Course Credit Evaluation Process

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How it Works: Course Credit

An up arrow in a circle points to a laptopStep 1: Submit your official document(s) to Admissions

Send your official college or university transcript(s) directly to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment.

  • Electronic Transcripts must be sent through a secure document sending service to etranscripts@admissions.wisc.edu. Transcripts sent as email attachments will not be accepted as official.
  • Paper Transcripts must bear an official school seal or be printed on the school’s custom watermarked/security paper.

Follow the instructions provided on the application materials page.

For college credit earned through dual enrollment, we require the official transcript from the college or university where you earned the credits, not your high school transcript.

Bascom HallStep 2: Admissions receives your official document(s)

Once the Office of Admissions and Recruitment receives your official transcript(s), that information is connected to your student account. After this initial processing, the Credit Evaluation Services (CES) team can begin reviewing it. Due to the high volume of transcripts we receive, this matching process can take up to two weeks.

For questions about the status of your transcript order, contact the Office of Admissions and Recruitment.

A gear inside a circle made of arrowsStep 3: CES reviews your official document(s)

The Credit Evaluation Services team evaluates transfer credit by reviewing transcripts, course descriptions, prerequisites, credit values, and other relevant information. The evaluation process considers factors like course level, breadth, and alignment with UW–Madison’s curriculum. In some cases, course syllabi may be required for further evaluation.

A laptop with a mortarboard on the screenStep 4: View your credit evaluation

Your credit evaluation will be available to view according to different timelines, which vary based on the time of year and your student status:

  • Admitted First-Year Students: Your transfer credit will be evaluated after you submit an official college transcript with final grades. We aim to complete your evaluation before your Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) date, provided we receive your official transcript(s).
  • Admitted Transfer Students: You will receive your transfer credit evaluation after your admission decision and before you attend SOAR.
  • Continuing Students: If you take courses outside of UW–Madison, we will evaluate your credit within 4-6 weeks of you submitting your official college transcript(s) with final grades.
  • Re-entry/Non-Approved Study Abroad Students: You will receive your transfer credit evaluation once your final official transcripts from previous institutions have been submitted.

Once your transfer credit evaluation is complete, you will receive an automated email notification explaining how to access it through your MyUW Student Center. Incoming students will find the credit evaluation in the Admissions tile, while continuing students can view theirs in the Academics tile.

How Does My Credit Count?

Credit is generally awarded for college-level coursework completed at institutions accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Foreign institutions must be recognized by the Ministry of Education in that country.

We award credit for coursework with a grade of D- or higher. Courses must be similar in nature, level, and content to a course in our undergraduate curriculum and applicable to one of our academic programs. Courses will fall into one of three categories:

  • Direct equivalent: The course’s content and level are similar to a UW–Madison course. For example, an introductory macroeconomics course at your previous institution might transfer as our Econ 102 Principles of Macroeconomics.
  • Elective credit: The course’s content doesn’t have a similar equivalent at UW–Madison, but credit is granted in the relevant department. Elective credits can fulfill various degree requirements. For example, a course on the geography of Hawaii would transfer as geography elective credits because UW–Madison does not offer a course with that particular content. You will know you have received elective credits because there is always an X in front of the course number.
  • No credit: The course does not earn credit at UW–Madison. For example, continuing education courses, graduate-level courses, and courses that are remedial, technical, vocational, or doctrinal in nature are not transferable. Coursework taken at an institution that is not regionally or nationally accredited will not be transferable and it will not appear at all on the credit evaluation.

Note: The information on this page is for general reference only. CES is not an advising unit; please consult the Guide for degree/program requirements and consult with your academic advisor. Admitted students will meet with an academic advisor at SOAR.

Number of Credits

You will always be awarded the same number of semester credits you earned.

UW–Madison follows a semester calendar. Credit values from institutions on a different academic calendar or within a different educational system may need to be converted to semester credits when transferred to UW–Madison. Transfer credit values are awarded to the hundredths place (i.e., 3.35). Credit conversion practices at UW–Madison align with the university’s Credit Hour Policy and adhere to the American Association of Collegiate Registrar and Admission Officers’ (AACRAO) Transfer Credit Best Practices.

Quarter Calendar Credit Hours within the United States

Credit values from quarter calendar institutions in the United States are generally two-thirds of a semester credit hour. Transfer credit values from these institutions will be converted to semester credit by multiplying the number of quarter credits by .67.

Conversions
  • 1 credit (quarter/trimester) = 0.67 credits (semester)
  • 2 credits (quarter/trimester) = 1.34 credits (semester)
  • 3 credits (quarter/trimester) = 2.01 credits (semester)
  • 4 credits (quarter/trimester) = 2.68 credits (semester)
  • 5 credits (quarter/trimester) = 3.35 credits (semester)
  • 6 credits (quarter/trimester) = 4.02 credits (semester)

Institutions Outside the United States

Credit conversion rates can vary by educational system and institution. Each transcript is assessed individually to determine a credit conversion rate. Courses without credits on official transcripts may not transfer to UW–Madison.

Course Reevaluation Process

If you are an admitted or currently enrolled undergraduate student and disagree with a course equivalency determination you received as part of an official transfer credit evaluation, you may request to have your transfer credit reevaluated. In some cases, evaluators ask you to complete a reevaluation form because a syllabus is needed for further evaluation. These requests are listed in the “Additional Information” section of your credit evaluation.

Visit our Course Reevaluation page for more information about this process and the steps you will need to take.

Before you request a course be reevaluated, we strongly recommend you talk to your academic advisor about how the reevaluation might impact your academic plan.

FAQs

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Can retroactive language credit transfer to UW–Madison?

UW–Madison allows you to earn retroactive (retro) credits for prior work completed in a foreign language. In order for retro credit to be transferable, the following requirements must be met:

  • The course must be designated appropriate for earning retro credits by the department;
  • In addition to the qualifying course, the retro credit must be listed on a final, official transcript;
  • You must obtain a grade of “B” or better in the qualifying course;
  • The qualifying course must be the first college course taken in the language; and
  • The course must be completed within the first 30 credits of your college work.

What is the maximum number of transferable credits?

CES evaluates and posts all transferable credits. However, the maximum number of credits from two-year colleges that will apply to your degree total is 72. There is no credit limit on transferable credits from a four-year university. Please consult with your advisor regarding applicability of two-year college credits.

Are grades from my previous institution included in my UW–Madison GPA?

No. Your previous grades are not calculated into your UW–Madison GPA.

Are my credits/transcripts too old to earn college credit?

No, credits do not expire.

Can I earn college credit for life experiences?

No, we do not award credit for life experiences.

Do college or test credits affect what placement tests I am required to take?

Regardless of transfer credit (from college courses or from credit earned by exams such as Advanced Placement (AP)), all incoming freshmen are required to take the English and Math placement tests. A foreign language placement test is optional.

Placement tests for transfer students are determined upon completion of transfer credit evaluation. Read the important notes section on your transfer credit evaluation carefully for placement test information.

Can I receive transfer credit for Project Lead the Way courses?

No, we do not award credit for Project Lead the Way courses.

Can I request to have transfer courses/credits removed from my UW–Madison record?

Course credits earned through another college cannot be removed. All courses/credits earned from other colleges/universities are accounted for on UW–Madison undergraduate student records. This includes any college coursework completed prior to attending UW–Madison or taken concurrently while at UW–Madison.