Transfer credit
Olin College generally does not accept transfer credit for incoming students. The Course Substitution and Transfer Board (CSTB) may grant exceptions on a case-by-case basis for incoming students who have demonstrated strong performance in rigorous courses taken at accredited institutions of higher education. Under no circumstance will Olin accept courses for transfer that were part of a high school dual credit program with colleges/universities.
Enrolled students wishing to take a course at another college and transfer the credits to Olin must obtain prior approval from the CSTB. A student will need to provide detailed information about the school and the course including, but not limited to, a course description and syllabus. Minimal conditions to determine appropriate schools and courses are 1) the institution must be accredited, and 2) the institution should offer, at minimum, Bachelor degree programs (note: community college systems with articulation agreements to a university or college bachelor's degree may also be considered). Additionally, if the Olin course requirement includes a lab, studio, project and/or shop component, the course at the host school must also include similar experiences to be eligible for transfer. On-line courses may be accepted provided that items 1 and 2 above are fulfilled. Enrolled students considering transferring Olin foundation science courses must show evidence of significant laboratory experience along with relevant content.
The CSTB will ask appropriate faculty to review the course materials before granting approval. If approved, the CSTB will notify the student in writing. Once the course is completed, it is the student’s responsibility to have an official transcript sent to Olin College. Provided the student meets the minimum grade (C or equivalent) requirement for transfer, the course and the credits will appear on the student’s Olin transcript; the grade does not appear. To ensure standard equivalencies for transfer, the course must be taken for a letter grade or equivalent. Pass/fail grading does not transfer to Olin. In order to receive a degree from Olin, matriculated students must earn at least 60 of their credits from Olin or BBW courses.
Approved coursework will appear on student transcripts with the name of the institution issuing the academic credit, the course title and the credits earned (in equivalence to the Olin semester credit hour). These credits are included in the cumulative earned hours total. NOTE: The pace of progression calculation for financial aid satisfactory academic progress uses credits taken away in both attempted and earned categories. See the Student rights and responsibilities for more details on financial aid satisfactory academic progress.