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Home > Colleges and Schools > College of Engineering > College of Engineering First Year Questions > Does the College of Engineering award credit for college classes taken during high school?
Does the College of Engineering award credit for college classes taken during high school?
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Please review the "Transfer Credit" section of the Engineering Registrar's website.

 

Students who have taken a course or courses offered by an accredited college or university prior to their official start term at Cornell may wish to transfer the credits and apply them toward course requirements at Cornell.  During the summer months prior to arriving on campus, the Engineering Advising office will work directly with students who indicate that they have taken college-level courses at another institution. These students will be provided additional information by email.

 

  • The course was not used to fulfill high school graduation credit, was not part of a dual-credit/dual-enrollment program, was not part of an early college program, was taught by college faculty from the college or university where the coursework was taken, and enrollment in the course was open to undergraduate degree seeking students from the college/university where the course was taken and thus not limited to high school students only.
  • Students must have received at least a grade of C (not C-) in the course, and the subject matter must be applicable to the Engineering curriculum at Cornell. 
  • The Engineering Advising office must possess a signed Application for College Credit Earned While Still in High School from both the high school guidance office and the college or university where the coursework was taken certifying the criteria of the first bullet above.
  • Students who want credit for cooperative courses taken in high school must seek AP credit, not transfer credit.
  • An official transcript must be received by the Engineering Registrar.
     

Transfer credit requests are recommended to be completed by the end of the first term at Cornell. Incomplete requests may delay future enrollment, affiliation with a major, and graduation.

Specific policies for transfer credit include:
 

  • Only courses deemed equivalent in scope and rigor to courses offered at Cornell will be considered for transfer credit.
  • Only courses that meet degree requirements for the undergraduate engineering program will be considered for transfer credits.
  • Transfer credit will only be awarded for courses offered by regionally accredited, degree-granting, postsecondary institutions. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are not eligible for transfer credit.
  • A grade of at least C (not C-) must have been earned in the course being transferred, and departments may stipulate a higher minimum grade.
  • A maximum of 18 transfer credits may count towards your engineering degree requirements after matriculation at Cornell. Any coursework taken while in high school, and/or before matriculation, is included in this 18-credit limit. (Credit for summer and winter session courses taken at Cornell and study abroad credits are not considered transfer credit, nor do they count toward the 18-credit maximum.)
  • Credits earned while participating in a pre-approved fall or spring semester study abroad program are not considered transfer credit and do not count towards transfer credit limits.
  • Transfer credit from another college or university will not be awarded for courses taken during a fall or spring semester in which a student is also enrolled at Cornell, or for courses with semester dates that overlap with Cornell’s fall or spring semesters. If a student is enrolled for a winter session at Cornell and also wants to pursue transfer credit from another college or university, they may transfer credit if they are enrolled in fewer than 6 credits at Cornell. If a student is enrolled for a summer session at Cornell and also wants to pursue transfer credit from another college or university, they may transfer credit if they are enrolled in fewer than 12 credits at Cornell.
  • Transfer credit will not be awarded for cooperative courses taken while in high school, technical skills, or general knowledge acquired through personal experience, employment, or military training.
  • Transfer credit will only be awarded if/when the student has submitted a detailed course syllabus and a certified copy of the student’s official transcript from the host institution (photocopies are not acceptable). Students must also submit a completed Transfer Credit Form, available on the Engineering Registrar’s website.
  • Incoming first-year students submit a completed High School Guidance Counselor Certification Form, in addition to the Transfer Credit Form.
  • Credit in excess of that awarded by Cornell for the equivalent course is never granted, nor will Cornell award more than the number of credits completed at another institution. (Transfer credits from institutions on a trimester or quarter system are not directly comparable to semester credits, and will be reduced when converted to semester credits.)

Additional information on this topic is also available in the Cornell Engineering Handbook.

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