Departmental Policies

TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY

Department of Philosophy

as of June 29, 2011

The Denison philosophy department's transfer credit policy was developed to maintain our high standards for what should count as a collegiate philosophy course, while also encouraging our students to challenge themselves by pursuing philosophical study in other academic and cultural environments. At any time in the credit approval process, students may contact the chair for updates and more detailed information about the department's criteria.

Note that Denison credit in Philosophy will not be granted for any philosophy course taught at a high school or by a high school teacher (including AP, IB, KAP, etc., courses), or for any online courses.

APPLYING FOR PHILOSOPHY CREDIT

If you want a philosophy course you took at another university to count as a philosophy course at Denison (and therefore, e.g., to count as a humanities course towards General Education requirements), please speak to the chair of Denison's Philosophy Department.  If you are inquiring about a summer course, a course taken at a college during high school, or a course taken through a special (non-degree granting) "program" at a university, you must get approval from the chair, who may ask the department to decide in unclear cases. Pre-approval is possible, upon presentation of a syllabus indicating reading and writing assignments and a letter from the school or professor attesting to its currentness.  Courses in this category will typically be listed as PHIL 199, and will not count towards the major or minor in Philosophy.  Students with credit denied by the chair may appeal to the department.

APPLYING FOR CREDIT TOWARDS THE MAJOR/MINOR

If you want credit toward the major or minor for a philosophy course you took elsewhere or one you plan to take elsewhere, you must receive approval from the chair, who may ask the department to decide in unclear cases. Pre-approval is possible, upon presentation of a syllabus indicating reading and writing assignments and a letter from the school or professor attesting to its currentness. Normally the department will only grant credit for no more than three courses from other institutions toward the major or minor.  Students with credit denied by the chair may appeal to the department.

APPLYING FOR CREDIT FOR A SPECIFIC PHILOSOPHY COURSE

If you want credit towards the major or minor (or for other purposes) for a specific Denison philosophy course (such as 200, 231 or 232, among others), because you took or plan to take a philosophy course elsewhere, you must receive approval from the entire department (normally including the faculty member who regularly teaches that course). The department will not pre-approve courses taught elsewhere to count in place of specific Denison courses, but students are encouraged to discuss the course ahead of time with members of the department to get an indication as to whether approval is likely.  As part of the approval process, students must also submit all materials from the course (syllabus, assignments, papers, etc.) to the chair after taking the course. Normally, no more than one such course may be used to satisfy the upper-division requirements,  though they may count toward the major as such.