Credit from Away Policies

Advanced Placement (College Board) Credit Equivalencies for Each W&L Department

Official College Board transcripts must be received prior to August 15 in order for registration prerequisites to be satisfied and credits to be awarded.

Students are responsible to contact The College Board and request official score reports be sent directly to the W&L University Registrar. Use the College Board score reporting services described on the Sending AP Scores webpage and have all of your scores sent to W&L using the four-digit college code number = 5887.

Unofficial score reports, not received directly from the College Board, (e.g. from the high school or from the student) are not accepted by W&L for awarding degree credit.

AP scores, credits earned, and W&L course equivalencies can be viewed on your Workday Student “Credit from Exams” at the bottom of your Academic Record screen. Only scores that earn W&L credit are posted on your W&L record.

The Faculty has set a deadline: In order to receive Washington and Lee credit, all documentation (official score reports) must be received by the University Registrar before the end of the first term in which the student is enrolled at W&L. This is important for having appropriate W&L course equivalencies and class registration prerequisites ready in the database.

If you have questions about AP courses, tests, or policies, see the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program Web page.

Recently awarded credits: Credit is granted at the discretion of the department head(s) involved, according to the following departmental policies in place for the coming fall term. “FDR” refers to W&L’s Foundation and Distribution Requirements. If you receive credit for one of the following, make sure that you don’t register for the same W&L course number or you will lose your AP credit.

AP Subjects Not Considered for W&L Credit

• Art-Drawing, Human Geography, Research, and Seminar.
• Also, credit is not awarded for AP subgrades or subscores (such as in Math and Music).

Course Numbering

Courses with a number such as 2FLN or 1SCN represent course level, if the course meets a Foundation and Distribution requirement (FDR), and if the course counts toward the major. Example: SPAN 2FLM = Spanish elective, 200-level, meets FL, may be used for the major; BIOL 1SLN = Biology elective, 100-level, meets SL, may not be used for the major.

A-level Requests

International A-levels are based on the well-established and internationally recognized A-level examinations, which are the most widely used qualification for entry to British universities. (See the Cambridge International AS & A Level Subjects webpage.) A-level examinations are typically taken by students two years after O-level or IGCSE examinations. International A-level syllabi are offered in numerous academic subject areas. In some subject areas (such as geography and history) the provision includes a range of options tailored to candidates in specific parts of the world. In addition, a wide range of language and other syllabuses to meet specific local needs is offered especially for candidates in certain countries.

Students are required to submit official A-level results (not just a secondary-school’s preliminary report of scores or a student’s photocopy) and, often, to meet with the appropriate W&L department head before credit is awarded. Preliminary scores may be used for initial placement and registration. Typically only grades of B or higher are considered for credit. No grade below C is considered and only rarely is credit awarded for a C. Test results should include the testing agency (Cambridge International, OCR, or Edexcel) and syllabus number. Syllabi or examples of written work are requested occasionally requested by faculty if needed to determine placement determinations. Most typically, the credit awarded is one or two terms at the introductory level.

No degree credit is awarded for AS-, AO- or O-level results. Additional disciplines may be added to the table below as requests are received and syllabi approved for credit by the relevant W&L department.

Transcripts should always be brought or sent directly to:

University Registrar
Washington and Lee University
Lexington VA 24450-2116

AICE Examination Results

The Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) is an international pre-university curriculum and examination system, which administered its first examinations in 1996 and is now an option for students graduating from secondary schools in Florida

The AICE program has the following aims: to provide a broad and balanced pre-university qualification; to encourage good teaching practice and curriculum development; to promote tolerance and understanding through courses of international relevance taught in English; to provide professional assessment of students’ performance and establish objective, internationally recognized standards of attainment.

AICE is a ‘group’ certificate, awarded on the basis of a broad and balanced curriculum of five full-credit courses or their equivalent. Each full-credit course represents at least 200 hours of specialized subject teaching. Full-credit courses are offered in a wide range of academic subjects, and there are also half-credit courses which represent at least 100 hours of teaching time. It is not compulsory for students to follow the full five-subject program; individual subjects can be taken.

Because few US universities have developed policies and no AICE student has requested credit at Washington and Lee, W&L will consider syllabi and results on a case-by-case basis, both for admission and for placement or credit.

For further information on any aspect of AICE, please contact:

Cambridge International Examinations
1 Hills Road
Cambridge CB1 2EU United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1223 553553
Fax: +44 1223 553558
e-mail: international@ucles.org.uk

Official records should always be sent directly to :

University Registrar
204 W. Washington Street
Washington and Lee University
Lexington VA 24450-2116

The Abitur is the certification that a student has successfully completed the German college-preparatory educational program and has scored passing grades on the Abitur examinations administered during the final year of secondary school. In almost all cases, the Abitur is required for entrance to German universities.

Although a student does not actually enter the Abitur track until grade 11, preparation for it begins in grade 7. Nationally, only the top 20 percent of the German student population enters the Abitur track. Admission to the Abitur program is granted if the student has been enrolled in the pre-Abitur courses conducted in grade 10 and if the student receives passing grades on the Vergleichsarbeiten, Berlin’s centralized examinations determining successful completion of German intermediate school (grades 7 through 10).

Requirements for the Abitur (Grades 7 through 13)

German/English

German Each year, grades 7 - 13
(All Abitur candidates in grade 11 must have at least the D-2 level of proficiency in German.)
English Each year, grades 7 - 13

Foreign Languages

French 5 years (grades 7 - 11) or 3 years (grades 11 - 13) or
Latin 4 years grades (9 - 12)

Other Subjects

Social Studies Each year, grades 7 - 13 with various emphasis on geography, history, or political science

Mathematics Each year, grades 7 - 13 preparing students for calculus in grade 11

Music and Art: 2 hours each per week, grades 7 - 8, 1 hour each per week, grades 9 - 10

Physical Education: 3 hours per week, grades 7 - 8, 2 hours per week, grades 9 - 13

Religion - Protestant

Sciences

Biology: 2 hours per week, grades 7, 9 - 11
Chemistry: 2 hours per week, grades 8 - 11
Physics: 2 hours per week, grades 8 - 11

N.B. In grades 12 and 13 one science (physics, chemistry, or biology) is required.
If biology is selected, an additional year of physics or chemistry is required.
A total of eight math and science courses are required in grades 12 and 13.

In addition to the above requirements, a student must select two subjects as Leistungskurse (honors courses) each year in grades 11 through 13. One of them must be mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, a foreign language, or German. The second Leistungskurse may be selected from any of the Leistungskurse offered that year. Generally, a student receives 33 to 35 hours of instruction per week in grades 7 through 13.

Abitur Examinations

The Abitur examinations are offered in the spring of each year. Students are admitted as candidates for the Abitur upon successful completion of all requirements. Abitur exams are given in both Leistungskurse (honors courses) and two additional Grundkurse (basic courses) selected by the student. One of the Grundkurs exams is oral; the other three, written.

W&L Credit Recommendations for Abitur Results

Credit will be considered only for the four subjects of the Abiturprufungen (final examination) portion of the Abitur. Students may appeal to the appropriate department head for consideration of credit for Abitur examination scores of 10 or higher on the 15-point scale. Upon departmental recommendation, students may receive one, and no more than two, terms of introductory-level credit for each qualifying examination (i.e. no more than eight credits total for each subject). Abitur scores not eligible for credit may be considered for placement consideration (no credit awarded); such placement decisions must be made by the appropriate department head. The Abitur “total score” is not used to determine credit eligibility; credit is based on examination-subject scores alone.

European institutions are moving quickly to standardizing units of academic credit under the European Credit Transfer System. Because approximately 60% of W&L’s undergraduate students study abroad at some point during their academic careers, it is important that we standardize transfer of credit.

The National Council on the Evaluation of Foreign Academic Credentials has provided the following information on the ECTS system.

"ECTS credit has the following characteristics:

1. One ECTS credit represents between 24 and 30 hours.
2. ECTS credits are awarded only upon the completion of work and the assessment of that work.
3. Work may be completed through a variety of methods and is not expressed solely in terms of contact hours.

Council recommendation:

One ECTS credit is comparable to one half (.50) semester credit [.75 quarter credit] at a regionally accredited post-secondary institution in the United States."

W&L’s faculty has approved establishing a permanent conversion rate for credits transferred from consistent with practice at many colleague American institutions and as recommended by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and the National Council on the Evaluation of Foreign Academic Credentials.

Two (2) ECTS credits will be credited as one (1) W&L credit. Since W&L doesn’t award fractional credit in transfer, a 5 ECTS course abroad will only receive 2 W&L credits and will thus often not meet FDR or other similar requirements.

Seven-College Exchange

Since 1972, W&L has had an exchange agreement with Hampden-Sydney College, Hollins University, Mary Baldwin University, Randolph-Macon College, Randolph College (formerly Randolph-Macon Woman’s College), and Sweet Briar College, to allow students to attend part-time or to spend a term or an academic year at a member institution. Students must have a minimum 2.500 cumulative grade-point average in order to study elsewhere under this program. See the Exchange Agreement for details.

• Exchange Agreement
• Application
• Contact: Registrar

Rockbridge Teacher Education Consortium (RTEC) - Southern Virginia University Exchange

The Rockbridge Teacher Education Consortium (RTEC) is a cooperative effort led by Washington and Lee and including Southern Virginia University (SVU), through which students from W&L may take upper-level teacher-education classes at each institution. The purpose of this arrangement is to maximize the use of our respective teaching resources while offering the greatest amount of diversity in educational opportunity to our students. See the RTEC: Rockbridge Teacher Consortium webpage for details.

VMI Exchange

The Virginia Military Institute is located next door to W&L, and allows students to take courses in various academic disciplines including teacher education that are not offered on a regular basis at W&L. Students must have a minimum 2.500 cumulative grade-point average in order to study elsewhere under this program. See the Exchange Agreement for details. (This is not the program for Army ROTC students.)

• Exchange Agreement & Application
• VMI Academic Calendar
• Contact: Registrar

Approved Study Abroad

W&L has agreements in place with the following international universities. More information is available from the Center for International Education.

Undergraduate Exchange Agreements:

• Bayreuth University, Germany
• International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan

Law Exchange Agreements

Washington and Lee University will consider for credit or advanced placement only IB courses with Higher-Level examination results of 5, 6 or 7. Standard-Level results do not receive W&L credit. Specific credit and placement policies are available on this page.

Official IB transcripts must be received prior to August 15 in order for registration prerequisites to be satisfied and credits to be awarded. W&L`s IB reference ID is N001515. 

Students are responsible to request an official transcript be sent directly to the W&L University Registrar. IBO only accepts the request on an IBO transcript request form submitted to them by mail (not fax) and full details and fees are outlined on the IBO website. Transcripts are forwarded electronically from the IB office to the W&L University Registrar once students have authorized the release of results to W&L.

IB scores and credit can be viewed on your Student profile in Workday using the “Academics” screen; W&L course equivalencies earned are viewable on the “Transfer Credit” and “Academic History” views. Only scores that earn W&L credit are posted on your W&L record.

The Faculty has set a deadline: In order to receive Washington and Lee credit, all documentation (official transcript of IB work) must be received by the University Registrar before the end of the first term in which the student is enrolled at W&L.

Recently awarded credits: Credit is granted at the discretion of the department head(s) involved, according to the following departmental policies in place for the coming fall term. “FDR” refers to W&L’s Foundation and Distribution Requirements. If you receive credit for any of the following, make sure you don’t register for the same W&L course number or you will lose your IB credit:

At this time, no W&L credit is awarded in the following IB areas or for SL results:

• Business & Management
• Design Technology
• English B
• Film
• Information Technology in Global Society
• Music
• Philosophy

To date, no Higher-Level results have been presented to W&L for the following IB areas, so no credit determination has been made:

• Classical Languages (Greek, Latin)
• Dance
• Sports, Exercise, and Health Science

Course numbering:

Courses with a number such as 2FLN or 1SCN represent course level, if the course meets a Foundation and Distribution requirement (FDR), and if the course counts toward the major. Example: SPAN 2FLM = Spanish elective, 200-level, meets FL, may be used for the major; BIOL 1SLN = Biology elective, 100-level, meets SL, may not be used for the major.

FAQ

IB Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Summary of Faculty Policies Adapted from the University Catalog

W&L’s transfer-of-credit policies (established by the W&L faculty) and procedures (administered by the University Registrar and Director of Law Records) are consistent with the Joint Statement on the Transfer and Award of Credit.

Only work comparable to that at Washington and Lee in level, nature, and field may be accepted for degree credit.

Credits for courses completed at another college or university accredited by one of the six regional accrediting agencies of the United States or an approved international institution, with a grade of C (2.0) or higher, may be considered for transfer to Washington and Lee to be used as degree credit. Grades for these courses, however, will not be transferred, and a student’s cumulative grade-point average will include only work attempted at Washington and Lee.

For courses taken online, no credit will be awarded if the work was begun prior to initial matriculation at Washington and Lee. Up to two courses (6-8 credits) taken online after matriculation may be used for degree requirements only with the permission of the department or program head in the appropriate discipline or, if the discipline is not represented at Washington and Lee, from the appropriate Associate Dean of The College.

A student admitted as a transfer may receive no more than 60 credits for work transferred. Such credits are assigned by the appropriate department head and the University Registrar at the discretion of the appropriate dean. Transfer students must complete at least six terms of full-time study at Washington and Lee prior to receiving a degree.

Limits on External Credits

• External credit upon entry to W&L: Entering first-year students may receive a maximum of 30 credits from any and all non-W&L courses (AP, IB, college courses while in high school, etc). Of the 30, no more than nine credits may be counted toward the requirements for a particular major with departmental approval; individual departments may set a limit of less than nine credits counted toward the major.
• Last date to receive credit upon initial entrance to W&L: All paperwork must be in the University Registrar’s Office by the last day of fall-term classes.
• Total external credit toward W&L degree: No more than 60 of the 120 credits required for the W&L degree may be earned elsewhere or by any other means than through courses offered at W&L or through formal exchanges (e.g. VMI, Mary Baldwin Spelman, etc.). In other words, first-year incoming credits, transfer credits, courses taken abroad, etc. will not count in the 60 credits to be taken at W&L.
• Transfer students: Students admitted as transfer students (after the first year) may transfer up to 60 credits from all sources. Continuing education students, at the point of their admission as degree-seeking students, also have this privilege.
• Last date to receive credit for off-campus study: All paperwork must be in the University Registrar’s Office by the last day of the term you return to W&L.

First-year Students’ Requests for Transfer Credit

First-Years who wish to be awarded credit at Washington and Lee for courses previously taken at another college or university should submit a First-year Credit Transfer Form with the requested information (course description and syllabus, official college transcript, information on instructor, location and texts) by June 30. These courses are often prerequisites for work First-Years plan to undertake in their first term, so it is important to have the records sent as soon as possible. No college credit will be awarded if it has been used to meet one of Washington and Lee’s entrance requirements. For instance, the first four years of English from high school are required for admission and will not be transferred to meet writing degree requirements. If additional work in literature has been completed, it may be considered next summer. Similarly: three years of math, three years of language, etc. All paperwork (transcripts, forms, syllabi) must arrive prior to the last class day of the student’s first term of enrollment at W&L

Advanced Standing Credit in Mathematics

If a student is given Advanced Standing placement in Math 102 (by way of AP scores, IB scores or the department placement exam) and successfully completes that course in their first year at W&L with a grade of C or better, full credit will be awarded for any calculus course(s) skipped. This Advanced Standing placement option is available only to First-Year students during Fall or Winter terms.

Credit for Service in the Military

Students who have had two years of active service in the armed forces are, upon completion of all other credits required for a degree, given credit for the physical education requirement for a degree; students who have had six months of active service are given credit for one term toward the physical education requirement for a degree.

Under the Reserve Officers Candidate program of the U.S. Navy, a student who completes the ROC-TWO summer course with grade C (2.0) or better may be granted two elective credits. A student who completes the summer programs for Platoon Leaders of the U.S. Marine Corps may be granted four elective credits.

ROTC Transfer Credit Policy

Washington and Lee grants up to 12 transfer credit hours toward graduation for successful completion of the ROTC courses offered at VMI. These military science credits are transferred upon receipt of the VMI transcript at the end of each term and do not count toward each term’s full-time course load or toward W&L grade-point averages. Washington and Lee students may receive credit for their ROTC physical training to a maximum of three 100-level courses. One course (typically for aerobic running) may be used toward the FDR requirement, while two additional credits, if approved by the department, may be used toward elective credits for the degree. See the University Registrar’s Forms webpage for the policy and declaration form.

Internships (See the full policy)

Washington and Lee awards “credit for education, not experience.” Credits will be awarded only for internships that contribute toward learning, as specified by departments listing all internship experiences as a 450- or 460-level course. A maximum of nine credits of internship, exclusive of student teaching facilitated by W&L Teacher Education faculty, may be used to meet degree requirements. Not all summer-work experiences qualify for degree credit. The value of summer work lies in experience and networking. The requirement of some employers that students must receive academic credit in order to be considered for employment has absolutely no bearing on the academic department or program’s decision regarding degree-credit approval. The decision to award degree credit will be based on the educational merits of the internship experience as determined by university faculty or qualified staff.

Study Abroad

Students interested in study abroad should consult with the Center for International Education (CIE) and the international education policies and procedures webpage. Pre-approved courses will have credit transferred once an official transcript for the work has been received by the CIE. The approval of credit hours applied to major requirements and the level at which they are applied (100, 200, etc.) will be determined by the appropriate department/program head or dean at W&L. No strict correlation exists between contact hours in courses taken off campus and credit hours awarded by W&L. Students studying abroad in a non-English speaking host culture will be required to study the language of that culture at an appropriate level during the period of their enrollment there. While abroad, the W&L student must maintain a full-time load of courses appropriate to your W&L program. The online application form with complete study abroad policies and guidelines are found on the Study Abroad Application portal. 

Transfer Summer Credit

Students who have taken academic work at Washington and Lee, and who wish to count toward degree credit summer work taken subsequently at another institution, must meet certain conditions:

A. Verification that the college or university is accredited by one of the six regional accrediting agencies of the United States must be secured. Approval of courses is secured from heads of departments or programs offering the corresponding work at Washington and Lee University. Approval of courses taken for credit at scientific research laboratories and field stations may be granted at the discretion of the department concerned.

In order to assure that students receive credit for summer course work, it is recommended that they seek the advice and approval of the appropriate department head and dean before enrolling for the courses. However, if students apply for credit during the course or after it has been completed, they will be given or denied credit on the basis of the criteria which would have been applied to their request prior to taking the course. No matter when approval is requested, students must submit applications for approval on the Application for Degree Credit for Off-Campus Study form, obtainable from the University Registrar’s office or on the Forms webpage.

B. A maximum of five courses, not to exceed 15 credits, of summer school work may be offered toward all major, minor, or degree requirements. Other restrictions which apply are listed in the catalog.