Applications for transfer of credit for work completed at Yale or another school may be made after a full term’s work at YDS. Credits are transferred upon authorization by the associate dean of academic affairs, acting for the Professional Studies Committee. Normally transfer credit will be recorded as electives. After six credits have been transferred as electives, however, a maximum of six additional credits for the M.A.R. degree and eighteen additional credits for the M.Div. degree may become eligible for transfer to the appropriate areas. Except in the case of students on approved exchange study, these credits will be included in the total hours required for an area but not counted as fulfilling particular requirements within the area. In the case of students on approved exchange study, once course work has been preapproved, students may request a waiver of the policy restricting the first six transfer credits to electives and/or of the policy prohibiting transfer credits from fulfilling particular requirements within a curricular area. Matriculated M.A.R. and M.Div. students must secure approval in advance for courses they wish to take elsewhere if transfer credit is desired. No more than six hours of credit can be earned each year through study during the summer.

Normally, no work taken prior to matriculation for the S.T.M. degree will be counted toward the degree, nor will credit be transferred from other schools unless approval to count a course to be taken elsewhere has been given in advance.

All course work accepted for transfer credit is posted to the YDS transcript with the grade of “CR” (credit). Titles of courses accepted for transfer credit are maintained in the student’s file but are not listed on the transcript.

To be eligible for transfer toward a Yale Divinity School degree, a course completed at Yale or another school must meet the following requirements:

1. The course must have been taken at an accredited institution.
2. The course must have been taken at the graduate or professional level.
3. The student must have completed a baccalaureate degree before taking the course.
4. The course should be clearly relevant to the student’s program at the Divinity School.
5. Normally, the course must have been taken within the seven years prior to matriculation at the Divinity School.
6. Courses credited toward another graduate degree, either received or anticipated, may not be transferred. Exceptions may be made for students who have received the M.A.R. or M.Div. degrees from Yale Divinity School.¹
7. No more than twelve hours will be transferred from a nontheological graduate program. If twelve hours are to be transferred, the student will be required to demonstrate to the Professional Studies Committee how the work previously completed is integral to the program of study pursued at Yale Divinity School.
8. Normally, courses taken online cannot be transferred for Divinity School credit. Petitions for exceptions must be made to the Professional Studies Committee. In all cases students are required to inform the academic dean if courses proposed for transfer credit were taken online.
9. Intensive courses lasting less than two weeks cannot be transferred for Divinity School credit.
10. The minimum grade accepted for transfer credit is B- (HP-) or its equivalent.

1

Individuals who were awarded the M.A.R. degree from Yale Divinity School are eligible to apply up to twenty-four credits toward study for the M.Div. degree, provided that the M.A.R. study was pursued within seven years of matriculation for the M.Div. Individuals who have been awarded the M.Div. degree from Yale Divinity School are eligible to apply up to twelve credits toward study for the M.A.R. degree, provided that the M.Div. study was pursued within seven years of matriculation for the M.A.R.