TRANSFER POLICIES

Due to the unique nature of the curriculum at The Culinary Institute of America, only selected business management and liberal arts courses will be considered for transfer credit approval. We do not accept transfer credits for culinary arts, baking and pastry arts,or hospitality and service management (restaurant) courses.

Approval Criteria

1. Course must have an appropriate focus from an accredited college or university.
2. Completion of the course with a grade of "C" or better.
3. All applicable course work must have been completed within the past 10 years.
4. If applicant took the College Board AP exam and received a score of "4" or higher within the past five years.

How to Apply for Transfer Credit

Guidelines in preparing your request for transfer credit (to be submitted with your application for admission):

1. Consult The Culinary Institute of America's academic catalog to find out which courses are required for your intended major.
2. Review the CIA's Transferring Credits to the CIA brochure. (PFD 84 KB)
3. Complete the top two sections of the transfer credit application.
4. Attach official course descriptions for each course you would like to transfer. If you are requesting transfer credit for College Board AP classes, please provide us with an official College Board report of your scores. If you are requesting transfer credit for the CIA's Food Safety course, you must attach a copy of your national Restaurant Association (NRA) ServSafe® certificate and either one of the following with or on your Application for the Transfer of Credit:
   
   a) Course description of the food safety college course of at least 1.0 credit
   or
   b) If you attended a ProStart high school or LEAP high school please indicate which program, and the name of the high school
   
   
5. Include an official copy of your high school and/or college transcripts if they were previously sent.
6. Submit your completed transfer credit application and supporting documentation along with your application for admission. Transfer credit applications are due no later than three weeks prior to your approved entry date. No transfer credit will be granted if the application is not received by this deadline.
7. Once you have completed the application form, with the required documentation attached, mail to:
   
   Admissions Department
   Attn: Transfer Credit
   The Culinary Institute of America
   1946 Campus Drive
   Hyde Park, NY 12538-1499

Transfer credits will be considered for the following courses:

• Accounting and Budget Management
• Composition and Communication
• Computers in the Food Business
• Controlling Costs and Purchasing Food
• Economics
• Financial Management
• Food Safety (for eligibility, see guideline #4 above)
• French, Italian, or Spanish I, II, III, and IV
• History and Cultures of Asia
• History and Cultures of Europe
• History and Cultures of the Americas
• Human Resource Management
• Interpersonal Communication
• Introduction to Gastronomy
• Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
• Introduction to Management
• Leadership and Ethics
• Marketing and Promoting Food
• Mathematics
• Menu Development
• Nutrition
• Organizational Behavior
• Principles of Design
• Psychology of Human Behavior
• Restaurant Law
• Restaurant Operations
• Wine Studies
• Writing

The Writing and Costing Examinations are graduation requirements for all students and may not be transferred.

Please note:

• Credits accepted in transfer may count toward the completion of degree requirements but are not calculated in a student's grade point average at the college.
• Full-time students may not receive transfer credits for all courses requested if the number of credits transferred reduces the amount for a semester below the 12 credits required for full-time study. Tuition charges are assessed based on full-time study, with each semester ranging between 12–18 credits.
• Students who receive transfer credit and wish to supplement their semester courses may take an Independent Study course with the permission of the appropriate academic dean.
• Students who transfer credits from another institution do not receive credit toward tuition and fees at The Culinary Institute of America.

Questions?

For more information about transferring credit to the CIA, please call the Admissions Office at 1-800-CULINARY (285-4627).