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Advanced Standing Credit
Entering new students may receive credits and/or advanced course placement for the successful completion of the Advanced Placement (AP) examination given by the Educational Testing Service of the College Entrance Examination Board, the International Baccalaureate (IB), the French Baccalaureate, the Swiss Maturité, or the completion of coursework at an accredited college or university. Babson does not award credit for A-Level Exam results.
For students who matriculated as new first-year students in Fall 2018 and thereafter, the following policies are in effect for all advanced credits:
- Students may bring in a maximum of 16 credits (equivalent to one full semester) of advanced credit, which includes credits earned from AP/IB/French Bacc/Swiss Maturité and coursework taken at other colleges or universities.
- Students may bring in no more than 8 total credits from AP/IB/French Bacc/Swiss Maturité in the Intermediate Liberal Arts portion of the curriculum, specifically from the Cultural Studies and Philosophy (CSP), History and Society (HSS), and Literature and the Arts (LTA) categories.
- Credit for AP, IB, French Baccalaureate, and Swiss Maturité will only be awarded if there is an equivalent course in the Babson curriculum.
For students who matriculated as new transfer students in Fall 2018 and thereafter, the above policies apply with respect to all AP, IB, French Baccalaureate, and Swiss Maturité credit. Transfer credit from coursework taken at prior institutions is not restricted to the 16 credit maximum.
For specific information about course equivalents, including those for students who matriculated earlier than
Fall 2018, please see the Advanced Credit page on the Student Hub. Course equivalents for Advanced
Placement, International Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate, and Swiss Maturité may be reviewed annually by the Department of Student Advising & Success and individual academic divisions.
Advanced Standing Score/Grade Requirements:
AP- Credit and/or advanced placement is awarded for AP exam scores of 4 or 5.
IB- Credit and/or advanced placement is awarded for higher-level IB courses with exam scores of 5 or higher.
French Baccalaureate- French Baccalaureate credit and/or advanced course placement is awarded for a coefficient of 5 or higher with a score of 14 or above. Credit will be given for Economics, History and Geography, Mathematics, Philosophy, Language and Literature. An Official Transcript is required to receive credit for French Baccalaureate.
Swiss Maturité - Credit and/or advanced placement is awarded for a grade of 4 or better.
Transfer- The Director of Undergraduate Administration and the Babson faculty review course work taken at another institution based on the course’s depth and scope, which must compare to the Babson curriculum. Once courses are approved, students will receive credit for those in which they earned a grade of C or higher. Courses graded pass/fail will not transfer to Babson College. To receive transfer credit, students must submit their official transcript from their previous institution. The Director of Undergraduate Administration awards credits per course based on the credit hours earned in the course at the previous institution. If the institution from which the credit is being transferred operates on a trimester or quarter system, or a foreign system (e.g. ECTS), those credit hours will be calculated in U.S. semester hours before credit is transferred to Babson.
Babson College will consider awarding credit for coursework taken at a college or university while the student was in high school if all of the following conditions are met:
- the institution at which the course was taken is an accredited college or university,
- the course was taught by a member of that institution’s faculty,
- the course was taught on the institution’s campus or via an online platform operated by the institution
and - the student did not receive high school credit for the course
- The course is not part of a dual enrollment program.
Students are recommended to submit all AP, IB, French Baccalaureate, and Swiss Maturité scores as well as transfer and/or pre-matriculation off-campus transcripts to Student Advising & Success by the end of their first semester of enrollment at Babson College. Failure to do the aforementioned may result in an inability to make progress in the curriculum, particularly when the pre-matriculation credit serves as a prerequisite course.
Waivers will not be placed on students’ records to allow them to take coursework without completion of the appropriate pre-requisite. To ensure that students enroll in the correct courses their first semester on campus and do not repeat courses for which they may be eligible to earn credit through pre-matriculation coursework, students are encouraged to submit all AP, IB, French Baccalaureate, Swiss Maturité courses, and/or transfer transcripts prior to their first semester on campus. Students are responsible for ensuring that pre-matriculation credit has been posted to their record by checking their unofficial transcript in Workday. Students must complete one-half of the total credits required for graduation at Babson or through a Babson-affiliated program regardless of the number of credits accepted from other sources.
Off-Campus Course Policy/Post-Matriculation Transfer Credit
Students who matriculated prior to Fall 2021 may request permission to take a maximum of 12 credits at another institution, exclusive of official cross-registration or Babson-approved study abroad/away programs. Students who matriculate in Fall 2021 and thereafter may request permission to take a maximum of 16 credits at another institution, exclusive of official cross-registration or Babson-approved study abroad/away programs.
Students may take those off-campus credits over winter or summer sessions, during a formally declared Leave of Absence from the College, or enroll in up to 4 credits per semester during fall and spring semesters when also enrolled at Babson. Additionally, students may take up to 4 of those 12 credits following the final period of enrollment at Babson or in a Babson-approved program. Please note that if a student is already overloaded to 20 credits at Babson during a fall or spring semester, an approval for an off-campus course during that same semester is unlikely. Similarly, since students are limited to 4 credits during a winter session at Babson, typically only 4 credits of off-campus course work will be considered for approval during the winter term.
F-1/J-1 international students who plan to take their final credits off-campus should first consult with an international student advisor in the Glavin Office of International Education to learn how this may affect their U.S. immigration status.
Students interested in taking off-campus courses must submit an off-campus request e-form, available on the Babson Hub, along with a course description, syllabus, and rationale for their interest in taking the proposed course. Students should wait to enroll in the course until they receive approval from the Department of Student Advising & Success. The Department of Student Advising & Success evaluates requests to take courses off-campus based on the rigor of the course and the rationale of the student submitting the request. Only courses from accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities will be considered. Additionally, the Department of Student Advising & Success will only approve courses that do not overlap with or closely resemble any courses offered at Babson. Course approval for one student does not constitute approval for every student. If approved, off-campus courses are typically awarded Free Elective/General Elective credit at Babson. Thus, students should plan ahead to take their required business and liberal arts courses at Babson College and not off-campus. A student must have unsatisfied Free Elective/General Elective credit available in his or her degree in order to apply for off-campus credit. For example, if a student has already satisfied some of the required Free Elective credits, but still has 8 credits of Free Elective credit yet to be satisfied, then only up to the remaining 8 credits may be taken off- campus. For students who matriculated prior to Fall 2021, the maximum number of credits that may be taken off-campus is 12. For students who matriculate in Fall 2021 or thereafter, the maximum number of credits that may be taken off-campus is 16.
Once approved, students must earn a grade of C or higher in the approved course in order for the credits to transfer to Babson. Students’ grades from off-campus courses will not transfer to Babson College or factor into students’ cumulative GPA; rather, students’ Babson transcript will simply reflect the credits
earned for the course. To receive course credit, students must submit an official transcript sent directly from the college or university attended to the Department of Student Advising & Success, Babson College, Babson Park, MA 02457, or have an official transcript sent electronically through an encrypted service offered by the other school’s registrar.
Babson College’s tuition does not cover the costs of off-campus courses. Any financial obligation incurred for an off-campus course is the responsibility of the student.
Courses Taken Elsewhere in Your Final Semester
Students who take courses elsewhere in their final semester should be aware of the deadlines for grades to be submitted to the Babson College Registrar in order to meet Commencement requirements. Babson College must receive spring semester grades from other institutions by 4:30 pm on the Tuesday before
Commencement. If grades are not received by that time, Babson will list these students in the Commencement program with May graduates, but graduation honors will not be designated, and students will receive an empty diploma case at the ceremony. After Commencement, students will receive a diploma upon completion of all degree requirements, will be ranked with all graduates once all grades are in the system, and will be awarded honors, if applicable.