Transfer credit can be awarded to any admitted undergraduate student who has completed coursework at a college or university. Once you are admitted, we will begin working on an evaluation of your transfer credits and will email you when your evaluation is available to view in your Student Center.
Transfer Credit Policy
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. Courses must be similar in nature, level, and content to a course in our undergraduate curriculum and applicable to one of our academic programs. Continuing education courses, graduate-level courses, and courses that are remedial, technical, vocational, or doctrinal in nature are not transferable.
Students who take college courses prior to high school graduation (this includes dual enrollment) will receive advanced credit at UW–Madison as long as the credit is: 1) transferable, 2) earned at an accredited college, and 3) listed on an official transcript generated by the college.
To be awarded credit at UW–Madison, enrolling undergraduate students must have their official college-level transcript(s) sent 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 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.
Students taking courses at a UW System school or Wisconsin Technical College may consult Transfer Wisconsin to determine exactly how credit will be awarded.
- Credit Hours: The maximum number of transferable semester credits from a two-year college is 72. There is no credit limit on transferable credits from a four-year university.
- Credit Conversion: If you have taken courses at an institution that uses quarter credit or units other than semester credits, we will convert your quarter credits/units to semester credits. If you have attended an institution that uses quarter credits, you will not lose credits in the conversion. For example, if you have 40 quarter credits (40 x .666 = 26.64), you will receive 27 semester credits.
Credits completed at an international institution will be converted to UW–Madison credits using the average number of credits taken by a UW–Madison student (15 credits per semester). Total degree credits granted may not equal total course credits due to rounding in the conversion of fractional credits to semester hours. - Grades: The grades you received at your previous institution(s) will not be calculated into your UW–Madison grade point average.
- Equivalent vs. Elective Credit: Transfer courses with descriptions that closely match the descriptions of courses taught at UW–Madison will generally transfer as direct course equivalent credits. For example, an introductory macroeconomics course at your previous institution will transfer as our Econ 102 Principles of Macroeconomics. Transfer courses that don’t have direct course equivalents at UW–Madison will transfer as elective credits within the appropriate academic department. 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. Elective credits count toward a degree in the same way that a direct course equivalent does.
- Degree Requirements: Specific degree requirements differ among the various UW–Madison schools and colleges. Transfer credit applies toward degree requirements appropriately, depending on which major and/or degree you intend to complete. To learn more about degree and major requirements, consult the Guide or the appropriate undergraduate major.
Transfer Course Equivalencies
If undergraduates would like to view how some of their courses may transfer to UW-Madison, use Transferology.
Depending on the college(s) they have attended and courses they have taken (or plan to take), transfer equivalents may be listed in Transferology, an online transfer equivalency database.
- Transferology: Students can see how courses may transfer from public and private colleges across the country.
- For advisors, visit this KB to learn about access to and use of TransferologyLab, an administrative portal.
- 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.
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How do I transfer my credit?
You must submit an official transcript that lists both the course(s) and grade(s) to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at UW-Madison. It is recommended that it be sent through a secure electronic sending service such as Parchment, Naviance or Credentials Solutions. The previous institution that you attended will likely have instructions on their website for how to request a transcript from their institution. It must first be processed by the Office of Admissions and Recruitment before it can be evaluated by the Credit Evaluation Services.
How do I submit a transcript?
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 and Recruitment must bear an official school seal or be printed on the school’s custom watermarked/security paper.
How do my courses transfer?
We award transfer credit for college-level, baccalaureate courses (not remedial, technical, doctrinal, vocational, or continuing education/graduate level courses) that apply to academic programs offered by UW-Madison and are taken at a degree-granting, regionally accredited college or university. If the course content and level are similar to a UW-Madison course, a direct equivalent may be given as transfer credit. If it is not similar enough, elective credits in the relevant department will be granted. We award credit for coursework with a grade of D or higher. Please note that elective credits are transfer credits that can fulfill various degree requirements.
How will my credit transfer is my course(s) was graded Pass/Fail?
Students who earned a college-level degree credit with a “Pass” grade will have their credits evaluated for transfer.
Are grades from my previous institution included in my UW GPA?
No. Your previous grades are not calculated into your UW GPA.
Can I get my courses pre-equated?
Unfortunately, we are not able to pre-equate transfer courses for prospective students or for courses taken during the fall and spring semester for enrolled students.
If you want to take courses within the University of Wisconsin System or the Wisconsin Technical College System you may consult Transferology.
When will my credit evaluation be completed?
Incoming transfer students will receive a full transfer credit evaluation after being admitted to the University. You will receive your official evaluation of transfer credits by your SOAR date. We make every attempt to complete an evaluation quickly after a student receives an admission decision.
For current UW-Madison students, it can take up to 4-6 weeks after the Office of Admissions receives the transcript for transfer credit to be posted to your student record.
Can I request a reevaluation of transfer credit?
Yes. You can request a course to be re-evaluated, but not the number of credits. In order to have it reevaluated, please visit the Course Re-Evaluation Request page and fill out the form. Follow the instructions carefully. It can take 4-6 weeks in order to process a re-evaluation request.
Can I get credit for military basic training?
Yes, we will award some credit from a Joint Services transcript (JST) or from Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).
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: 1) the course must be designated appropriate for earning retro credits by the department; 2) in addition to the qualifying course, the retro credit must be listed on a final, official transcript; 3) you must obtain a grade of “B” or better in the qualifying course; 4) the qualifying course must be the first college course taken in the language; and 5) the course must be completed within the first 30 credits of your college work.
How will my credits transfer if I attend a non-semester institution?
We will conduct a credit conversion to UW-Madison semester hours. The number of credits taken at your previous institution will not always be equal to the number of credits taken at your previous institution.
If I am an enrolled student and want to complete summer/winter course work at another institution, how can I find out what credit I will receive for this work, if any?
The Course Equivalency Service is available from March 1st to May 15th for Summer and November 1st to December 1st for Winter. This is an optional service for enrolled students who plan to complete summer or winter course work at another institution.
Current students should first use Transferology to identify a matching course equivalent. If one does not exist in Transferology, students are able to submit a Course Equivalency Request along with a course syllabus and we will work with academic units to have the syllabus evaluated for transfer credit.
Do AP, IB, CLEP, A-Level credits transfer to UW?
UW–Madison does grant advanced credit for the successful completion of some AP, IB, A-Level, and CLEP exams. Please note that AP, IB, and A-Levels must be completed while in high school. CLEP exams must be completed before completing 16 semester hours of college credit. Students can find detailed information on how a score will be awarded credit on our website.
Are my credits/transcripts too old to earn college credit?
No, credits do not expire.
Can I earn college credit for life experiences?
No.
Do college or test credits affect what placement tests I am required to take?
Regardless of transfer credit (from college courses or credit by exam), 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. Students should carefully read the important notes section on their transfer credit evaluation for placement test information.
Study Abroad FAQs
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What if I study abroad before enrolling at UW-Madison?
If you study abroad prior to enrolling at UW-Madison, you must submit your official transcript for that work to the Admissions Office. It will be processed along with any other transfer credit you have.
What if I study abroad through a non-UW study abroad program or take courses at a foreign institution?
If you are considering taking courses through a non-UW program after enrolling at UW-Madison, please consult the IAP website for information on how to proceed with transferring credit. https://studyabroad.wisc.edu/nonapproved/non-approved-programs-academic-faqs/
Please note that summer courses taken at Chinese universities are not eligible for transfer credit.
How will the credit I earn while studying abroad transfer to UW-Madison?
If you study abroad through a UW-Madison program, you will earn “residence” credit and can even graduate abroad. The courses, grades, and credits you earn abroad will be recorded on your transcript as UW-Madison study abroad work.
If you study abroad through a non UW-Madison program, coursework will generally transfer as long as it is a university-level course similar in content to courses offered at UW-Madison. The courses must be taken at an accredited, recognized institution. Recognition of institutions vary, depending upon the governmental policies of a given country. We will convert foreign credits/hours to U.S. semester credits; you should not assume that your foreign credits/hours will transfer at face value. Grades earned at non-UW study abroad programs will not transfer. Instead, courses will generally transfer as elective or course credits. However, you should not expect to satisfy specific requirements, especially in the areas of foreign language, liberal arts, and general education requirements.
Before studying abroad, we highly recommend that you consult with your academic advisor to develop an academic plan appropriate for your major and study abroad program.
Please note that summer courses taken at Chinese universities are not eligible for transfer credit.
How do I submit my non-UW study abroad courses to receive transfer credit?
During your study abroad program, please be sure to keep all syllabi, reading lists, exams, and papers as they may be helpful for transfer credit evaluation. Upon completion of your non-UW study abroad program, request two official copies of your transcript: one for your personal records and one for the International Academic Programs office.