Coterminal Course Transfers

Policy Statement

After accepting admission to a master’s degree program, coterm students may request transfer of Stanford courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career to satisfy requirements for the master’s degree and/or from the graduate career to the undergraduate career to satisfy requirements for the bachelor's degree(s). Transfer of courses between the undergraduate and graduate careers requires review and approval by both the undergraduate and graduate departments. 

Courses taken three quarters prior to the first graduate quarter, or later, are eligible for consideration for transfer to the graduate career. Summer quarters, Flex Terms, and quarters spent on approved full-term leave of absence are not included in the quarters-back count. Although summer quarters and Flex Terms are not used to determine how far back a student may transfer courses, units earned in these quarters may be transferred.

No courses taken prior to the first quarter of the sophomore year may be used to meet master’s degree requirements. Individual programs have the discretion to set their own policy regarding course transfer for their coterm master’s students, provided that no student counts a course taken earlier than the first quarter of sophomore year. The program’s policy is stated in the relevant department.

All course transfer requests must be submitted via eForms portal no later than the Late Application to Graduate deadline of the intended bachelor’s degree conferral quarter. Course transfers between careers are not possible after the bachelor’s degree has been conferred. Undergraduate credit from transfer courses or tests may not be transferred to the graduate career.

Implementation Information

Students should visit the Coterm Course Transfer Student Service page for information about how to request a course transfer.

Exception Process

Exceptions to the university's Coterminal Course Transfer policy may be requested through the Student & Academic Services Student Exceptions Committee. Full details can be found at https://studentservices.stanford.edu/my-academics/access-resources-help/request-exception-academic-policy.

Contact Information

Degree Progress, Office of the University Registrar