Each year, Yale College matriculates a small number of transfer students from two-year and four-year colleges and universities (generally around 25 each year). They arrive at different stages of their academic careers, but all transfer students must complete a minimum of eighteen course credits and four terms of enrollment at Yale. Those entering as juniors and those entering as sophomores planning to major in a STEM field are instructed to consult immediately with the DUS of their intended major.

The Yale College Dean’s Office will have determined the credits already earned by each transfer student that may be counted toward the distributional requirements and the bachelor’s degree. Occasionally, your help may be solicited to determine whether a transfer student's previous coursework satisfies one of the distributional requirements, particularly the SC or QR requirements.

The DUS determines which specific courses of the student’s previous coursework may or may not be counted toward the requirements of the major. You may decline to give major credit for courses that have been included in the credit awarded by the Dean’s Office, but it clearly is important to be as generous as possible to transfer students, especially for incoming juniors. Particularly for students taking science courses, the DUSs in relevant departments should attempt to match Yale’s courses with those of the previous school so as to minimize wasted or duplicated effort.

Please note that Yale has a long tradition of accepting community college students for transfer to Yale, and that the Undergraduate Admissions Office is affirmative for community college transfer. Community college courses are allowed on the Yale College transcript within the transfer context, and DUSs are especially encouraged to treat community college courses generously when assigning major credit. Flexibility for transfer students around application deadlines is also encouraged for majors with an application process.

Because transfer students are at first unfamiliar with the Yale College curriculum, please offer them special help enrolling in courses that will give them a good start at a new place. Questions about transfer students or the credits awarded to them by the Dean’s Office should be addressed to the director of the transfer student program, Risa Sodi, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, in the Yale College Dean's Office.