Last Updated: July 11, 2021
Transfer Credits/ Courses to Other Universities
Candidates who wish to change universities after their first semester or their first year of college will often have the option of transferring 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 the eligibility requirements that colleges have.
Though there can be different factors for a candidate to transfer from one college to another, there is a possibility that candidates will 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. It can also be because the courses opted for are not comparable with each other.
General Requirements for Transferring Credit
Most the Universities allow transfer of credit from one University to another. The basic requirements for transferring credits is the same for different universities but at the same time, each university will have their own credit transfer policy that the students have to enquire about before they leave an institution and before they join another institution. They should also have an account of how many courses they did have enough credits which are transferable to the course they are about to do. The requirements are-
- Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which a grade of 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 credit of the course will be transferred, it has to be noted that the grades that 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.
- The credit that the candidate wishes to transfer must be granted by a regionally accredited, U.S. institution or foreign university.
- The credit must not have been used to satisfy the requirements for any other degree.
- For graduate programs, the candidate must furnish an official 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 definitely have a higher chance of transferring credit.
- Enquire about the transfer policies of the university before taking 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 taking admission in.
- Make a list of transfer courses that will match with the courses in the catalog. This can be done by comparing course codes or titles or even descriptions of the course.
- 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 and hence will have a minimum number of differences in the curriculum and courses they wish to transfer credit for. Due to the highly specific 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 which will lead 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. When moving from non-degree to degree-seeking status, however, Advanced Special Students may not include more than six (6) credits.
- 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 courses, 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 course work 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 an official transcript to the Graduate Records Office.
- 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 a maximum of 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 is to 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.