Transfer Credits/ Courses to Other Universities

Candidates who wish to change universities after their first semester or their first year of college often can transfer their course credit to their new university, thereby not losing the entire year of learning they have already done. Transfer credits are usually considered during admission for both diplomas and degrees and are often part of colleges' eligibility requirements.

Though there can be different factors that cause a candidate to transfer from one college to another, candidates may not be able to transfer their credits due to the difference in educational management in both universities. These differences can be in the transfer policy each university has or in the curriculum chosen by the institution. They can also be because the courses opted for are not comparable with each other.

General Requirements for Transferring Credit

Most universities allow credit transfer from one university to another. The basic requirements for transferring credits are the same for different universities. Still, each university will have its credit transfer policy that the students have to enquire about before they leave and join another institution. They should also have an account of how many courses they have enough credits for, which are transferable to the course they are about to do. The requirements are-

• Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which a B or above has been obtained will be eligible for transfer.
• If a candidate is transferring from an undergraduate course, having a course grade of C or above is usually allowed.
• Transferred courses will most likely not be shown in the new transcripts they receive.
• A copy of the catalog description of the course and an official transcript showing completion of the course(s) and the grade received in the course(s) must be submitted with the plan of study.
• For undergraduate programs, there might be a limit on the number of credits the candidate can transfer.
• While the course credit will be transferred, it must be noted that the grades the candidate received for the course are not transferable.
• For transfer of credits in graduate programs, students should refer to the general policies of the University's Graduate School. No more than 6/9 (some universities allow 6, and some are OK with 9) credits towards the Master of Science in Engineering may be earned at another university.
• A regionally accredited U.S. institution or foreign university must grant the candidate's transfer credit.
• The credit must not have been used to satisfy the requirements for any other degree.
• The candidate must furnish an official graduate program transcript to the Graduate Records Office.

Steps to Transfer Credits from University

While it cannot be guaranteed that every student who applies for credit transfer will be able to receive it, candidates who take the right steps while trying to transfer credits have a higher chance of transferring credit.

• Enquire about the university's transfer policies before admission.
• Opting for universities with student-friendly transfer policies
• Compare the credits from the unofficial transcript of the candidate to the academic catalog of the college they are being admitted to.
• Make a list of transfer courses that will match the courses in the catalog. This can be done by comparing course code titles or even course descriptions.
• Check the number of credits the college accepts.

Criteria for Transferring Credits of Graduate Programs

The policy for transferring credits in graduate programs is essentially different from that of undergraduate programs. This is mainly because, during undergraduate programs, candidates usually take transferable credits from local universities while in high school. Hence, they will have a minimum number of differences in the curriculum and courses for which they wish to transfer credit. Due to the peculiar nature of courses in graduate programs, most courses that candidates wish to transfer will not have a similar curriculum or method of study in the new college, leading to the credits being non-transferable. The general criteria that most colleges follow for transferring graduate study credits are-

• No more than six credit hours of graduate work may be transferred from another institution unless the program has special approval by the Graduate Council. When changing programs within UMCP, the student may request the inclusion of credits earned at UMCP. However, Advanced Special Students may not include more than six (6) credits when moving from non-degree to degree-seeking status.
• The advisor and Director of Graduate Studies will need to certify that any courses listed apply to the student's program and, for non-UMCP classes, that the courses have been re-validated.
• Credit must have been granted by a regionally accredited U.S. institution or foreign university. If it is from a foreign university, the candidate will have to get it evaluated by the International Educational Services and the Graduate School.
• The courses must have been taken at a graduate level and have been taken for graduate credit at the original institution.
• The student must have earned a grade of "B" or above in the course and have a "B" or above average on all the graduate coursework taken at the institution from which the transfer is requested.
• The credit must not have been used to satisfy the requirements for any other degree.
• The student must furnish the Graduate Records Office with an official transcript.
• Transfer work satisfies only the 400-level requirements for the master's degree and does not apply to the upper-level requirements.
• The transfer coursework must have been taken within seven years of the award of UMCP's master's degree for which the student is currently enrolled. All other coursework must be taken within five years of the master's degree.
• Graduate credits earned in another graduate program may be accepted by the department up to 9 credits (excluding research, thesis, and independent study credits). Students from the MCEE institutions are allowed up to 14 credits. In such a case, the completed Credit Evaluation: Graduate Program form will be included with the program. Transfer credit will be given only for courses in which a grade of 3.0 (out of 4) or better was earned and whose content is still relevant and timely.