• Admission Requirements
• Choosing a School or College
• Applying to UConn
• After Admission
• Connecticut Community College Students
• Current UConn Students

THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

Undergraduate Transfer Admissions

GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING UNDERGRADUATE COURSE WORK TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM
OTHER COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

University policy is administered by the University Transfer Credit Evaluator under the supervision of the Director of Undergraduate Admissions and in coordination with the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Instruction and the University Senate.

The University Evaluator considers for transfer credit undergraduate course work completed at other regionally accredited degree-granting institutions that is comparable in character, content, and quality to courses offered by the University and in which a grade of at least “C“ has been earned. Thus, the number of transfer credits a student receives depends primarily on three considerations:

1) The educational quality of the work taken – as evidenced by accreditation by a regional accrediting body:

2) The comparability of the courses taken in content, scope, and level to those offered by the University;

3) The educational goals of the student; some previous academic course work may or may not be deemed applicable in conjunction with the student’s degree objective.

The University Evaluator’s approach to all matters concerning the transferability of credit is based on an ethical concern for native students; i.e., while a transfer student should be entitled to the same rights and privileges as a native student, the transfer student should not be given any advantages not normally afforded to a native student. The Evaluator continually strives to maintain and enforce an equitable and consistent transfer policy that reflects the standards and quality required by the University of its native students.

The University Evaluator, acting on behalf of, and in conjunction with, the University faculty and Scholastic Standards Committee, determines only if and how a course will transfer. The student’s advisor, department head, and/or dean determine if and how transfer work may be used to satisfy baccalaureate requirements.

The University Evaluator works on a close and continual basis with one faculty member in each department, designated by the department head or dean of the School/ College, who acts as liaison with the Undergraduate Transfer Admissions Office.

Official transfer credit evaluations are prepared only for students who:

1) have been admitted to a degree program and have paid the advance deposit fee;

2) have been readmitted to the University in a degree program;

3) are continuing students taking work away while still enrolled at the University or while on an official educational leave of absence. Continuing students are strongly advised to request and receive prior approval for work to be taken elsewhere.

Credit evaluations or prior approvals are not prepared for students who have not been officially admitted, who have been dismissed, or who have voluntarily withdrawn from the University of Connecticut.

If a student fails to indicate on the admission application that s/he has completed course work at another college or university and later requests to have that work evaluated for transfer, credit for such work will be denied. Students can also be subject to dismissal.

Credit is transferred only for undergraduate courses in which the student has received a “C” grade or higher. Grades do not transfer; the student’s quality point average at the University is calculated solely on the basis of work taken at the University of Connecticut.

Generally, liberal arts courses in which a “C” or better grade has been earned will transfer. The University Evaluator will accept a total number of credits and will designate specific University course equivalents. Credit values earned at previous institutions are accepted. (Quarter hours are converted to semester hours by using a .67 multiplication factor.)

Each course is evaluated on an individual basis by the University Evaluator who compares catalog course descriptions, as well as other descriptive course materials whenever necessary. An equivalent University course number is assigned wherever possible with instructions to the student that the course may not be repeated for credit. If no equivalent course can be designated, and the work is deemed to be comparable to University level work, then general credits in the discipline may be awarded.

Work of college level as part of the armed services program given in or under the direction of an accredited college or university will be accepted for credit on the same basis as other transfer work. Recommendations set forth in the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces are used in the evaluation of work done through military programs unaffiliated with accredited collegiate institutions. Transfer credit will be awarded in disciplines that correspond to recommendations.

Military Science courses (ROTC) offered through an accredited institution may be transferred as discipline credits, with a maximum of 4 credits per student allowed.

Distance learning courses offered through an accredited institution will transfer with the exception of foreign language and laboratory science courses. The course titles, grades, and credit values must appear on the source institution’s official transcript, and the course number and titles must be consistent with the regular offerings described in that institution’s general catalog.

Courses for which credit is awarded through another college’s credit-by-examination policy will transfer providing earned credits and grades appear on the transcript and providing the course number and titles are consistent with the regular offerings described in the institution’s general catalog.

Specialized courses, e.g., studio art, applied music, etc., are automatically referred to respective liaison faculty for evaluation for students majoring in those areas.

Course work taken at postsecondary institutions outside the United States, which is not offered through the University’s regularly sponsored programs, is referred by the University Evaluator to faculty liaisons for evaluation of course content. The University Evaluator will verify recognition and educational quality of the overseas institution concerned before referring courses to faculty for review.

Other work of a professional or advanced nature, such as field study courses, independent studies, practicums and seminars, programs offered by foreign schools, etc., are referred to faculty for evaluation and course equivalency. Generally, University courses numbered 298 and 299 are not awarded if this type of work taken elsewhere is at the lower division level.

Transfer credit may be awarded for courses graded “P” or “CR” on a transcript where at least 70% of the total course work is graded in the traditional letter grade or numerical manner. If a student transfers from an institution where all courses taken are non-traditionally graded, the student is required to have the college provide letter grade equivalents. In certain cases, written evaluations by individual instructors from the student's college may be acceptable.

Courses graded “P” will be accepted providing no “D” or “F” grades appear on the transcript. If either a “D” or “F” grade is indicated, the student is advised to obtain a letter grade equivalent for the “P” to insure that the “P” is not the lowest passing grade for which the credit was earned.

The Bachelor of General Studies program is subject to the same transfer considerations as other baccalaureate programs at the University. The BGS 100-level Unassigned Elective may accommodate exceptions to these guidelines (see • categories below).

A maximum of 90 credits may be transferred toward the baccalaureate in all Schools and Colleges except Engineering, Nursing, and Pharmacy, where 104, 97, and 125 credits respectively may be transferred. To graduate from the University, a student must ordinarily complete at least 30 credits in residence and meet all general education, major, and departmental requirements.

The University Evaluator will initially award courses and credits for equivalent freshman-sophomore level work and will, in many instances, grant 200-level courses and credits, providing the other college work requires the same prerequisites as those required by University departments and providing the work is comparable in content, scope, and level to University courses. Other college courses taken at the freshman-sophomore level generally do not transfer as 200-level equivalents. In some cases, such as in the School of Business, business courses beyond the introductory level may be accepted only after the student passes a validation examination and/or satisfactorily completes a higher level course in the discipline. In other cases, the University Evaluator will ask appropriate faculty to evaluate courses that contain material judged to be of an advanced level. University Honors courses are not awarded in transfer.

Credits and course exemptions are given to freshmen and transfer students who present satisfactory scores on the College Board’s Advanced Placement Examinations as determined by the departments concerned.

Courses/credits considered nontransferable include:

1) Credit earned in colleges and universities that are not regionally accredited (or candidates for accreditation) is generally not eligible for transfer consideration. Students from these institutions have the option of requesting course credit by examination for University credit;

2) Career, vocational, or technical courses; e.g., criminal justice, library science, medical lab technician, occupational therapy assistant, radiology, etc.;

3) Precollegiate/remedial courses; e.g., reading improvement, English/math skills courses, developmental courses, etc.;

4) Personal development/self-improvement courses; e.g., career counseling, interpersonal relationships, etc.;

5) Courses on a transcript where no credit or grade is given;

6) Courses not offered at the undergraduate level by the University; e.g., psychological counseling, behavior modification, theology, etc., or courses which equate to those offered by the University’s noncredit extension program;

7) Credit given by another college for life/work experience;

8) Graduate courses;

9) Credit earned for courses that have been repeated;

10) Co-op or internship credit;

11) CLEP or DANTES Examinations.

Periodically, the University Evaluator requests that departments review and/or re-evaluate courses offered by public and private institutions in the State so that evaluation policy may be kept up to date with new offerings, content change, etc. Also the University Evaluator periodically contacts individual Schools and Colleges to insure that transfer policies and procedures are in accordance with School and College regulations and standards. In this regard, the Undergraduate Transfer Admissions Office makes students aware of regulations through a number of printed materials.

When a decision made by the University Evaluator is unacceptable to a student, the student is directed to a specific faculty member for discussion of the matter. If, after such meeting, the student wishes to continue the appeal, then the dean of his/her School or College may be consulted. The Vice Provost for Academic Affairs gives final ruling on all appeals that may persist after the dean’s decision.