Transfer Credits
Degree-seeking students wishing to take courses at other institutions and transfer the credit towards their Richmond undergraduate degree must request course equivalent evaluations from Registry Services, as well as official verification of the institution’s accreditation or recognition status in its own country, prior to registering for or undertaking the study.
How to request Transfer Credit Approval: steps to be followed by students and academic advisers:
- Research in to options and select some possible courses.
- Submit the proposed courses to Registry Services, using the Transfer Credit Approval form below.
- The Registry Services determines the Richmond course equivalents of the proposed courses according to the University transfer credit policy (see below), and the outcome is sent to the student and their adviser by email. They may then both check how the courses fit with the student’s degree plan and consider the most appropriate time for the student to complete the proposed courses.
Students may not register concurrently at Richmond and at another institution and receive transfer credit for work taken at the other institution, except in cases where their Richmond courseload allows for the other work to be completed. In such cases, the student’s specific situation should be discussed with the academic adviser and the Registry Services. If courses are taken at other institutions during winter intersessions or summer sessions at other institutions, students must ensure that the term or semester dates do not overlap with the Richmond ones for which they are enrolled, or intend to enrol.
If students intend to take courses at other institutions during summer sessions, the courseload permitted will be determined by the courseload policy of the institution awarding the credit. Students should apply as visiting students to the other institution and seek advice on permitted courseload. If students intend to study at another institution for an entire semester, they should request a Leave of Absence in order to suspend their studies.
On completion of the course(s), students must have a final, official transcript sent to the Registry Services. If the other institution offers official, electronic transcripts, one should be sent to: [email protected]. If the facility for electronic transcripts is not available, a student may other provide a sealed, hardcopy, or have the other institution’s registrar sent an official hardcopy directly to:
Transfer Credit Processing – Registry Services
Richmond American University London
Building 12, Chiswick Park
566 Chiswick High Road
London, W4 5AN
Transfer Credit from Colleges or Universities
Richmond welcomes applications from transfer students who have completed university-level work at an institution of higher education that is appropriately accredited or recognised by the relevant governmental agencies in its own country. Transfer applicants must usually have a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher and have been in good academic standing upon transferring out of their prior institution.
Transfer credit is granted only for academic courses completed with grades of C or above (or equivalent), and each course is evaluated by the Registry Services to determine its Richmond equivalent. In cases where no equivalent Richmond course is offered, the credit is awarded as either Lower Division elective credit or Upper Division elective credit. Students work with their academic advisers to determine how all transfer credit awarded best fits with the degree plan for their choice of major.
Up to 75 US/ 300 UK credits may be transferred toward the BA degree, which includes any applicable advanced credit. At most, 60 US / 240 UK credits may be transferred from two-year colleges where only Lower Division courses are offered. Only credit is transferred; grades and grade point averages from other institutions do not transfer, meaning that grades earned elsewhere are not factored into a student’s Richmond GPA. No credit is allowed for courses passed with grades such as P or S; all courses considered for transfer credit must be taken for undergraduate grade credit towards an approved undergraduate degree, and be completed with a grade on the standard for-credit grading scale at the institution concerned. Extra-curricular credit courses and courses that may be repeated for credit are not considered for transfer.
Regardless of the transfer credit awarded, transfer students must complete all Richmond Core Curriculum, major (and minor, if a minor is followed) requirements that are not covered by equivalent transfer credit. Students entering with advanced or transfer credit are ordinarily informed of their transfer credit awards prior to enrolment, and have the opportunity to review and discuss their proposed academic plan of study with the Registry Services staff members who have evaluated their courses and ‘pre-advised’ them. Where necessary and upon request, students are referred to academic advisers/faculty members for more specific advice.
All students registered for Richmond BA degrees are required to complete a minimum of 60 US upper division credits at Richmond, of which a maximum of 15 US credits may be transferred in. This equates to a maximum of 60 UK credits at Level 5.
All 6000-level courses must be completed at Richmond, and equivalents to Richmond’s courses coded 6000-6999 are therefore not considered for transfer.
Transfer students, as well as those who elect to study at other institutions after enrolling at Richmond, must work with their academic advisers from the outset to ensure that these requirements, along with all other degree requirements pertaining to their course of study, are taken into account. Questions about transfer equivalents, as well as queries and requests for explanatory information on specific transfer decisions, are made directly to the Registry Services by email at Registry Services. Responses sent to students are also sent to the academic adviser or faculty member concerned.
The Head of Registry Services makes the final decision regarding the Richmond course equivalent of courses offered by other institutions.
