Transfer Credit Information

Transferring Credit for Biology Courses from US Institutions

Credit for biology courses taken at other universities may be transferred to Duke, subject to University guidelines and limitations. In general, no more than 2 course credits can be transferred from a US institution while a student is enrolled at Duke or during the summer. Courses must be taken at an accredited four-year institution. Note that courses taken in Beaufort at the Duke Marine Lab are not considered to be transfer credit. 

See University Guidelines for the Transfer of Credit (PDF) for Trinity College guidelines and for a copy of the Transfer Request Form.

Transferring Credit for Biology Courses from International Institutions

Biology credit may be transferred from approved Study Abroad programs, subject to University the guidelinesand limitations. Note that credit for "Duke in ..." programs, including Duke in Australia (BIO 101), Duke in South Africa (OTS; BIO 137 & 138), and Duke in Costa Rica (OTS; BIO 134 & 135), are not considered to be transferred credit. 

Procedures for Transferring Credit

Before enrolling, provide the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in Biology with a complete description of the course (syllabus or bulletin description) and a completed copy of the "Tentative Approval" form. Be sure to list all courses that you are interested in, even if you don't take them all.

It is not neccesary to make an appointment - you may simply drop off your form in Room 135 BioSci. Your courses will be reviewed for equivalency, and then the approved form will be forwarded to appropriate dean for final approval. Forms are available online, from the Undergraduate Studies office (rm 135 BioSci), from your academic dean (for US institutions), or from the Office of Study Abroad (for international programs).

Applying Transfer Credit to the Biology Major

Transfer credit for biology courses may be applied to the requirements of the biology major, as determined by the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies. The Associate Director may assign credit as follows:
 

Duke Equivalent Course number:
Will meet the following major requirement:
BIO 888 = lower-level (<100) course, not equivalent to a specific Duke course. 

Will NOT satisfy any major requirement

(BIO 20L = transfer credit for Intro Bio prerequisite course)
BIO 999
 = upper-level (100-level) course, not equivalent to a specific Duke course. 

BIO Elective course only 

(unless specifically approved for Core Area requirement)**
BIO ###
 = equivalent to Duke course BIO ###

Will meet all requirements for the major met by the equivalent Duke course. Does not meet modes of inquiry credit, unless separately approved.
BIO 999L or ###L
 = laboratory course (>36 hours of lab) 

Will meet laboratory requirement of the major


**Your request must specifically note if you are requesting that a course satisfy a specifc Core Area requirement. Note that you will need to provide a detailed course description (syllabus) if it does not closely correspond to an equivalent Duke course. Approval of credit for the core area requirement, if granted, will be noted in the student's advising file. 

Transferring Credit for Physics

The B.S. degree in Biology requires proficiency in the material covered in a standard introductory course such as PHY 51/52 or PHY 53/54 or equivalent. Biology students are encouraged to take physics before their junior year. For some students, this requirement can be best met by taking physics at another university and transfering the credit to Duke. In order to meet the biology major requirements, transfer credit for introductory physics courses must be approved according the follwing guidelines.

Credit for the transfer of a physics course must be obtained from the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Physics. For information on this process, see the Physics Department web page:  http://www.phy.duke.edu/undergraduate/transfer.php. The Physics Department will determine if credit will be recorded as PHY 51 or 52 (for calculus-based courses) or PHY 888L (for non-calculus based courses). Students who take summer Physics courses outside Duke will have to pass an Equivalency Exam administered by the Physics Department to use the credit towards the Biology major. The Equivalency Exams are designed to test whether appropriate topics were covered, and passing should not be a problem for students who have had a reasonably thorough course.

Premed students might consult with the Office of Health Professions Advising to understand any implications of taking Physics away from Duke.

Duke Biology Box 90338 Durham, NC 27708 Phone: 919-660-7372 Fax: 919-660-7293