The Course Equivalency Service provides transfer credit information to currently enrolled UW–Madison students who plan to complete summer or winter term course work through another institution.
When completing coursework away from UW–Madison, it is your responsibility to –
- Understand how transfer credit will apply to degree, major, or certificate requirements.
- Be aware of policies in your School/College, such as how many total credits can be earned in a term.
How to Access the Course Equivalency Service
Step 1: Use Transferology
Current UW–Madison students should first check Transferology to see if a matching course equivalent exists. International courses that are not on Transferology can be found at go.wisc.edu/intl-equiv.
- If you know what course you want to take away from UW–Madison, you can use the “Will My Courses Transfer?” feature to see if a matching course equivalent exists.
- If you know what UW–Madison course you want to earn transfer credit for, you can use the “Find a Replacement Course” feature to see if a a matching course equivalent exists.
- Tip – If the UW-Madison course is crosslisted across multiple subjects, try searching all subjects. For example, COMP SCI/MATH 240 equivalents exist for MATH 240, not COMP SCI 240.
- If you find a matching course equivalent in Transferology or on the International Equivalents Spreadsheet between the following dates, the course equivalent will be awarded for the summer or winter term:
- Summer term: March 1 – end of summer term
- Winter term: November 1 – end of winter term
- If no matching course equivalent exists in Transferology or on the International equivalencies spreadsheet, continue to Step 2.
* If you are encountering technical or accessibility issues with Transferology (e.g. Error 403), please contact Transferology Support at tfosupport@collegesource.com and briefly identify the problem specifics, i.e. error code or error message.
Step 2: Complete the Course Equivalency Request form (if no matching course equivalent exists in Transferology)
If you do not find a matching course equivalent for the course you plan to take, you can complete the Course Equivalency Request form and submit a course syllabus for evaluation. You are eligible to submit up to four requests for the summer term and two requests for the winter term.
Course Equivalency Requests can only be submitted during these time periods:
- Summer term: March 1 – May 1 (up to 4 requests)
- Winter term: November 1 – December 1 (up to 2 requests)
Important Notes
There are limits to the total number of credits a student can earn during a term.
Students can earn a maximum 12 credits during a summer term and 4 credits during a winter term. These credit limits apply to credits earned at UW–Madison and any combination of colleges/universities attended during the term. In rare cases, students may be approved for a credit overload. Any credit overload requires approval from your academic dean’s office.
After using Transferology or the Course Equivalency Request form to establish whether a course is transferable, you may need to consult with your academic advisor to determine whether the transferable coursework will satisfy particular degree or major requirements.
This service is not for Fall or Spring coursework. Please be in contact with your academic advisor if you plan to take coursework during the fall or spring terms. Please also review concurrent enrollment policies that may be associated with your School/College.
How to submit a Course Equivalency Request
You must use your UW–Madison Google Account to access the form. This requires logging into Google with your NetID@wisc.edu. If you are outside the U.S. and are unable to access Google, please contact crediteval@registrar.wisc.edu.
To complete the form, you must submit a detailed syllabus which meets the following guidelines:
- Must be the official syllabus issued by the College or University.
- Must show the syllabus is for the term you will take the course or be less than one year old.
- Must include:
- Learning outcomes
- A list of weekly topics
- The required textbook(s)
- A calendar or schedule of topics covered in each lecture and/or lab
- An assignment calendar
- Syllabi from foreign institutions must be in the original language and must be accompanied by an English translation that is literal, complete, word-for-word, and in the same format as the original.
- Examples of acceptable and unacceptable syllabi:
Tips for Best Outcomes
Don’t Wait
- The earlier you submit your Course Equivalency request, the better. Syllabus review can take up to 4-6 weeks.
Give Complete Information
- Fill out the form accurately and completely to help speed the process along.
- Make sure the syllabus you submit includes all required information.
- Your decision will be delayed if we need to contact you for more information or for a more-detailed syllabus.
Important Note about China:
Courses from summer and short winter programs in China will not be eligible for transfer credit.
Summer and short winter programs in China require certification from the China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center (CHESICC) in order to be eligible for course transfer. Currently, CHESICC is not providing certification for these kinds of short programs in China. Therefore, courses from these summer and short winter programs will not be eligible for transfer credit.
We will work with faculty and academic departments to complete your Course Equivalency Service request within 4-6 weeks. You will receive an email with the result your course equivalency request – equivalency decisions are final.
Incomplete syllabi may not provide enough information to evaluate and may delay or prevent our ability to guarantee an equivalent. If you take the course without a transfer guarantee we will evaluate the course when a transcript is sent. After receiving your credit evaluation, you may submit a syllabus via a Course Reevaluation Request.