Transfer Credit Guidelines
Transfer Credit Policy
Loyola awards transfer credit for college-level, academic courses completed at other accredited two-year and four-year post-secondary institutions. You may also receive credit for AP (Advanced Placement), IB (International Baccalaureate), CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) or Cambridge examinations you’ve completed before enrollment. To learn more about the university’s transfer credit policies, please visit this page.
If you’ve attended a two-year and four-year post-secondary institution, you will be awarded credit provided the institution is in good standing with their academic accrediting association. Generally, those institutions will be accredited by one of seven accrediting associations:
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC)
- New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- WASC Senior College and University Commission
Loyola University Chicago is a participant in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a state-wide agreement that allows transfer students to complete the IAI General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) in lieu of a receiving institution’s core curriculum.
Credit is awarded in semester hours. Courses completed in quarter hours will be converted into semester hours.
Course equivalency information can be checked using Loyola’s Mylist Tool or Transferology.
Credit Guidelines:
- A maximum of 64 semester credits are accepted from two-year colleges. There is no maximum number of credits from four-year institutions.
- Once enrolled as a degree-seeking student at Loyola, you must request permission to take courses and earn college credit elsewhere. Transfer credit will not be accepted for courses taken elsewhere while you are simultaneously enrolled at Loyola.
- Dual credit earned through Loyola’s Dual Credit Program will be included on the Loyola transcript and calculated in the Loyola GPA. You may not replace the course and grade with credit by examination.
- Credit not eligible for transfer towards an undergraduate degree includes:
- Trade school, job training, or adult/continuing education courses
- Developmental courses (below 100-level)
- English as a Second Language (ESL) course credit
- Courses from institutions that are not accredited
- Graduate level courses
"New First-Time Freshmen" refers to students who have never completed any college credit after high school graduation. Students who complete college coursework while still in high school (known as Dual Enrollment Credit) qualify as new first-time freshman.
New first-time freshman may transfer a maximum of 36 semester hours of credit from AP/IB/CLEP and/or transfer credit toward their undergraduate degree requirements under the following conditions:
- The college course must have been conducted in conjunction with an institution of higher education accredited by one of the seven accrediting associations listed in the above section. Students are required to produce an official transcript from the partner higher education institution. High School transcripts will not be accepted for transfer credit.
- The student must have earned a grade of B or higher in such transfer courses. Grades of B- or below, P, S, or CR will not be granted credit.
- Students awarded such transfer credit are limited to a maximum of 36 semester hours for the combined total of AP credit, IB credit, CLEP and/or transfer credit.
- The transfer credits will be applied toward the normal 120 credit hour graduation requirement and be consistent with transfer articulation rules in effect for Core, Major, School, or Elective credit.
- An exception may be granted to students who attended a high school in which students may earn an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree while in high school; students who earn an AA or AS degree while in high school may be granted up to 64 semester hours of eligible credit. (An Associate of Applied Science or other terminal associate's degree does not qualify for this exception.)
- Completion of an AA or AS degree does not exempt new first-time freshman from Loyola's Core Curriculum. Credits with a grade of B or higher will be evaluated course by course and applied to individual Core requirements if applicable. Students will need to take additional Core classes to complete their Core requirements.
- This policy will be administered by the Office of Registration and Records.
- For questions concerning core requirements, please contact your Academic Advisor.
- AP/IB/CLEP information can be found below.
- Course equivalency information can be checked using the MyList tool in LOCUS or Transferology.
Scores lower than those listed below will not be accepted for credit at Loyola.
|
ARTS |
SCORE REQUIREMENT |
COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
AP Art History |
5 |
6 hrs/FNAR 200 and FNAR 201 |
|
AP Art History |
3, 4 |
3 hrs/FNAR 200 |
|
AP Music Theory |
5 |
4 hrs/MUSC 144 and MUSC 145 |
|
AP Studio Art: 2-D Design |
N/A |
N/A |
|
AP Studio Art: 3-D Design |
N/A |
N/A |
|
AP Studio Art: Drawing |
N/A |
N/A |
|
ENGLISH |
SCORE REQUIREMENT |
COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
AP English Language and Composition |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/UCWR 110 |
|
AP English Literature and Composition |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/UCLR 100 |
|
HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCE |
SCORE REQUIREMENT |
COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
AP Comparative Government and Politics |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/PLSC 103 |
|
AP European History |
4, 5 |
6 hrs/HIST 101 and HIST 102 |
|
AP Human Geography |
N/A |
N/A |
|
AP Macroeconomics |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/ECON 202 |
|
AP Microeconomics |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/ECON 201 |
|
AP Psychology |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/PSYC 101 |
|
AP United States Government and Politics |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/PLSC 101 |
|
AP U.S. History |
4, 5 |
6 hrs/HIST 211 and HIST 212 |
|
AP World History |
4, 5 |
6 hrs/HIST 101 and HIST 104 |
|
MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE |
SCORE REQUIREMENT |
COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
AP Calculus AB |
4, 5 |
4 hrs/MATH 161 |
|
AP Calculus BC |
4, 5 |
8 hrs/MATH 161 and MATH 162A |
|
AP Calculus BC: AB Subscore |
4, 5 |
4 hrs/MATH 161 |
|
AP Computer Science A |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/COMP 170 |
|
AP Computer Science Principles |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/COMP 150 |
|
AP Statistics |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/STAT 103 |
|
SCIENCES |
SCORE REQUIREMENT |
COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
AP Biology |
4, 5 |
8 hrs/BIOL 101/111 and BIOL 102/112 |
|
AP Chemistry |
4, 5 |
8 hrs/CHEM 105 and CHEM 106, or CHEM 101/111 and CHEM 102/112 |
|
AP Environmental Science |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/ENVS 101/ENVS 137 |
|
AP Physics 1 |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/ PSYS 111. No lab credit. |
|
AP Physics 2 |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/PHYS 112. No lab credit |
|
AP Physics: Electricity and Magnetism |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/PHYS 122. No lab credit. |
|
AP Physics: Mechanics |
4, 5 |
3 hrs/PHYS 121. No lab credit. |
|
WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES |
SCORE REQUIREMENT |
COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
AP Chinese Language and Culture |
5 |
6 hrs/CHIN 250 and CHIN 251 |
|
AP Chinese Language and Culture |
4 |
3 hrs/CHIN 250 (or 251) |
|
AP French Language and Culture |
5 |
6 hrs/FREN 250 and FREN 251 |
|
AP French Language and Culture |
4 |
3 hrs/FREN 250 (or 251) |
|
AP German Language and Culture |
5 |
6 hrs/GERM 250 and GERM 251 |
|
AP German Language and Culture |
4 |
3 hrs/GERM 250 (or 251) |
|
AP Italian Language and Culture |
5 |
6 hrs/ITAL 250 and ITAL 251 |
|
AP Italian Language and Culture |
4 |
3 hrs/ITAL 250 (or 251) |
|
AP Japanese Language and Culture |
5 |
6 hrs/JAPN 250 and JAPN 251 |
|
AP Japanese Language and Culture |
4 |
3 hrs/JAPN 250 (or 251) |
|
AP Latin |
3, 4, 5 |
3 hrs/LATN 284 |
|
AP Spanish Language and Culture |
5 |
6 hrs/SPAN 250 and SPAN 251 |
|
AP Spanish Language and Culture |
4 |
3 hrs/SPAN 250 (or 251) |
|
AP Spanish Literature and Culture |
5 |
6 hrs/SPAN 251 and SPAN 270 |
|
AP Spanish Literature and Culture |
4 |
3 hrs/SPAN 251 |
|
Note: A score of “3” on an AP Language and Culture Exam satisfies the 102-level (second semester) language requirement within the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), School of Environmental Sustainability (SES), or School of Communication (SOC), but the score of “3” does not award course credit hours. Please note that some majors and minors within the College of Arts and Sciences (e.g., Global and International Studies) require language coursework or language competency above the 102 level; thus, a score of “3” on an AP Language and Culture Exam will not satisfy some majors’ and minors’ specific language requirements. |
||
N/A = No course credit awarded for this exam subject.
The following Cambridge International Examination scores are accepted by Loyola:
|
CIE COURSE NAME |
LEVEL |
SCORE REQUIRED |
SEMESTER CREDITS |
LOYOLA COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
Accounting |
A |
C |
6 |
ACCT 201 and ACCT 202 |
|
Anthropology |
A |
C |
6 |
ANTH 100 and ANTH 101 |
|
Biology |
A |
C |
6 |
BIO 101 and BIO 102 |
|
Chemistry |
A |
C |
6 |
CHEM 101 and CHEM 102 |
|
Computer Science |
A |
C |
3 |
COMP 120 |
|
Computing |
A |
C |
6 |
COMP 150 and COMP 170 |
|
Drama and Theater Studies |
A |
C |
6 |
THTR 100 and THTR 203 |
|
Hinduism |
A |
C |
3 |
THEO 282 |
|
History |
A |
C |
6 |
HIST 102 and HIST 104 |
|
History of Art |
A |
C |
6 |
FNAR 200 and FNAR 201 |
|
Islamic Studies |
A |
C |
6 |
IWS 109 and IWS 195 |
|
Music Technology |
A |
C |
3 |
MUSC 201 |
|
Philosophy |
A |
C |
6 |
PHIL 130 and PHIL 180 |
|
Physics |
A |
C |
6 |
PHYS 111 and PHYS 112 |
|
Physics A |
A |
C |
6 |
PHYS 111 and PHYS 112 |
|
Psychology |
A |
C |
6 |
PSYC 101 and PSYC 102 |
|
Psychology B |
A |
C |
6 |
PSYC 110 and PSYCH Elective |
|
Religious Studies |
A |
C |
6 |
THEO 107 and THEO Elective |
|
Statistics |
A |
C |
3 |
STAT 103 |
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) allows students to earn credit for knowledge and skills they already know. Taking a CLEP exam is a great way to fulfill 100- and 200-level courses at Loyola. Below are the tests and scores we accept.
|
BIOLOGY |
SCORE REQUIREMENT |
COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
Biology |
55 |
6 hrs/Biology 101 and 102. No lab credit. |
|
ENGLISH |
SCORE REQUIREMENT |
COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
American Literature |
56 |
3 hrs/200-level elective. Cannot be used to exempt from UCWR 110 or Core Curriculum Literature course. |
|
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature |
56 |
3 hrs/200-level elective. Cannot be used to exempt from UCWR 110 or Core Curriculum Literature course. |
|
English Literature |
56 |
3 hrs/200-level elective. Cannot be used to exempt from UCWR 110 or Core Curriculum Literature course. |
|
Humanities |
56 |
3 hrs/200-level elective. Cannot be used to exempt from UCWR 110 or Core Curriculum Literature course. |
|
History |
SCORE REQUIREMENT |
COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
History of the U.S. I: Early Colonization to 1877 |
55 |
3 hrs/HIST 211 |
|
History of the U.S. II: 1865 to the Present |
55 |
3 hrs/HIST 212 |
|
Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 |
55 |
3 hrs/HIST 101 |
|
Western Civilization II: 1648 to Present |
55 |
3 hrs/HIST 102 |
|
OTHER |
SCORE REQUIREMENT |
COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
Natural Science |
56 |
3 hrs/Tier II Science Score. Cannot be used to exempt from Core Curriculum Science course. |
All acceptable International Baccalaureate (IB) exam scores will be entered on your Loyola academic record with a pass for the courses involved. Scores lower than those listed below will not be accepted for Loyola credit, and only higher level (HL) exams are accepted.
|
SUBJECT |
SCORE REQUIREMENT |
COURSE EQUIVALENT |
|
Anthropology (Societal and Cultural Anthropology HL) |
6, 7 |
3 hrs/ANTH 102 |
|
Biology (Biology HL) |
6, 7 |
8 hrs/BIOL 101/111 and BIOL 102/112 |
|
Chemistry (Chemistry HL) |
6, 7 |
8 hrs/CHEM 105 and CHEM 106, or CHEM 101/111 and CHEM 102/ 112 |
|
Computer Science (Computer Science HL) |
5, 6, 7 |
3 hrs/COMP 150 |
|
English (English A1 HL) |
5, 6, 7 |
3 hrs/UCLR 100 |
|
Fine Arts (Design Technology HL) |
7 |
6 hrs/FNAR 112* and FNAR 170 |
|
Fine Arts (Design Technology HL) |
5, 6 |
3 hrs/FNAR 112* |
|
Fine Arts (Music HL) |
6, 7 |
4 hrs/MUSC 144 and MUSC 145 |
|
Fine Arts (Visual Arts HL) |
7 |
6 hrs/FNAR 112 and FNAR 113* |
|
Fine Arts (Visual Arts HL) |
5, 6 |
3 hrs/FNAR 112* |
|
Fine Arts (Theater Arts HL) |
5, 6, 7 |
3 hrs/THTR 100 |
|
History (Africa HL) |
5, 6, 7 |
3 hrs/HIST 204 |
|
History (Americas HL) |
5, 6, 7 |
3 hrs/HIST 212 |
|
History (Asia and Oceania HL) |
5, 6, 7 |
3 hrs/HIST 208 |
|
History (Europe and Middle East HL) |
5, 6, 7 |
3 hrs/HIST 102 |
|
History (Islamic History HL) |
5, 6, 7 |
3 hrs/HIST 209 |
|
Modern Languages and Literature (FREN/GERM/SPAN A2) |
7 |
6 hrs/FREN/GERM/SPAN 250 and 251 |
|
Modern Languages and Literature (FREN/GERM/SPAN A2) |
5, 6 |
3 hrs/FREN/GERM/SPAN 250 |
|
Modern Languages and Literature (FREN/GERM/SPAN B HL) |
7 |
6 hrs/FREN/GERM/SPAN 103 and 104 |
|
Modern Languages and Literature (FREN/GERM/SPAN B HL) |
5, 6 |
3 hrs/FREN/GERM/SPAN 103 |
|
Philosophy (Philosophy HL) |
6, 7 |
3 hrs/PHIL 130 |
|
Physics (Physics HL) |
5, 6, 7 |
6 hrs/PHYS 111 and PHYS 112** |
|
Psychology (Psychology HL) |
5, 6, 7 |
3 hrs/PSYC 101 |
* Credit for Design Technology and Visual Arts is applied based on departmental evaluation of your portfolio or evaluation of coursework.
** Credit is given for six hours (PHYS 111/112) only if you have completed the advanced material in the course description. If advanced material is not covered, you receive three hours (PHYS 101).
Loyola awards transfer credit for college-level, academic courses completed at other accredited two-year and four-year post-secondary institutions. You may also receive credit for AP (Advanced Placement), IB (International Baccalaureate), CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) or Cambridge examinations you’ve completed before enrollment. To learn more about the university’s transfer credit policies, please visit this page.