Department chairs and program directors evaluate transfer course content and determine whether the transfer course fulfills any degree requirements (i.e., academic distribution, cultures and civilizations, departmental major, etc.). Final approval is through the Dean of Curriculum or Dean of International Programs, who ensures that the transfer institution, the course credit value, and other course details adhere to Middlebury College’s transfer credit guidelines.

The complete Handbook policy can be found on this webpage.

The basic criteria for a course to be considered for transfer to Middlebury are:

  • Must meet in-person (ie no online or remote courses)
  • Must be offered by an accredited 4-year degree granting college or university
  • Must be at least 4 weeks long
  • Must meet for at least 36 classroom hours
  • Must carry at least 3 semester credits or 5 quarter credits
  • Must be standard grade mode (ie not Pass/Fail or Credit/No-Credit)

Pre-approval for courses taken in the U.S.

  • Students should obtain preliminary approval for any course for which they are seeking transfer credit before enrolling in it.
  • Students must obtain signatures from the appropriate department chair(s) on a transfer credit form. The chair’s signature is one step in the process and does not constitute final approval.
  • Students submit materials to the Registrar’s Office to prepare for final review. 
  • The Dean of Curriculum will review the submitted materials before final pre-approval will be granted. 

Transferring Courses After the Fact

Students may pursue transferring college/university courses taken before they enrolled at Middlebury or when the pre-approval process was not completed. 

  • Students are asked to complete the transfer credit form and must obtain signatures from the appropriate department chair or program director. 
  • Students submit signed forms and additional documentation to the Registrar’s Office. 
  • The Dean of Curriculum will review the submitted materials for approval. The Dean ensures that the transfer institution, the course credit value, and other course details adhere to Middlebury College’s transfer credit guidelines.
  • If approved, the transfer credits will be applied, but the grade will not be recorded on the Middlebury transcript.

Courses Taken During an Approved Study Abroad Term

Students must be pre-approved by International Programs/the Programs Abroad Committee in order to earn credit for courses/semesters abroad. Please see the Handbook and the Study Abroad Guidelines for full details.

Previous courses taken abroad and approved for major/minor/distribution credit are listed in the Course Information Database

If the course is not listed in the Course Information Database, students must complete a Transfer Credit Application Form and obtain signatures from the appropriate department chair or program director. Transfer Credit Application Forms are not necessary to receive general credit. Completed forms should be submitted to International Programs.

Office of the Registrar
Service Building - Second Floor
Middlebury, VT 05753