The Office of Admissions will review all your previous college-level transcripts to determine what credits may be eligible for transfer to American University (AU). Individual teaching units (schools, colleges and/or departments within the university) will determine how this credit will apply to specific degree programs and university requirements.

You can estimate what credits will transfer from your previous work through the Transfer Credit Articulation Database.

General Guidelines

Generally, all completed courses that meet the following requirements are transferable:

• Courses above a technical level (i.e., keyboarding, car care, sewing, etc.) with a grade of C or above from an AG-rated, regionally accredited institution.

• Courses with a grade of B or better from an AP-rated, provisionally accredited institution. These courses must be appropriate for academic credit toward an undergraduate degree program at AU.

• Courses titled "Calculus I" or a mathematics course for which Calculus I is a prerequisite can be used to satisfy AU's mathematics requirement, providing that the course was completed with a grade of B or better at a regionally accredited college.

• AU's college writing requirement may be satisfied by transferring six credit hours of acceptable English composition courses from another college and also passing AU's English Competency Examination.

Transfer Credit Hours

Grades earned in courses accepted for transfer will not be included when calculating your grade point average at American University. The credits will count toward the total number required for graduation.

A maximum of 75 credit hours may be transferred toward a bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university. A maximum of 60 credit hours may be transferred from a two-year college. If you have attended both a two-year and a four-year institution, a maximum of 75 credits are eligible to transfer, with no more than 60 of those 75 credits coming from the two-year school.

A maximum of 30 credit hours may be granted for work completed in college-level, nondegree correspondence or extension courses that are completed at a regionally accredited institution and that are determined to be appropriate for academic credit by American University. Official transcripts must be sent directly to AU by the college or university.

Transfer Credit Appeal

If you believe you have not been awarded credit for an academic course from another college or university, you may submit a formal appeal in writing to the Office of Admissions. A formal appeal should include an official syllabus from the course taken and a detailed course description. Please include the course number and title in your appeal letter. All appeals must be submitted during your first academic year at AU. Your request will be reviewed promptly, and you will receive a letter of response when a decision is made.

If you have specific questions regarding your transferable credit, please contact undergraduate admissions at 202-885-6000 or at admissions@american.edu.