Transfer Credits
- Courses Already Taken
A. Transfer credit review for courses already taken will be reviewed at any time during the year. Students should visit the Registrar's web page for official policies regarding transfer credit.
B. Courses already pre-approved by the department are listed in the GT Equivalency Catalog on the Registrar's website. Note that a course is listed here as "NOGT" has already been reviewed and determined to be unsuitable for transfer to Tech.
C. A course not listed in the Equivalency Catalog, or listed as "ET DEPT Appropriate Dept Must Evaluate" may transfer, if a review by the School of Physics finds the course to be appropriate. An application for such a review, along with instructions and required materials necessary for review can be obtained from the Registrar. The completed materials should then be sent to Professor Edward Conrad, W204 Howey, for evaluation.
D. Although we ask that you include references to any web pages describing the content of an external course, a request for credit review must be accompanied by hard-copies of: (i) the syllabus for the course during the term you took it (i.e. no "generic" syllabi from prior terms); and (ii) a class schedule (again, for the term you took it), listing both lecture topics and lab activities. Please do not simply append a reference URL to your request; we would like to see printed versions of all the relevant materials.
- Pre-review for Courses Not Yet Taken
A. The School of Physics only accepts pre-review requests for for students enrolled in a Coop program during the requested semester or for those students participating in a GT sanctioned study abroad program. Applications for pre-review should be received before the end of GT Phase I Registration in the term prior to taking the external course. All such requests should be forwarded to the School of Physics through a suitable student advisor--either an academic advisor from the student's major school or a co-op advisor from the Division of Professional Practice.
B. Required materials for pre-review applications are the same as those listed above, in items C & D under "Courses Already Taken". (In this case, the course syllabus and class schedule should be from the most recent term in which the course was offered.)
- Guidelines for Taking Physics Courses Outside GT
While the School of Physics does not pre-review physics course at other universities (outside the exceptions listed above), there are a number of points to consider before enrolling in another university physics course. Since most transfer credit application are for Physics 2211, 2212 and 2213, the outline of requirements are intended for courses deemed to be equivalent to these courses.
A. Check the Equivalency Catalog to see if a course is already pre-approved. We suggest that students who find a course accepted for transfer credit on the Registrar's website make a copy of the site since the page changes frequently.
B. Content must be the same as the School of Physics courses. See our general course syllabi for comparison.
C. Courses must be calculus-based with a calculus prerequisite similar to the prerequisite for the corresponding GT physics course. (It may be helpful to note that courses titled "College Physics" are typically algebra-based, and won't transfer; while courses titled "University Physics" or "Physics for Science & Engineering Students" are typically calculus-based, and are likely--but not guaranteed--to transfer.)
D. Lecture courses taken without a corresponding lab will not generally transfer. However, if the School deems that the lecture material is sufficiently similar in content and rigor with GT's courses, the School may allow a student to make up the missing lab work at GT, earning credit for the full course upon completion of the lab.
E. Courses taken under the Quarter System will not transfer unless the following conditions are met: (i) the course in question must cover the full content of the equivalent GT course; and (ii) the course must be worth six Quarters Hours, if it is to transfer as a four Semester Hour course.
F. Often other university physics courses cover more material than at GT and therefore do not cover the material at the same level of rigor as the GT courses. In those cases where the School believes the content deviates excessively, transfer credit will not be given. If the added material is not a large part of the course, the School will either transfer credit in full or allow the student to take an Advanced Standing Exam for the course in question. Passing the exam will allow the course to transfer for full credit.