New First-Year Students

Because academic success at the University of the South almost always requires four full years of high school preparation, the University does not normally award transfer credit for college courses earned at another college or university prior to a student’s graduation from high school. Students may be considered for placement in higher-level courses on the basis of such course work.

Students wishing to transfer college credits earned during the summer prior to enrollment at the University of the South must have those courses approved for transfer in advance by the University Registrar.

Advanced Placement and Baccalaureate Credit

Graduation credit in fulfillment of general education requirements and for elective courses may be obtained through many of the Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) higher level tests. Credit will be awarded subject to the following guidelines: A student earning a 4 or 5 on a given AP examination or a 5 or higher IB higher level tests may be deemed to have met one general education learning objective aligned with that AP examination, as determined by the Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee and the College Faculty.

• A maximum of one elective course credit (four semester hours) may be awarded for a score of 4 or 5 on an AP examination or a score of 5, 6, or 7 on a higher-level IB examination in any of the following subject areas: anthropology, art history, biology, chemistry, Chinese, computer science, economics, English, environmental science, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, mathematics, music, physics, psychology, Spanish, statistics, studio art, and theatre.
• If a student presents satisfactory scores on two distinct examinations in the subject areas of history or political science, a maximum of two elective course credits (eight semester hours) may be awarded in those areas.
• If a student presents satisfactory scores on AP and IB examinations in the same subject area, credit is awarded for only one examination.
• Students may earn a maximum of eight course credits (32 semester-hours) for satisfactory AP or IB examination results.

A current list of alignments follows:

Transfer Students

The college allows some transfer credits for students who have been enrolled as degree seekers at another college or university prior to enrolling at Sewanee. The University Registrar assesses transfer work on a course-by-course basis to determine comparability to courses offered by the College of Arts and Sciences and applicability toward a University of the South program of study. Academic work with a grade of C or above from other institutions is generally accepted for credit hours only. (No credit will be accepted for a grade of C minus or lower.) Grades for such courses appear on the transcript, but they are not figured for GPA, final class ranks, academic honors, or Order of Gownsmen status. As each degree-seeking student must earn at least sixty-four semester hours of credit at Sewanee, transfer credit is limited to sixty-four semester hours.

Quarter hours are converted to semester hours at 2/3 their face value (example: five quarter hours equal three semester hours).

The University of the South does not award transfer credit for course work taken on a non-credit basis or for “life experiences.”

Off-Campus Study

When students are enrolled in specific off-campus programs which bear a special sanction from the University of the South, the grades earned are treated as though they were given in the on-campus academic program. These programs currently are British Studies at Oxford, European Studies in Britain and on the Continent, Classical Studies in Rome through the Intercollegiate Center, and programs of the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES).

Students planning to take courses during a summer session at another institution must obtain permission from the University Registrar to attend and approval of specific courses to be taken. Forms are available in the office of the registrar. Summer study through any study abroad program other than Sewanee in China or South Asia, Sewanee in Spain, Sewanee in France or Sewanee in Russia, the WWII program, or the Sewanee program in Berlin must also have the approval of the Associate Dean of the College.

Academic Credit for Internships

A student awarded academic credit for a supervised internship through an approved off-campus program of study (e.g., study abroad), who also has prior approval from the major department to count the internship as part of the major, is normally allowed to transfer this academic credit to count toward a degree at Sewanee. This transfer of credit is subject to the approval of the Associate Dean of the College. Internships that are associated with such programs of study but are outside the discipline of the major are considered on a case-by-case basis by the College Standards Committee. Public affairs internships may serve as the basis of enrollment in POLS 445 through which credit may be earned. Internships offered independently of programs of study do not receive academic credit unless the internship has been recommended for credit by the Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee and approved by the college faculty. Students may seek Independent Study (444) credit when required by the internship site/sponsor and may consult the Associate Dean of the College about that process.