Undergraduate Major Manual:
05. Restrictions on Transfer Credit, Credit Away, CGS and Summer Session Courses

course unit restrictions

No more than two course units taken in CGS, Summer Session and/or at another university or college may be counted toward the Biology Major. CGS courses include evening courses, Saturday courses, and Summer Session courses that are taught in the College of General Studies. See the following for exceptions to this restriction.

CGS and Summer Session

If a student takes a Biology course above the introductory level in CGS or summer session, this course can be counted toward the Biology Major only if the student obtains prior approval from the instructor of our nearest equivalent regular, academic year, day-time course. The instructor may, at his or her discretion, give an oral or written examination to evaluate the student's knowledge in the area covered. One CGS course (BIOL 306, Histology) is accepted for the major without requiring special approval. BIOL 251/BIBB 251, BIOL 229, 321, and 323 taken in CGS may not be counted towards the biology major in the college.

Biology majors in the College of Arts and Sciences who must take CGS BIOL 215 should fill out the "Request for permission to count CGS BIOL 215 Towards the Major" form, which can be obtained in the Department of Biology Academic Office, Room 102 Leidy Lab. Once this form is completed, it should be left in Room 102 for Dr. Rome’s signature. This should be approved before the student takes CGS BIOL 215. A copy of the form, if approved by Dr. Rome, will be kept in the Academic office.

transfer credit

After a student has matriculated at Penn, no course subsequently taken at a two-year college will be eligible for transfer credit.

If you plan to take a Biology course at another university or college, you should first read "Procedures for Obtaining Transfer Credit or Credit Away for Biology", which is available in the Department of Biology Academic Office, and follow the directions outlined in this form before you take the course.

exceptions to above restrictions

The restrictions related to CGS and Summer Session courses do not apply to Biology Majors in the College of General Studies. For CGS students who transfer into the College, these restrictions do not apply to courses taken before entering the College.

The regulations limiting the number of transfer credits do not apply to courses taken by transfer students before transferring to Penn or to courses taken by Penn students who participate in a study abroad program at the University of Edinburgh, one of the University of London schools, the University of Melbourne, James Cook University, or one of the tropical ecology programs in Costa Rica (see Study Abroad Programs and Field Courses). Students who have two or more course units in the major when they transfer into the College from CGS or another university or college will not be permitted to take any additional courses in the major in CGS, in the summer session, or at another university or college, although exceptions may be made for the study abroad programs and field courses discussed in Study Abroad Programs and Field Courses, if approved by the Undergraduate Chair.