Credit Resources For Current Students

Identifying A Course Equivalent

If you would like to view how courses may transfer back to UW-Madison, use Transferology to view course equivalents.

Transfer credit is generally awarded for college-level coursework that is similar in nature, level, and content to coursework offered in our undergraduate curriculum.

The college or university must be 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.

Credit Overload

If you plan to combine transfer credits along with UW-Madison credits that exceeds 18 total credits in a Fall/Spring term, or 12 credits in the Summer term, you are encouraged to contact your academic dean’s office to see if a credit overload exception is likely to be considered. L&S students can get information and make requests for term credit overloads on the L&S Policies and Forms site.

Non-Approved Study Abroad Programs

If you have enrolled in a study abroad program that is not approved by UW–Madison or you plan to leave UW-Madison for a fall or spring semester to take courses elsewhere (either at a US or foreign institution), please see the below steps that you will need to take.

  1. Submit a reentry application prior to returning to UW-Madison. Note that students who study abroad through UW-Madison approved programs do not need to apply for reentry.
  2. Send an official transcript when the course work is completed. Electronic transcripts must be sent through a secure document sending service to etranscripts@admissions.wisc.edu. Transcripts sent through email, as an attachment, will not be accepted as official. Paper transcripts sent to the Office of Admissions must bear an official school seal or be printed on the school’s custom watermarked/security paper. In order to receive transfer credit, the non-approved study abroad program must issue an official transcript from an accredited tertiary-level, degree-granting institution. If you are participating in a program through a study abroad provider (CIEE, CEA, IES, etc), you must obtain an official transcript from the provider’s “School of Record”. Note that some schools of record charge an additional fee to issue an official transcript. You will need to confirm with the host institution or study abroad program that they will provide a transcript that meets these standards.

Responsibilities for UW-Madison students intending to transfer credit on a non-approved international program (NAP).