Transfer of Credit from Another Institution

New Students

  • Requests for transfer of credit for graduate work completed prior to enrolling at Villanova must be made at the time of application. No requests will be reviewed after the first semester of enrollment.
  • Students accepted into a Master’s degree program that requires up to 39 credits of coursework may receive transfer credit for up to a maximum of 6 credits (usually 2 courses) taken at another accredited higher education institution. Students accepted into a Master’s degree program that requires over 40 credits of coursework may receive transfer credit for up to a maximum of 9 credits (usually 3 courses) taken at another accredited higher education institution. Approval is subject to approval by the Graduate Program Director and Graduate Dean.
  • The courses must be graduate-level, and must have been taken within the past six years. A graduate course used to complete an applicant’s undergraduate degree at another institution may not be transferred and used to complete a graduate degree at Villanova.
  • Only courses with grades of B or better will be considered.
  • Only applicants accepted as matriculated students may be approved for transfer of credits.
  • Transfer credits are not accepted for a stand-alone certificate program.
  • Transfer credits will only be reviewed for one degree program at Villanova.
  • Students enrolling in PhD Programs should consult directly with their respective Program Director regarding Transfer of Credit Policies.

New Students - How To Request Transfer Credits:

Please submit the following materials in your application for admission:

  1. The relevant official transcripts (regardless of whether a degree was earned)
  2. Course descriptions and syllabi from each course. 

The faculty/staff at Villanova are responsible for reviewing the request and then completing the transfer of credit form found on this page, and forwarding all materials to the Office of Graduate Studies.

Enrolled Students

Students already enrolled in a Master's degree program at Villanova University who wish to take a graduate course at another institution for credit toward their Villanova graduate degree must obtain written approval from the Graduate Program Director and the Dean before the course is taken. Transfer of credit requests for currently enrolled students are only approved in extraordinary circumstances in which the student is not able to take the course at Villanova for personal or professional reasons. No transfer of credit will be approved for requests received after the course has been taken. In order to have a course considered by your Program Director, please provide the course syllabus of the course you wish to take elsewhere for review.

Note: This policy does not apply to graduate courses taken at Villanova University by Villanova undergraduates.

Transfer of Credit Form for Departments