Transfer Approval Guidelines

Students who wish to transfer credits for an English course taken at another four-year college or university, whether in the U.S. or abroad, keep in mind these criteria:

  • Credit may transfer only for courses that are comparable to the work required for English courses offered at the University of Richmond. In the case of literature and/or film courses, this means close textual analysis, in-depth class discussions, knowledge of a variety of theoretical approaches, and carefully constructed and compelling written arguments. Generally, courses that are comparable to Richmond courses must be taken at a four-year college or university.
  • For credit to be given for an English course, the course must focus on works originally written in English (not translated into English). If you are seeking transfer credit for a course focused on work in another language (either in translation or in the original language), contact the chair of the Modern Literatures and Cultures Department or the Latin American and Iberian Studies Department.
  • Coursework may be taken only at institutions accredited by a regional accrediting agency at the time the work is taken.
  • The English department does not give credit for English courses taken online.
  • You must earn a grade of C (2.0) or better.
  • No transfer credits will be officially accepted or recorded until the UR Registrar's Office has received an official transcript directly from the records office of the college or university attended.

Steps in the Approval Process

  1. Students must email the chair of the English Department, attaching either a course syllabus or including a lengthy description with details about material to be covered and requirements, including examinations, presentations, and number and length of essays assigned.
  2. The department chair reviews course requests via email and responds via email whether or not the course is approved.
  3. If the course is approved, students must:
    • Obtain a transfer work approval form for courses taken in the U.S. from the Registrar's Office in The Refectory, or obtain a study abroad course approval form for courses taken abroad from the Office of International Education.
    • Complete the top portion of the form and attach to it a copy of the final email from the chair of the English Department.
    • Bring the form to the Department of English (Humanities Building 307), and leave it for the department chair to sign.
    • Allow at least a 48-hour turnover time for the signing to take place.
    • The department chair will email you to pick up the transfer work approval form from Humanities Building 307 and submit it to the Registrar's Office.
    • To complete the process, the Registrar's Office gives you the yellow copy and returns the pink copy back to the Department of English.
  4. If the course is not approved, students may need to communicate again with the department chair or make an appointment to discuss other options.
  5. Students must earn at least a grade of C (2.0) and have a copy of the official transcript sent to the University of Richmond Registrar's Office.