary to make an appointment—you may simply drop off your form in Room 135 BioSci. Your courses will be reviewed for equivalency, and then the approved form will be forwarded to appropriate dean for final approval. Forms are available online, from the Undergraduate Studies office (rm 135 BioSci), from your academic dean (for US institutions), or from the Global Education Office for Undergraduates (for international programs).

Applying Transfer Credit to the Biology Major

Transfer credit for biology courses may be applied to the requirements of the biology major, as determined by the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies. The Associate Director may assign credit as follows:

**Your request must specifically note if you are requesting that a course satisfy a specifc Menu Area requirement. Note that you will need to provide a detailed course description (syllabus) if it does not closely correspond to an equivalent Duke course. Approval of credit for the menu area requirement, if granted, will be noted on the student's advisement report in DukeHub. 

Transfer Limits

No more than half of the courses used to fulfill the BIO major can be transfer courses (max of 5 for the major) and no more than half for the minor can be transfer courses (max of 2).

Transferring Credit for Physics

The B.S. degree in Biology requires proficiency in the material covered in a standard introductory course such as PHY 141L or equivalent. Biology students are encouraged to take physics before their junior year. For some students, this requirement can be best met by taking physics at another university and transferring the credit to Duke. In order to meet the biology major requirements, transfer credit for introductory physics courses must be approved according the following guidelines.

Credit for the transfer of a physics course must be obtained in advance from the Department of Physics. They will determine if credit will be recorded as equivalent to PHY 141L or 142L (for calculus-based courses) or PHY 100L for non equivalent or non-calculus based courses. If credit will post to the Duke record as 141L, that will automatically be used to fulfill the Biology major requirement for Physics. If a student is awarded PHY 100L credit, the student must petition the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in Biology for permission to use the 100L credit towards Biology major requirements.

Premed students might consult with the Office of Health Professions Advising to understand any implications of taking Physics away from Duke.