Transfer credit or credit away

procedures for new transfer students interested in the Biology Major

If you plan to major in biology, see the Undergraduate Chair of the Department of Biology as soon as possible, preferably before beginning your first semester at Penn. Bring syllabi, catalogue descriptions, and if possible, notebooks and exams for biology courses you took at your previous school. You should also inquire at the Department of Biology Academic Office (Leidy Lab, room 102) to see if the courses you took have been evaluated for transfer credit in the past. Bring all these materials to the Undergraduate Chair who will review your transfer courses and advise you on appropriate Biology courses to take at Penn. An early conversation with the Undergraduate Chair can help you to avoid duplication of course work or enrollment in Penn courses for which you are not adequately prepared.

for students seeking transfer credit or credit-away for Biology courses

In order to obtain credit for any specific Penn biology course, the proposed Transfer Credit or Credit Away course must cover at least three-quarters of the material covered in the Penn course. A student who seeks Credit Away for a specific course should begin by obtaining the syllabus for the Penn biology course from the Department of Biology web site. An appropriate course from another university that does not have a matching course at Penn may be awarded a free CU, which may count as a free elective or, for appropriate intermediate or upper level courses, may count toward the Biology major.

A course cannot be approved for BIOL 101 credit, unless (1) the course covers cell and molecular biology, genetics, and plant biology, (2) the course is designed for biology majors, and (3) you complete appropriate labs as part of the course or as a related course. Similarly, in order to be approved for BIOL 102 credit, a course must be a majors course with laboratory, and it should cover comparative animal biology, major organ systems (including digestion, circulation, respiration, excretion, hormones, nervous system, and immunobiology), ecology, and evolution. Minor deviations from the course topics listed are acceptable, but substantial deviations are not. It is possible to get credit for both BIOL 101 and 102 by taking two courses which together cover all these topics even if neither individual course corresponds precisely to BIOL 101 and 102. If there is any question concerning the appropriateness of the proposed Transfer Credit or Credit Away course, a student may be required to take the departmental placement exams, given in early September or January. An introductory course in molecular (and cell) biology may qualify for BIOL 121 credit, but only if the material is covered at an equivalent level of sophistication. Courses which are not appropriate for BIOL 101, 102, or 121 credit will be considered for BIOL 091 credit.

Cautions:

In order to apply for Credit Away, you need to get the appropriate form from the Advising Office of your home school and a syllabus and catalogue description for the course you wish to take. The syllabus can be from a previous year or semester if the course has not changed. The syllabus should include lecture topics, reading assignments, and, if relevant, descriptions of labs. The catalogue description should include credit hours or course units, lecture hours, laboratory hours and dates, prerequisites (if any), and, if possible, whether the course is approved for the biology major in the school where it is offered. To obtain the required information you may need to use catalogue descriptions from catalogues for both the summer and the regular school year.

You should also inquire at the Department of Biology Academic Office (Leidy Lab, room 102) to see whether there is a file of previously evaluated courses for the school you wish to attend. Bring all these materials to the Undergraduate Chair or complete a Transfer Credit/Credit Away form at the Biology Department Academic Office, and leave this form, together with all the required information, as described above.