Transferring Abroad Courses to your Muhlenberg Transcript:

Courses taken abroad will not transfer unless you had them pre-approved on the Transfer Course Authorization for Study Abroad form before you arrived at your host institution. (see instructions/policies below)

The Dean of Global Education must sign and approve your form with all its attachments. Our office will forward all the documentation to the Registrar after your transcript arrives.

Transfer Course Authorization Instructions:

  • What to do first:  Consult the online or hard copy course catalog for the program/institution you are attending. 

  • Courses for your majors and minors must be approved by Department Chairs:  If you want a course to count towards your major or minor, the department chair will need to see the information you printed.

  • Elective and GAR courses: The Dean of Global Education approves all other courses, either electives towards graduation, or courses for a general academic requirement.

Transfer Course Authorization Policies:

Only courses for which a student has earned a "C-" or better will be considered for transfer to Muhlenberg. Courses in which a traditional letter grade (A-F) was not earned will be considered for transfer only if additional documentation - detailing successful completion - is provided.

  • Grades earned in transferred courses WILL NOT be included in a student’s general Muhlenberg grade point average or for graduation honors.

  • Remember to find out from someone in the administrative staff at your host institution how to request and pay for an official transcript of your study abroad semester.

  • It is much easier to find out and pay for it while you are at the host institution. Before you come home, we recommend you purchase several copies to have in your possession for your future.

  • You will need to provide them to any graduate school you apply to and for some of your future employment opportunities.

  • They are very difficult to obtain on a timely basis once you are home.

Information about transferring courses to Muhlenberg:

  • Students transfer their study abroad courses according to the policies stated in the Muhlenberg College Catalog.

  • Courses abroad cannot be taken as Pass/Fail.

  • Courses taken abroad will not transfer unless you had them pre-approved on the Transfer Course Authorization for Study Abroad form before you arrived at your host institution.

  • Institutions abroad use different grading scales. All your grades will be converted to A through F for purposes of determin­ing if the course will count as credit toward graduation units earned.

  • All other courses taken elsewhere must be transferred to Muhlenberg.

  • Once courses have been transferred, they become part of the permanent record and cannot be removed.

  • Many institutions may not use a course unit system similar to Muhlenberg's. For the purpose of all transfer transactions, the Muhlenberg course unit should be considered equivalent to 4 semester credit hours.

  • No more than 16 transferred course units may contribute to the 34 course units required to earn a bachelor's degree at Muhlenberg.

  • The College will accept no more than 5 course units for transfer during a traditional academic term (fall or spring), while 4 course units is the limit for any type of summer term.

  • The College will accept no more than 10 course units for transfer during an entire traditional academic year.

  • In all cases, Muhlenberg College can accept transfer courses only with an official academic transcript from a regionally accredited higher education institution where courses have been successfully completed.

  • Additional information may be obtained in the Office of the Registrar.

  • Your grades from abroad matter. Graduate schools, some employers, and Phi Beta Kappa will calculate your GPA including courses taken abroad. 

Contact Us

Office of Global Education

Address Muhlenberg College Office of Global Education 2400 Chew Street Allentown, PA 18104