Information on Transfer Credit for Math Courses
The references below to math courses are made by number. If you want to
see a detailed description of the courses, you should refer to the
annotated descriptions of first-year math courses or to the Bulletin of Duke University.
Getting Approval of Courses to be Taken at Another School.
There are two steps that you should take before you enroll at
another four-year school in a course for which you want credit at Duke.
- Get Departmental approval for the course.
- Get approval from your academic dean for the course.
Special notes on transfer credits:
- Requests for transfer of summer courses must be made prior to the end of the spring semester.
- Courses cannot be transferred from a junior college.
- A
course taken at a school on the quarter system cannot be transferred
for a semester credit at Duke. To receive a full course credit at Duke
a student would have to take two quarter courses.
- Math majors and minors who want to receive transfer credit for advanced courses in the major should refer to the
Handbook for Math Majors and Minors for information on transferring advanced math courses.
- Tranferred math credits do not satisfy a "QID"
requirement in the old Curriculum 2000. (Note that there is no "QID"
mode of inquiry in the current curriculum.)
- There are limits on the number of transfer credits
which count toward graduation. The limit depends on whether or
not the transfer credits come from an approved study abroad
program. See the link above for your school's policies on this
matter.
The procedure for obtaining approval from the Math Department for a
course in mathematics are outlined below:
- Find the web address of the other school's descriptions of their
math courses. If the other school does not have the descriptions on
the web, then you must obtain the printed catalog (or at least a copy of
the pages containing descriptions of the math courses) from the other
school. All undergraduate math courses should be included, so we can see
how the course that you want
fits into the whole set of math courses. Summer catalogs seldom contain
enough information. Some catalogs (web or printed) are not
detailed enough, and in
such a case, you'll need to bring a syllabus or other official written
description of the contents of the course.
- Determine whether the school is on the semester system or the quarter
system. If it's on the quarter system, you'll need to take two courses there
to get one credit at Duke.
- For summer courses you should determine how many days the class meets
and how long each period is. There must be 35 contact hours before
Duke will consider transfer credit.
- Some schools offer different versions of the same course, especially for
introductory calculus. If this is the case at the school you are
considering, then the one most likely to match our course will probably have
a label like "calculus for science majors", "calculus for engineers" or
simply "Calculus I (or II)". Labels like "topics in calculus" or "calculus
for social science or business majors" often mean that it will not transfer
as Math 121(31) or Math 122(32). One way we check to see if the course is the
right one is to follow the "prerequisite trail." For example, for a
course to eligible for transfer as Duke's Math 122(32), in addition to meeting
other requirements, it should have as a prerequisite a calculus course
equivalent to Duke's Math 121(31) and must also serve as a prerequisite for
higher-level math courses, including multivariable calculus.
- There are usually a few specific topics that are strong indicators of
comparability with Duke courses. We make no attempt to provide a complete
list of such topics, but a few are indicated below by course. If the course
you are considering doesn't include these topices, then it will probably not
be transferable.
Math 121(31): limits, derivatives, maxima and minima, the definite integral,
the Fundamental Theorem of calculus.
Math 111L(31L): maxima and minima, exponential and logarithmic
functions, modeling with differential equations,
the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, calculator
or computer labs.
Math 122(32): techniques of integration, differentiation and
integration of exp(x) and ln(x) (or "transcendental"
functions), Taylor Polynomials, sequences, series.
Math 112L(32L): applications of the definite integral, Taylor
Polynomials, infinite series, convergence theorems,
calculator or computer labs.
Math 212(103): multiple integrals, vector calculus, Green's Theorem,
Stokes' Theorem.
Math 221(104): vector spaces, matrix algebra, systems of equations,
eigenvalues and eigenvectors, Gram-Schmidt Theorem,
complex inner product spaces, Jordan form.
- Our Functions and Calculus
courses, Math 105L(25L)/106L(26L) are so different from traditional courses
at other schools that there is almost no chance of getting transfer credit
for those courses.
- After you have checked to see that your course qualifies under all the
criteria above, then to obtain Departmental approval you must contact one of the following people in the Mathematics Department:
In your first email to the proper contact person above, you should send the following information:
- The name of the other school.
- A statement about whether the other school is on the semester system
or the quarter system.
- The
number of the Duke math course for which you want credit, and the
number of the course at the other school which you think is equivalent
to it.
- The web address of the math course descriptions
for the other school. The web address should link to the complete
listing of the other school's math courses--not just summer school
courses.
- A list of math courses which you are currently
taking, and a list of math courses for which Duke has given you credit
(courses taken at Duke, AP credit, transfer credit, pre-matriculation
credit).
If the person you need to contact is away, the one of the others may
be able to help you. If you need to set up an appointment with one of
the people above, you can call 660-2800 or you can send a message to
the Undergraduate
Secretary.
- If your course is approved by the Math Department, then you will need
to have your transfer request approved by your academic dean.
Placement for students with Transfer Credit
You will find general information on placement in placement for
first-year students. The
guidelines below constitute a brief summary of placement as it relates
to students using transfer courses to satisfy prerequisites.
In general students with transfer credit for a course should enroll in the
next higher math course; however, our experience has shown that students
have a much higher success rate in the advanced courses if they also meet
minimum SAT and Achievement score recommendations.
- Students who have transfer credit for Math 121(31) and who have an SAT math
score of
at least 680 and an Achievement (I or II) score of least 660, should enroll
in Math 122L(41L) or Math 112L(32L).
- Students with transfer credit for Math 121(31) and Math 122(32) should enroll in
Math 212(103).
Common Questions About Transfer Credit
- I have requested transfer credit for a math course, but the
transfer credit has not been officially approved yet. Now I must
register for the next semester. For what math course should I register?
-- Send an email message to the Supervisor of First-year Instruction
and provide him with the information on your previous course and your
placement wishes. He can advise you on the likelihood of getting
approval for the previous course and on your registration for the next
semester.
- Does a course for which I have received transfer credit satisfy an "Area of Knowledge" requirement?
-- Yes, it does satisfy a "Quantitative Studies" requrement.
- Does a course for which I have transfer credit affect my Grade
Point Average?
-- No, Duke does not include the grade you make at another
school as part of your official transcript. (But, of course, one of the
requirements for getting the credit is that you make a grade of C or
better in the course.)
- If the course for which I receive transfer credit is
a requirement for the major or minor in another department, will the
transfer credit satisfy that requirement?
-- Yes.
Other Questions
-
If you have other questions about transfer credit for lower-level math
courses, you can send an email message to
the Supervisor of First-Year Instruction.
- If you have a question about a course numbered above Math 212(103), then you should send a message to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in Mathematics.
- Math Majors who intend to study abroad should consult the relevant section of the
Handbook for Math Majors and Minors.
- General questions about University policy with respect to transfer
credit should be addressed to
Mr. Harry Nelson.
His office is in room 103 of the Allen Building, and he is the
one to whom the required approval forms and transcripts are sent.
Other Addresses
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Mathematics Department
