Undergraduate Transfer Credit

Transfer credit for physics classes

Wake Forest students who want credit for physics taken elsewhere should read the following guidelines.

  1. Permission to take the course must be obtained prior to enrolling in the course.
  2. Courses cannot be taken elsewhere for divisional credit. Most students requesting permission to take physics elsewhere are pre-meds, and for these students divisional credit is usually not a concern, as they already have plenty of science courses.
  3. Students may take the equivalent of Physics 113 and 114 ( General Physics I and II ) for elective credit only.
  4. The course must be offered by a college or university that offers the bachelor’s degree in physics.
  5. The college must be an accredited four-year college or university. It may not be a junior college, community college, or technical college.
  6. Upper level physics courses ( those that require at least a year of earlier physics study ) will be reviewed case-by-case for transfer credit. Of prime importance is whether the course satisfies physics major requirements at the university where it is offered.

Determining eligibility for Physics 113 or 114 credit

To be eligible for transfer credit, the course must meet the following requirements:

  1. The course description must match that of Physics 113 or 114, as appropriate.
  2. The course must include an associated laboratory.
  3. Calculus must be a corequisite or prerequisite for the course.
  4. The course must be offered by a college or university that offers the bachelor’s degree in physics.
  5. The college must be an accredited four-year college or university. It may not be a junior college, community college, or technical college.

Be sure to include supporting documentation for the above in your request for transfer credit. The most frequent reason for denial of transfer credit is absence of a clear indication of a calculus requirement for the course.

Some courses and institutions with known problems

Considerations for pre-meds when considering taking summer school elsewhere

Wake students taking the MCAT traditionally do very well on the physics questions. Part of the reason is that our courses are taught very well. Much of learning physics is about learning to work very difficult problems, and this is a skill that cannot be taught in lecture. The opportunity for individual instruction during office hours plays an integral part to success in physics. It is wise to determine whether such help will be available at the university you are considering for summer school.

Another consideration for premeds is that medical schools look not only at what courses you have taken but also where you have taken them. You are best served by taking your core premedical requirements at Wake Forest or at another university with prestigious science departments. An A in a physics course from MyHomeTown U may not earn respect from medical school admissions committees.