Transfer Students

Emmanuel considers transfer students as those who have taken one or more courses at a college of any kind after graduating from high school. We require that applicants request their official college transcripts be sent from every college attended after high school completion, even if you only took one course at each institution.

We look for applicants who have taken a strong college program of study and a challenging secondary school academic program. The Office of Admissions recommends that applicants should have completed the following coursework during their secondary school years:

• English: 4 years 
• Mathematics: 3 years including Algebra II  (4 years if you're considering college study in mathematics, chemistry or business management) 
• Foreign Language: 2 years of the same language 
• Social Studies: 3 years 
• Laboratory Sciences: 3 years 

Transfer students should have all application materials postmarked or submitted electronically, as soon as possible as we are rolling admissions.

We require that you forward your official college transcripts from every college attended after your high school graduation, even if you only took one course at each institution. Accepted students will receive a transfer credit evaluation detailing which completed college courses will receive credit at Emmanuel College. Please allow two to three weeks following your acceptance for the transfer credit evaluation process to be completed.

*All major programs, except Computer Science and Emmanuel’s traditional undergraduate Nursing program, are eligible for transfer admissions consideration at this time. However, if you are a potential applicant who currently holds an RN license, we encourage you to explore Emmanuel’s RN to BSN pathway through the Office of Graduate & Professional Studies.

The requirements for domestic transfer applicants include:

• Application Form
• Official Final High School Transcript
• Official College Transcripts
• Course Descriptions 
• Essay
• One Letter of Recommendation
• Dean's Evaluation (click here to download)
• Interview (recommended)
• International Transfer Application Requirements

Application Form

You may submit the Common Application online or by mail. If you would like an application mailed to you, please contact the Office of Admissions. There is a $60 application fee to submit a paper application; the fee is waived if you apply online.

Final High School Transcript

Emmanuel College requires an official transcript with your final senior grades included for all transfer applicants. To be considered “official” for admissions consideration, your high school guidance/college counselor must send this item directly to the Office of Admissions. Your former counselor may submit your final high school transcript by mail, emailing admissions [at] emmanuel.edu (admissions[at]emmanuel[dot]edu), or uploading through the Common Application website or Scoir.

Official College Transcripts

Emmanuel College requires an official college transcript for all college level credits earned prior to admissions consideration. Official transcripts should be requested to be sent from your previous institution's college Registrar directly to the Office of Admissions. Your previous institution can send this item by mail, email to admissions [at] emmanuel.edu (admissions[at]emmanuel[dot]edu) or uploading through Parchment.

If you are currently enrolled in college classes for the current semester in which you will be applying to Emmanuel, please plan to share those mid-term grades as well.

Course Descriptions

To allow for appropriate credit evaluation, Emmanuel College’s Registrar asks that candidates for admission submit catalog descriptions for each of your completed and in-progress courses.

You can check out our Transfer Credit Eligibility and Course Equivalency Search tool to see courses that have previously been awarded credit and transferred to Emmanuel College. This tool is not an exhaustive list of possible credit work that could transfer.

To support your transfer credit evaluation process, please send all course descriptions to admissions [at] emmanuel.edu (admissions[at]emmanuel[dot]edu) as an email attachment in a Microsoft Word or PDF document.

Essay

To better understand your reason for transferring and your goals for continuing your college education, we require an essay be submitted as part of your application.

This item should be about a page in length. Completed essays can be emailed to admissions [at] emmanuel.edu (admissions[at]emmanuel[dot]edu).

One Letter of Recommendations

To better understand your academic success and transition to a college environment, we require one recommendation be submitted in support of your application. Ideally, your recommendation should be either from a recent college professor, advisor, or an academic teacher of your choosing. Your recommender can send this item directly to admissions [at] emmanuel.edu (admissions[at]emmanuel[dot]edu.)

Dean's Evaluation

This item is required to be considered for transfer admission to Emmanuel College.  The document below should be sent from you as the applicant to your previous institution’s Dean of Students or other appropriate official at the college/university you are currently attending. That person should then email the document directly to admissions [at] emmanuel.edu (admissions[at]emmanuel[dot]edu) in support of your application.

Please note, this item is not an academic reference.

To download the Dean's Evaluation, please click here.

Interview (optional)

While not required, an interview with an Admissions Counselor is a great opportunity to help the Admissions Committee learn more about your background and interest in attending Emmanuel. Interviews are available on campus, on the phone, or virtually. To set up an interview, you can select a day/time from our online visit calendar.

If you cannot find a day or time that works for you, or if you would like to simply set up an informational meeting with an admissions counselor, rather than a formal interview, please email admissions [at] emmanuel.edu (admissions[at]emmanuel[dot]edu).

International Transfer Application Requirements

At Emmanuel, international students (first-year and transfer) include non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents.

If you are applying as an international transfer student, we require these items (in addition to the items above under Application Requirements) to complete your application. See more details for each time under our Information for International Students page.

• Secondary School Final Transcript – must be sent from your originating secondary school directly to the Office of Admissions. All transcripts not in English must be translated into English by a certified translator. Transcripts from institutions outside of the U.S.  are recommended to have a formal review by an official credential evaluator.
• Post-Secondary Transcripts
• Proof of English Proficiency - If English is not your first language, you must submit an official Test of English Language Proficiency (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or a DuoLingo score report.
• International Declaration of Finances - this form must be completed by all students who are not US citizens and intend to be enrolled full-time at Emmanuel College. This form is a required piece of the application. Please email completed form and supporting documents to admissions [at] emmanuel.edu (admissions[at]emmanuel[dot]edu)
• International Student Information Form (for non-U.S. citizens) - see more Information for International Students and the Visa Information tab for full details.
• Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) Application Form (for non-U.S. citizens) - see more Information for International Students and the Visa Information tab for full details.

The Registrar's Office assesses general education coursework taken at other institutions for eligibility for Emmanuel credit and the academic departments assess major courses. In most cases, Emmanuel awards credit for courses for which you earn a grade of C (2.0) or better. While there is no limit to the number of courses that are accepted to transfer, a minimum of 16 courses or 64 credits and 50% of the major and minor must be completed at Emmanuel to earn an Emmanuel College degree. Admitted students will receive a transfer credit evaluation detailing which completed college courses will receive credit at Emmanuel College. Below you will find more detailed information about transfer credit eligibility. 

High school students should click here for more information about dual enrollment credit.  

Transfer Credit Eligibility 

• Emmanuel College will grant credit for courses taken at post-secondary institutions, accredited by one of the six regional accrediting commissions, which are comparable in content, scope, and rigor to course offerings within the academic programs offered at Emmanuel College. Coursework must be offered within the transfer institution's structured term and may not be offered as a "self-paced" module.
• The Registrar's Office evaluates each course individually by reviewing course descriptions and on occasion, course syllabi. A course equivalent will be assigned to each course granted transfer credit, and the evaluator will indicate if that credit will apply to general education requirements. If the student has indicated an intended major, the course will be reviewed by the major department evaluator who will indicate if that credit will apply to degree requirements. In general, 3-4 credit semester credit, or the equivalent, will be eligible for transfer. Courses associated with credits in non-se­mester hours will be converted to equivalent semester hours. Students transferring from institutions on the quarter-hour system will be granted 0.67 semester hours per quarter hour. Not all credits granted will necessarily be applicable to degree requirements. If previous course work does not apply to the degree program or if no comparable course at Emmanuel College can be identified, and yet the course work is comparable to college-level work, then free elective credit may be granted.
• Only those courses in which a student has received a grade of C (2.0) or better or the equivalent will be considered for transfer credit.
• Emmanuel College awards credits only for transfer courses. Grades from transfer institution are not included in the Emmanuel grade point average and will not appear on the Emmanuel College transcript, with the exception of courses taken through the Colleges of the Fenway consortium post matriculation.
• New transfer students will be assigned class standing according to the following credits:
  • 0-31 - Freshman
  • 32-63 - Sophomore
  • 64-95 - Junior
  • 96+ - Senior
• Transfer students are expected to fulfill the regular requirements for the degree and successfully complete half of their academic program, at least 64 credits, at Emmanuel College to receive an Emmanuel degree. A minimum of half, or 50%, of the major and minor must be completed at Emmanuel College.
• Courses to be considered for transfer credit will be reviewed only once a student has been accepted.
• Students who have outstanding final official transcripts will have a registration hold placed on their account preventing registration until an official final transcript has been received.
• Students who repeat courses at Emmanuel College for which they have already received transfer credit will lose that transfer credit.
• No credit will be granted for the following: vocational coursework, continuing education units, pre-collegiate or remedial courses, including any ESL coursework, social activities, or correspondence courses, unless recognized and offered by the U.S. Armed Forces Institute. Military courses on a Joint Services transcript with content that are within the scope of programs offered at Emmanuel will be accepted for credit.

Emmanuel College Arts and Sciences Transfer Credit Course Evaluation Key 

Transfer Course Number Key for Non-Emmanuel Equivalent Courses 

General Education Curriculum Explanation and Guidelines 

Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)/Advanced Level (A-level) Exams

Advanced Level (A-Level) examinations will be accepted for 8 credits per exam with grades of C or better on an official transcript submitted directly from the examination board administering the exam to Emmanuel College (ex. Cambridge International Examinations or Pearson). Equivalencies are typically awarded at the introductory level. Advanced Subsidiary Level Exams (AS) and Ordinary Level exams (O-Level) are not accepted for credit.

Click Cambridge International Exams/ A-Level Exams Approved Course Equivalencies to view course and credit equivalencies. Additional exams will be reviewed for credit and equivalency on a case by case basis by the appropriate academic department with the submission of an A-Level syllabus.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Exam

Grades of four, five, six or seven on the IB higher-level examinations entitle you to credit for at least one course. Each academic department at Emmanuel will determine the specific amount of credit to be awarded. Review the International Baccalaureate (IB) Exam Approved Course and Credit Equivalencies document to see how these exams will transfer to Emmanuel;

Investing in your education provides enduring returns in your career and beyond. The proof is in our students.   

Our goal is to position you for success at the college level and beyond through a strong academic foundation in the liberal arts and sciences with small class sizes and distinguished faculty, coupled with outstanding opportunities for engagement in the city of Boston and experiential learning you won’t find anywhere else.  

Transfer students are eligible, and automatically considered for, merit-based scholarship. The Office of Admissions’ approach to awarding a merit-based scholarship includes a full holistic review of a student’s application.   

For information regarding need-based financial aid, including federal, state, and Emmanuel-funded financial aid opportunities, please see Affording an Emmanuel Education.   

As you explore your opportunities to continue your higher education, be sure to connect with Emmanuel by visiting our beautiful campus in the Fenway neighborhood in Boston! You can schedule a tour of campus or join us for an upcoming Admissions event by registering here.   

Want to chat with an admissions counselor? Join us for a 30 minute meeting during our Transfer Tuesday events. Students can register here.  

If you'd like to meet at another time or in-person please email admissions [at] emmanuel.edu (admissions[at]emmanuel[dot]edu) or contact your admissions counselor directly.