MFA in Writing First-Term Entrants

Applicants who enter the Bennington Writing Seminars as first-term students will receive transfer credit evaluations after submitting their deposit and declaring their Intent to Enroll, provided they have submitted official transcripts.

When evaluating credit for transfer, Bennington only reviews official transcripts from regionally accredited low-residency or traditional MFA programs. Once enrolled, students must submit the transcript from the institution from which they have received credit. On occasion, the College may require supporting materials such as a college bulletin, course description, course work, or syllabus in order to evaluate credit for transfer.

If approved, Bennington will accept a maximum transfer of one term’s worth of credits (16 credits). The student must be accepted into the Bennington MFA program before seeking approval for transfer credits. The Executive Director of the Writing Seminars program and the Registrar’s Office must approve the credit transfer.

All College decisions regarding transfer credit are final.

Admitted transfer students may defer entry for up to one term with the approval of the Executive Director and Director of the Writing Seminars program, though no additional credit earned during the deferral period will be counted toward the Bennington MFA. Deferred transfer students who enroll elsewhere will be required to reapply for admission.

Transferable Credit

Transferable courses must be within an MFA-level creative writing curriculum as determined by Bennington. Bennington does not grant “life experience” credit, nor do we grant credit for internships. Credit earned by examination, independent study, online, or distance learning courses is not eligible for transfer.

Only credits from courses for which students have received at least a grade of C  are eligible for transfer. Grades of C− are not eligible. Ungraded, Pass/Fail, or Credit/No Credit courses will only be considered for transfer if the institution’s transcript guide lists a passing grade as equivalent to a grade of C or above.

Transfer credit for work done at foreign institutions may need to be submitted to the Center for Educational Documentation for their recommendation. Students will be notified upon receipt of their transcript(s) if a CED evaluation is required, and the applicant is responsible for submitting their transcript(s) to CED. The cost for this outside evaluation is the responsibility of the applicant. The Center normally requires one month to process applications. The College makes the final determination of credits eligible for transfer.

Updated: September 2023