3.1.2.2 Transfer Courses
Supplemental coursework may include transfer courses taken at an outside institution. Use of transfer courses requires approval by the Research Mentor, and the Academic/Executive Committee. If you plan to take a transfer course, you must complete a PhD Transfer Course Request Form for Associate Director/Registrar review and approval before the course begins. This review will include a determination of the number of University credits to be awarded, which must be whole numbers (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4). The PhD Transfer Course Request Form requires a recent syllabus to be uploaded. Transfer courses may be taken for a letter grade or as Pass/Fail. Once the PhD Transfer Course Request is approved, the Registrar will register the student for university transfer credits for the semester in which the course will be taken. Transfer courses are distinct from Independent Study courses (see section on Independent Study Courses). The Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions Rehabilitation Sciences PhD Program has formal course sharing agreements with the Harvard School of Public Health and the Harvard Graduate School of Education (Fall and Spring terms) which enable University PhD-RS students to take pre-approved courses at these institutions without paying tuition. Professional Education courses are not included in tuition-waived programs. Please refer to the PhD-RS Teams page for additional instructions about registration.
Upon completion of a transfer course, students must communicate with the outside institution at which the course was taken to ensure a formal transcript or grade report is sent directly to the University Registrar For courses taken at the Harvard School of Public Health, their registrar will send grades directly to the University Registrar (as they do not provide transcripts to cross-registrants). In this case, students must follow up with the University Registrar to confirm the grade has been received.
Students may petition that up to 9 credits of previously completed, relevant coursework be transferred in to meet core or supplemental coursework requirements, provided: 1) the course is a graduate level course with objectives that overlap a core course OR a graduate level course that is relevant to the PhD training plan outlined in the supplemental coursework plan; and 2) the coursework was completed within the preceding 7 years. The petition for transfer credit must first be approved by the Program’s Executive Committee and then filed through the Registrar’s Office. An official transcript showing the completed course(s) with a grade of “Pass” or B or higher is required. Submit a Petition for Course Replacement to transfer in course credits as supplemental coursework or to replace core curriculum.