Advanced Standing & Transfer Credit Advanced Standing & Transfer Credit Ph.D. Programs: Advanced Standing Free-standing M.A. Programs: Partial Advanced Standing Liberal Studies Master of Arts Programs: Transfer Credit Students from other Columbia Graduate Divisions Students from Columbia Undergraduate Schools

After an academic review of its eligible Ph.D. students in their first semester, the department or program determines whether or not to grant advanced standing, either in full (two Residence Units) or in part (up to one Residence Unit).

Ph.D. students who, upon entrance to the Graduate School, have completed the requirements either a) for an appropriate M.A. degree, conferred in another division of Columbia or by another regionally accredited institution (or the international equivalent), or b) (occasionally) for an appropriate professional degree taken at Columbia or elsewhere:
To receive full advanced standing (two Residence Units) the previous degree must be the academic equivalent of the Columbia M.A. and must be judged to be such that it advances the student by one year toward the M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees. Usually a department accepts work for advanced standing when (1) it has contributed directly and substantially to the fulfillment of the requirements for the M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees and (2) it meets departmental standards.
Students who have been granted full advanced standing (two Residence Units) are not eligible to receive an M.A. from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Departments reserve the right to establish degree requirements for all students in their programs. Therefore, such students are not necessarily exempt from all requirements demanded of M.A. candidates, although they are not eligible to receive the M.A. degree from GSAS.

Ph.D. students who have taken graduate-level courses but have not completed an appropriate M.A. degree program or the equivalent (or an appropriate professional degree) at Columbia or elsewhere: such students may be eligible for up to one Residence Unit of advanced standing (up to 15 points) in fulfillment of the M.A. degree. Ph.D. students who are granted partial advanced standing or who are denied advanced standing receive the Master's degree upon satisfactory completion of the M.A. requirements as determined by their department or program.