Placement of first-year students and transfer students into Kalamazoo College courses may depend on previous coursework, College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations, the International Baccalaureate (IB), or departmental placement exams. The College does not place students, nor grant credit toward graduation, based on the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).
Chemistry and Mathematics Placement
Placement in chemistry and mathematics courses depends on scores earned on Kalamazoo College placement tests (offered online during the summer before the first year) or the appropriate College Board Advanced Placement Examination. See the Chemistry and Mathematics pages under the Courses of Instruction section for more information on placement in those departments. Placement does not imply academic credit toward graduation; see the Admissions Policies section of this catalog.
Foreign Language Placement
Students who have previously studied a foreign language must take a Kalamazoo College foreign language placement test. Placement in foreign language courses depends on the score earned on the Kalamazoo College placement test, a College Board Advanced Placement Examination, or an International Baccalaureate Higher Level examination. Students who have completed three or more years of foreign language in high school will not be placed in a 101 class. Placement does not imply academic credit toward graduation; see the Admissions Policies section of this catalog.
Transfer Credit
Advanced Placement (AP) Credit
Please refer to the Admissions Policies section of this catalog.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit
Please refer to the Admissions Policies section of this catalog.
Dual Enrollment Credit
Please refer to the Admissions Policies section of this catalog.
New Transfer Students
Please refer to the Admissions Policies section of this catalog.
Continuing Students
Summer Transfer Credit: Students who wish to receive credit for academic work completed over the summer must have the program and course(s) approved prior to their enrollment. Students may receive credit (with a grade of C or better) for courses taken at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, on a program offered in the U.S. through a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or from an appropriately accredited institution outside of the U.S. For U.S. institutions, the Registrar will determine whether the college or university is accredited and appropriate; for institutions and programs outside the U.S., the CIP will make that determination, along with checking into risk management issues. The Registrar’s Office will work with appropriate departments to determine the appropriateness of the courses.
Transfer students may not transfer more than 18 total units toward graduation. Credit transferred from other institutions is not used in the calculation of the Kalamazoo College cumulative grade point average (GPA). A student may not transfer credit for a repeated course if the student earned credit (D- or better) for the original course.
Transfer units may be used to satisfy language and physical education requirements and, at the discretion of the departmental faculty, may be used toward majors, minors, and concentrations. All work to be considered for transfer credit must be submitted on an official transcript mailed directly from the transfer institution to the registrar. The College reserves the right to deny transfer credit not reported within the first year of enrollment.
Kalamazoo College does not allow concurrent enrollment. Credits taken at another college or university while enrolled during a standard session at Kalamazoo College will not be considered transferrable. This does not apply to Interinstitutional coursework as discussed below.
Study Abroad Course Credit
Students must obtain prior approval for participation in any study abroad program by applying to the Center for International Programs. See the section on Study Abroad Grades for information on how credit from approved courses is transferred. Study abroad courses do not apply toward the maximum allowable transfer units, and study abroad grades are not used to calculate the grade point average (GPA).
Interinstitutional Enrollment
Students may take advantage of opportunities offered by the Kalamazoo Consortium for Higher Education by enrolling in courses at Western Michigan University or Kalamazoo Valley Community College. This program is intended to provide students in good academic standing the opportunity to take courses that are not available at Kalamazoo College but will add a meaningful dimension to their educational program. First Year students must obtain approval from the Dean of the First Year in order to participate in the program. Juniors and seniors at Kalamazoo College may not take lower level credit at one of the other institutions without receiving special permission from the Registrar’s Office prior to registration. Enrollment is considered on a “space available” basis. The College reserves the right to refuse students the ability to participate in the program. Final approval must be received by the Registrar’s Office. Students must adhere to the policies of both the home and host institutions during the time of interinstitutional enrollment.
Credit will be awarded to students based on the number of credits the interinstitutional course is worth at the school offering it. Courses worth 3 semester credits will be awarded .9 units, and courses worth 4 semester credits will be awarded 1.2 units. Questions regarding how this affects degree completion should be directed to the Registrar’s Office.
Kalamazoo College students must be registered for a minimum of two Kalamazoo College units for the quarter in which they enroll in an interinstitutional course and must include the course as part of a normal full-time registration. Interinstitutional courses do not count as part of the residency requirement. The overload policy does, however, apply to the registration of interinstitutional courses; interinstutional courses worth 3 or 4 semester credits will count as a full academic course regardless of course credit conversion. Students may also not register for more than two courses at the host institution. Students are encouraged not to enroll in interinstitutional courses during the Spring quarter due to academic calendar dates, housing issues, and the fulfillment of requirements for graduating seniors.
Courses taken under the interinstitutional program are included in Kalamazoo College tuition charges and will appear on the Kalamazoo College transcript; the grade(s) received will be calculated in the Kalamazoo College GPA.
Students from WMU and KVCC wishing to take classes at Kalamazoo College under this program should submit an approved Michigan Guest Student Application to the Registrar’s Office. Applications must be submitted a minimum of 30 days prior to the start of the term.