Transfer Credit Guide
Once accepted:
Students must complete the study abroad worksheet (semester) or study abroad worksheet (summer) and obtain pre-approval signatures from the MIT Transfer Credit Examiner(s) (TCE) for each planned course abroad (if you need more information regarding HASS transfer credit examiners also check here). The pre-approval signature from the transfer credit examiner is essential to document how the credit will apply towards the MIT degree. Students will know before going abroad if the course is eligible for transfer credit.
When emailing the transfer credit examiners, please keep in mind the following:
- Email the transfer credit examiner the Study Abroad Worksheet with the first two columns filled in - “Title of Proposed Course for Study Abroad/Domestic Study Away Program” and “# of hours per week and # of weeks per term”.
- If you would like to receive transfer credit for specific MIT courses, please indicate that in the email, but do not add it to the study abroad worksheet.
- Include the syllabus of the course. If a syllabus is not available, include as much information as you can gather in the email. Reach out to Isabelle (ibitman [at] mit.edu (ibitman[at]mit[dot]edu)) if you are having trouble finding the syllabus for a course. It is particularly important to know the number of hours per week or semester because those hours determine the number of units.
- Most Transfer Credit Examiners will not need to meet with you in-person, but some will request an in-person or zoom meeting. They can sign the form with an electronic signature. MISTI requires a signature and a form with all columns completed – an email confirmation from a TCE is not acceptable.
- Transfer Credit Examiners work on various timelines. If a TCE says they will get back to you after the MISTI deadline (but before your departure), that is okay. Please let Isabelle (ibitman [at] mit.edu (ibitman[at]mit[dot]edu)) know you are working with a TCE.
- If you have reached out to a Transfer Credit Examiner twice and have not heard back, please let Isabelle (ibitman [at] mit.edu (ibitman[at]mit[dot]edu)) know, and we can help to facilitate a connection.
Study Abroad Worksheet FAQ’s
Students should start the approval process as soon as they are accepted into the program. Many host universities will not yet have a finalized schedule for the following semester, but that should not deter you from starting this process ASAP. We recommend you request approval for at least 7 classes in order to ensure you have back-up courses if there is a scheduling conflict.
You should consult the Transfer Credit Examiner (TCE) list to determine whom to contact. For example, if you took a literature course, then you would contact the TCE from the Literature department.
Registrar’s Office Reminder: Students should consult the Transfer Credit Examiner before starting a study abroad program to ensure the subject is suitable for transfer credit and to check if a minimum grade is required.
You need to transfer 36 units back to MIT. Depending on the rigor of the courses you are selecting, that may mean you need to take between 3 to 6 courses to fulfill that requirement. We would recommend all students take a full course load of at least 4 classes (some host universities will also have course minimums). We recommend you request approval for at least 7 classes in order to ensure you have back-up courses if there is a scheduling conflict or a course ends up not being offered.
There is often not a direct MIT equivalent subject for courses overseas. If there is no equivalent MIT subject, the transfer credit examiner may award elective credit or assign a special subject number. This will still count towards the 36 units of transfer credit.
Certain courses at MIT are not eligible for transfer credit with very few exceptions. These include CI-H, CI-M, and HASS distribution courses. The HASS Distribution requirement is that you must complete three HASS Distribution subjects, one from each of the following categories: HASS-A (arts), HASS-H (humanities), and HASS-S (social sciences). HASS concentration and electives CAN receive credit.
You can submit multiple copies to MISTI with different signatures on different pages):
- The first page AND second page (if applicable) of the worksheet is filled out.
- All seven columns in the worksheet must be filled in for each course.
- Signatures from:
- Your academic advisor
- Transfer credit examiners
- International Student Office (if you are an International Student)
MISTI requires that you earn at least 36 units of transfer credit, so you have the units reflected on your MIT record for possible use in the future. It can be helpful to show the additional coursework you completed when applying for graduate school. You can request transfer credit for general elective credit towards the total number of units required for graduation. This can help reduce the number of units you need to take at MIT, or simply increase the number of units you took while at MIT.
At the end of your study abroad program:
Ask the host university of program provider contact how to request an official transcript.
Once the semester is over, request an official transcript from your host university to be sent to MISTI at the mailing address OR email address below.
Mailing address for transcript:
MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives
(C/O Isabelle Bitman)
1 Amherst Street, E40-4th Floor Cambridge, MA 02139
Email address for transcript:
Isabelle Bitman – ibitman [at] mit.edu – Study Abroad Program Administrator
Once your transcript arrives at MISTI, MISTI will email you an electronic copy of your transcript.
Deadline
The completed Request for Additional Credit form is required to finalize your transfer credits. The completed form should be submitted to the Registrar's Office by the end of the eleventh week (drop date) of your first term back. If your transcript has not yet arrived to MIT in enough time to meet this deadline, the Registrar’s Office will work with MISTI to add the credit to your record after this date. You will not be penalized for a late transcript, but do make sure to request the transcript from the host institution at the beginning of your study abroad program.
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Steps to Complete the Request for Additional Credit Form
- Email the the transfer credit examiners that pre-approved your transfer credit the following items:
- A filled-out Request for Additional Credit Form (do not fill in the specified "Transfer Credit Examiner" section)
- A copy of your e-transcript
- Course syllabi
- Graded papers and exams
- Reading lists
- Any other relevant information from your course
- Some TCE may ask to meet with you, but many will sign the form via email.
- Once signed, it's important to make sure that for each subject successfully completed abroad the transfer credit examiner indicates the equivalent MIT subject number and the number of units (i.e., 12) on the form, and provides a signature. If there is no equivalent MIT subject, the transfer credit examiner may award elective credit or assign a special subject number.
- For HASS Courses: You will need to secure additional approvals on the Request for Additional Credit Form for HASS subjects. If the Examiner has awarded credit with a specific MIT subject number, HASS Distribution credit, or has recommended general HASS Elective credit, email hassreq [at] mit.edu for a final signature.
- Note about HASS credit: Generally, subjects taken outside of MIT are eligible for HASS elective credit only, with the HASS Transfer Credit Examiner’s approval. HASS Distribution transfer credit is usually not an option.
- Review Step #4 on the next tab and submit the completed form to MISTI.
If you did not pass a course, transfer credit is similar to the Pass/No Record notations for subjects taken Freshmen year. If you did not pass a course abroad, then the course is not eligible for transfer credit. You will not complete the Request for Additional Credit for a failed subject and the subject will not appear on your MIT transcript.
Submit the Request for Additional Credit Form to MISTI. Our office will review the form for completeness and will file it directly with the Registrar's Office. Transfer credit will be added to your MIT record when both your transcript and the completed and signed Request for Additional Credit Form have been received by the Registrar's Office. Transfer credit will appear on your MIT record with a letter S, rather than a letter grade. The letter S signifies that you successfully completed a subject but it is not used in computing your term or cumulative grade point average. The credit for the subject will count toward your Institute requirements. If you apply to graduate school in the future, we can provide a letter for the graduate school explaining these transfer credit policies and confirming your participation in the study abroad program.
For more details on transfer credit visit MIT's Registrar’s Office website at https://registrar.mit.edu/registration-academics/transfer-credit.
