Transfer of Credit to Bastyr University
When a student has satisfactorily completed a course that is the same in terms of content, level, and credit as a specific Bastyr University course, the student may petition to receive transfer credits for that course.
Credits from institutions that have institutional accreditation from an agency recognized by the American Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the U.S. Department of Education may be accepted for transfer to Bastyr University. Credits from programs accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME), Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM), Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), and Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) may be accepted for transfer to Bastyr University. Students who apply to Bastyr University with credit from schools outside of the U.S. are required to obtain international transcripts assessed by an evaluation service recognized by Bastyr University. Credits from schools outside the U.S. are evaluated according to nationally established norms.
For validation of coursework that is not transferable because the level of the material or the accreditation of the credit-granting institution is not appropriate, please refer to the policy and procedures governing competency examinations.
For validation of knowledge of subject matter learned in non-academic settings, please refer to the policy and procedures governing challenge examinations.
If an enrolled student wishes to complete a program requirement at another institution with the intent to transfer credit for that course to Bastyr, they should submit for advance approval a petition to waive, substitute, or transfer credits along with a description of the course they wish to complete elsewhere. Courses submitted for transfer that have not received prior approval are not guaranteed transferability.
Once a student has reached the maximum allowable transfer/waive credits for their program, students will be charged 50% of the standard tuition rate up to 10.0 credits IF those credits are above the tuition band of 16 credits per quarter.
Undergraduate Transfer Credit
Bastyr University accepts for transfer undergraduate credits earned at any regionally accredited college or university, provided the courses are similar in content and level as those taught at Bastyr University or satisfy the basic proficiency and science or general education requirements for an undergraduate degree. Undergraduate students may also transfer through the ACE Alternative Credit Project up to 45 lower-division general education credits. Transfer credit determinations are made at the time of admission to Bastyr University. Students should review the University’s evaluation of their credits and, if necessary, file a petition to waive, substitute, or transfer credits for any course in question before they begin their first quarter at Bastyr University.
Earned credits of any age (with a minimum grade of C or 2.00) may be transferred toward bachelor’s degree completion requirements in satisfaction of general education and program prerequisite requirements in the following areas:
English literature or composition
Public speaking
College-level algebra*
General cell biology with lab
General chemistry (science major level with lab)
General psychology
Introductory nutrition
*Intermediate algebra is not considered college-level, and credits taken will not transfer toward degree completion.
Earned credits of any age (with a grade of C or 2.00 or better) may be transferred toward bachelor’s degree completion requirements in satisfaction of general education requirements in the following areas:
Arts and humanities
Natural sciences and mathematics
Social sciences (health sciences only)
Graduate and Professional Transfer Credit
Graduate and professional students may be awarded transfer credit for coursework at the graduate level (typically numbered 500 or above) from other accredited institutions with a minimum grade of C or 2.00. Graduate and professional students wishing to transfer coursework to Bastyr University must submit a petition to waive, substitute, or transfer credits for each course in question to the advising/evaluation staff in the registrar’s office.
Courses satisfying any graduate program requirements customarily have requirements regarding currency and will be evaluated in that context before the student’s admission to Bastyr University.
For students entering Bastyr University’s naturopathic medicine program from an institution accredited by CNME, the maximum number of transferable credits is 40 percent of the total credits required for the ND degree. For naturopathic medicine students, a minimum of 60 percent of the ND degree credit requirements must be completed at Bastyr University. Students transferring from a CNME-accredited institution are still subject to transcript evaluation for course equivalency and all other transfer and program admission requirements. For other students entering the naturopathic medicine program or any other doctoral program, no more than one third of the total number of credits may be accepted for transfer credit.
Students must meet all prerequisite, program, and elective requirements regardless of the number of credits that are accepted in transfer. More information regarding program prerequisites and credits is available in this catalog; information on elective credit is also located in this catalog.
Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Policy Overview
Bastyr University recognizes Advanced Placement (AP) coursework and International Baccalaureate (IB). AP and IB credits may be accepted for general education or major-based prerequisite courses. Advanced Placement exams are scored on a scale of 1–5 and International Baccalaureate exams are scored on a scale of 1-7. At Bastyr University, AP scores of 3 or higher and IB scores of 4 or higher (taken on the higher level) are considered for fulfilling general education or major-based prerequisite courses.
Students who complete two exams with duplicate or overlapping content (e.g. AP and IB), or who complete an exam and a college course with duplicate or overlapping content will be awarded credit for only one exam or course.
Submitting your AP and IB test scores:
Credit will be awarded on the basis of official results, not transcript notation. AP Test results must be sent to Bastyr University Office of Admissions directly from College Board. To have your IB program exam(s) sent to Bastyr please contact the IB Organization to request that an official IB transcript be sent directly to our Office of Admissions.
The tables below indicates how Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exam scores presented on an official score report are accepted at Bastyr University for general education or major-based prerequisite courses.
| AP Test |
AP Score |
IB Score |
Transfer Credit |
Fulfills* |
| Art History |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Arts and Humanities |
| Art: Studio Art-Drawing |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Arts and Humanities |
| Art: 2D Design |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Arts and Humanities |
| Art: 3D Design |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Arts and Humanities |
| Biology |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
General Cell Biology w/lab (for science majors) or Intro to Biology |
| Calculus AB |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
College Algebra or Precalculus |
| Calculus BC |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
College Algebra or Precalculus |
| Chemistry |
3,4 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
General Chemistry I w/lab or Intro to Chemistry |
| |
5 |
|
10 credits |
General Chemistry I and II w/lab or Intro to Chemistry |
|
Any foreign language & culture:
Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish
|
3,4 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Arts and Humanities |
|
5 |
|
10 credits |
Arts and Humanities |
| Computer Science |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Electives |
| Economics: Micro or Macro |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Social Sciences |
| English: Language and Composition |
3 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Arts and Humanities |
| |
4,5 |
|
5 credits |
English |
| English: Literature and Composition |
3 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Arts and Humanities |
| |
4,5 |
|
5 credits |
English |
| Environmental Science |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Natural Sciences |
| US Government and Politics |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Social Sciences |
| Comparative Government and Politics |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Social Sciences |
| Human Geography |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Social Sciences |
| Music |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Arts and Humanities |
| Physics I |
3 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Natural Sciences |
| |
4,5 |
|
5 credits |
Physics |
Physics II
|
3 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Natural Sciences |
| |
4,5 |
|
5 credits |
Physics |
| Psychology |
3 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Social Sciences |
| |
4,5 |
|
5 credits |
General Psychology or Social Sciences
|
| Statistics |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Statistics |
| US History |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Social Sciences |
| World History |
3,4,5 |
4,5,6,7 |
5 credits |
Social Sciences |
*Any unused credits can go to elective pre-requisites
Electives
Physical education activity and skill classes are limited to 3 credits in transfer. Courses of a vocational-technical nature may be transferred up to a maximum of 15 quarter credits. These courses must be numbered 100 or above and must have value within the degree that the student is seeking at Bastyr University.
The maximum number of transfer credits acceptable for any undergraduate student entering Bastyr University is 135 quarter credits. No more than 90 of those credits may be from a community college, with the following exception: an additional 10 credits may be accepted from a community college in the following areas if the content of the courses in question is determined to be equivalent to the required courses at Bastyr University:
- Organic Chemistry
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Microbiology
- Statistics
- Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, Human Sexuality, and Psychology of Personality
Courses taken at other accredited institutions beyond the maximum transferable credits will be waived if they satisfy degree requirements, but credit will not be granted and total degree requirements will not be reduced. The elective credit requirement will be increased by the amount so recognized.
A minimum of 45 quarter credits must be completed at Bastyr University. Students must meet all prerequisites, general education, program, and elective requirements regardless of the number of credits that are accepted in transfer.