Mathematics and Computer Science Transfer Credit

General Notes

A common misconception is that an Albion student needs a mathematics course to graduate. Some students have specific mathematics requirements for particular majors such a mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, economics, sociology, and public policy. Regardless of your intended major, it will certainly benefit you to complete as much mathematics as possible. Many courses, including some mathematics and computer science courses, fill the required Modeling and Analysis Mode of Inquiry and transfer credit does not typically cover modes credit.

Courses must contain an equivalent or greater degree of content and rigor. Some courses will directly substitute for an Albion course while others will only result in credit toward graduation. Students can only transfer courses above the level they have successfully completed at Albion; for example, Math 125 transfer credit will not be given if you have already completed Math 141. Certain majors require a specific Albion course and will not allow substitution of another course taken elsewhere. Also note that credit transfers while grades do not - a grade in a course completed elsewhere will not change your Albion GPA. No more than 16 units of coursework may transfer from a community college and your final 12 units must be completed at Albion College or through participation in one of our Off-campus Programs. Students may petition for an exemption by completing the form including a detailed explanation.

Introductory mathematics courses are some of the most common courses students elect to take off-campus. Students who wish to transfer credit for our Functions (Math 125) course should elect an off-campus course that is a prerequisite for a calculus course equivalent to our Math 141. Students who wish to transfer credit for our Calculus of a Single Variable I (Math 141) course should elect an off-campus course that has the equivalent of Math 125 as a prerequisite and feeds into a course equivalent to our Calculus of a Single Variable II (Math 143) course. Off-campus courses entitled Business Calculus or Calculus for the Social Sciences are not typically considered equivalent to our Math 141 course; you should elect a course such as Calculus or Calculus with Analytic Geometry instead. The course description and/or syllabus, not simply the course name or number, is used to determine course equivalencies. Please contact the department if you have questions on a specific course.

Incoming transfer students and new students with college credit during high school will work closely with the registrar's office for credit. Our department will work with the registrar to address any special considerations such as international course equivalencies.

Process

Current Albion students must have written pre-approval to transfer credit to Albion College. Planning ahead and starting early is a good idea when you are considering taking a course off campus. Do this as soon as possible to ensure you will be able to take an appropriate course. We encourage you to have all paperwork completed by reading day.

First determine the benefits compared with the cost of taking courses other than at Albion. Your academic advisor can give you guidance in this area and you should consult with them throughout the process. Albion prides itself on excellence in teaching. Unfortunately, this is not always the case at other institutions. If you struggle with mathematical concepts, our dedicated teachers and academic skills center staff will support your efforts. Mathematics and computer science students are strongly encouraged to take their mathematics and computer science courses at Albion.

If you feel taking a course off campus is your best option, the next step is to determine where and when you can take the course of interest. See the course equivalency links on the Registrar's transfer credit page to identify courses in Michigan and in off-campus programs that have been approved in the past and their equivalencies. See Michigan's Education Directory for a list of educational institutions in the state. You can use the Course Equivalencies page from Oakland University's mathematics department to help identify courses across the state with similar content to our courses (hint: use transitivity). You can also search for institutions close to your home using the COOL page on the IPEDS website. Note that not all courses with equivalent content have the same course number or course name. An official course description is required (a syllabus is even better). This can be obtained from the institution's course catalog, website, department, or instructor.

Next, complete the Transfer Credit Form. To save yourself time make sure that this approval includes whether the course is to be accepted as major/minor credit, elective credit, core credit, or is replacing a specific requirement. Courses taken for a major must have specific approval by the department chair. Students in the Education Program need to take a copy of the approval to the Education Department. Attach to this form a course description or syllabus as well as the credit system for the school you plan to attend.

Taking a course at another institution often requires admission as a guest student. The level of paperwork required varies by institution. Once you are admitted, register for the course. You may bew required to pass a placement exam to take a course and Albion's placement test may not transfer to another institution. During the semester work hard to ensure you have the equivalent of a 2.0 grade, otherwise you will not receive credit at Albion.

After you have completed the course, ask the school to send an official transcript to the Office of the Registrar at Albion College. The credit will appear on your permanent academic record when you return to Albion College.

Contact Us

Please contact the Registrar's Office for any general questions you may have about transfer credit. Contact the department specific questions about transfer credit for mathematics and computer science courses. Please include your name, your intended major/minor/etc, your expected year of graduation, the Albion course you are trying to fill, the institution and course you think is equivalent, the URL of the course description (if available), and the reason you would like to take the course during the summer. We will work with you to help select your best option.