Overview
The Mathematics Department will review transfer credit requests for courses offered by a mathematics or statistics department and will evaluate them for Cornell equivalencies that begin with a MATH prefix.1 An external course will be deemed equivalent to a Cornell course if it is approximately 80% similar along the dimensions of scope, content, and learning outcomes to the Cornell course to which it is being compared. For more detailed information on university standards for transferring credit, please review the “Cornell University Transfer Credit Policy for Undergraduate Students” at registrar.cornell.edu/credit_evaluation.
Current Cornell students are encouraged to have courses pre-approved to avoid wasting time and money on an unsuitable course. For example, MATH 2930 is difficult to replace because very few universities cover such significant ordinary and partial differential equation content in a single course.
Courses labeled “college algebra”, “trigonometry”, or “pre-calculus” are generally not equivalent to any course that Cornell programs will count toward graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to speak with a program advisor before submitting such a course for review.
1 The Math Department can only evaluate introductory statistics courses for equivalency to MATH 1710.
Eligibility Requirements
College courses taken during high school may be available for transfer credit if:
- The course was a standard course available to all students registered at the college/university.
- The course is taken on a college/university campus with matriculated students. (Courses taught in high school to high school students are not eligible, even if the college provides a transcript.)
- The course is not listed on the high school transcript as counting towards the high school diploma or Cornell admission requirements.
For current Cornell students, external courses that overlap Cornell's fall or spring semester will not be reviewed unless the course is to be taken while the student is on leave.
The Mathematics Department has a strict policy of giving only in-person exams. Therefore, distance-learning / online courses may be considered equivalent only if all exams are taken in person and proctored on campus by the institution running the program (rather than by a proctor agreed upon by the student and the program).2 We require official verification from the instructor or department administering the course that exams are in person and on campus.
2 Due to COVID, classes offered summer 2020 through summer 2021 are exempt from the in-person exam policy.
Before Submitting a Course for Review
Before taking a course at another institution or submitting a course to the Math Department for review, please read the eligibility requirements (above) and familiarize yourself with your college’s transfer credit policy and program requirements. Not all math requirements can be satisfied using transfer credit.
New students who have taken college courses prior to entering Cornell should submit for review only those courses that can be used to satisfy a program requirement.
If your course is eligible for transfer credit and can be used to satisfy a program requirement, continue with Submitting a Review Request below. Your request will be assigned to a faculty member, and the faculty member will review the course’s content and contact you with a decision. If the faculty member approves the course, you may need a department signature (on behalf of the faculty advisor) on a college transfer credit form to submit to your college. This is also the process for external transfer students to have Cornell equivalencies appear on their transcript.
College Policies
Arts & Sciences – Transferring Credits
Submitting a Review Request
Before any forms can be signed, the department must review detailed information about the course you propose for transfer credit. Documentation should be for the semester you have taken or plan to take the course and should include the following:
- Course number and title,
- Credit hours,
- Course catalog description,
- Textbook(s) used for the course,
- a syllabus that includes course information and a detailed outline of topics covered (usually a weekly schedule).
After you have collected the above information, submit your review request here.
(NOTE: We will review courses for current and admitted Cornell students only.)
Your request will be routed to Heather Peterson, hko1@cornell.edu. She will forward your request to the appropriate faculty member for review and respond to you with instructions on the process (for your college) and next steps.
Requests take 1-2 weeks to review (sometimes longer during breaks) and may be denied due to insufficient information. The faculty member may request additional detail or ask to see the final exam or sample exams for the course. It may be necessary for the student to request more information from the department or instructor offering the course. For online courses, we require official verification from the instructor or department administering the course that all exams are in person and on campus.
Department Approval, Forms, and Transcripts
The faculty member will communicate his/her decision directly to the student by email. Some colleges will accept a forwarded email as proof of department approval. Other colleges require a college Transfer Credit Form, which requires a faculty member’s signature. This is all done electronically, and Heather Peterson will send you instructions when she responds to your request.
After receiving department approval and upon completing the course, arrange for the offering institution to send an official transcript to your college registrar. Refer to page 2 of each transfer credit form for instructions.
Forms
Arts and Sciences – Application for Credit from Other Institutions
Engineering – Transfer Credit Application Form