Guidelines for Transferring Undergraduate History Credits

These guidelines are meant to help students who intend to take courses at other Universities, both abroad and in the US, and to transfer credit towards their History major or minor. They are also designed to help the Dean's offices of the various schools and the Office of International Program in advising students who plan to take courses away from Georgetown. Finally, they are intended for the use of Faculty members in the History Department who are asked to approve the transfer of credits for specific courses. While the primary focus of these guidelines is on courses taken abroad, they also serve as indications on how to deal with credit for transfer students and for summer courses.

The History Department strongly endorses the University's policy to encourage study abroad opportunities for students in University-approved programs. The Department will be very flexible in approving courses taken abroad, and especially courses taken at institutions and in countries where academic life and traditions may be very different from those common at Georgetown. At the same time, the integrity of the History major program requires that general guidelines be observed.

Students can transfer a maximum of four courses numbered 101 or above (for a maximum of twelve credits) towards the History major in the College. At least five courses numbered 101 or above (for fifteen credits) must be taken at Georgetown.

For the History minor no more than two courses numbered 101 or above (for a maximum of six credits) can be transferred. Moreover, at least three of the six courses required for the minor have to be taken at Georgetown; therefore, students with AP or transfer credits for European Civilization who wish to count those credits as part of a History minor can only transfer History credits for one course taken abroad.

Students wishing to obtain credit transfer towards the History major or minor must consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) in the History Department before they leave Georgetown and provide all available information about the courses they intend to take. While students can expect the Department to be most flexible in approving such credits, they must keep in mind that often it is impossible to evaluate the actual content and level of courses based on the information available from catalogues, and that therefore preliminary approval cannot be definitive.

The Department will only evaluate courses that have been accepted by Georgetown University for transfer credit. The Department's decision is on whether to accept the credits for the major or minor, not whether the credits should be counted at all.

On their return, students should contact the DUS and provide materials on the courses they took. The DUS will evaluate the materials and make a decision. In some cases, the DUS may also ask Faculty members whose expertise most closely matches the subject of the courses to approve the credit transfer. The DUS will then inform the student and fill the required forms. All requests will be answered in a timely fashion, usually within two weeks.

Students should bring back all relevant materials. These materials should usually include a syllabus or detailed course description, a reading list, and copies of all written assignments completed for the course (papers and exams). The syllabus or course description should include the course requirements, a list of topics covered, and the course format. If any materials cannot be obtained, students should submit a written statement explaining why the materials are unavailable, and offering information about the course.

In seeking opinions on courses taken abroad, the DUS will ask Faculty members who are not only experts in the subject area of the course, but who are also familiar with the academic traditions of the countries where the course was taken. Faculty members will be flexible in assessing the quantity and quality of readings and assignments required in courses taken at other institutions and will not expect a perfect equivalence to Georgetown standards.

Courses will not be accepted for credit transfer if their content closely matches and overlaps with the content of courses the student has already taken or is taking at Georgetown.

Courses will not be accepted for credit transfer if their content is limited in its historical elements (for instance if the course falls primarily in the areas of international affairs, contemporary politics, literary studies, art history).

In general, when students take year-long courses abroad for which the University grants six Georgetown credits, these courses, if approved by the Department, will also receive six credits towards the History major or minor.

If a course closely parallels a Georgetown course, the credit will be transferred for that specific Georgetown course. If a course does not match any offered at Georgetown, the Faculty member should determine not only whether credit should be granted, but also at what level. Credit at the 100-level will be granted for courses of the survey type and mostly consisting of a lecture format. Credit at the 200-level will be granted for more thematic courses, of lecture or seminar format, and requiring more substantial written work. No credits can be transferred at the 300+ level. Courses which do not require any written assignments cannot be transferred above the 100-level.