Transfer Credit Policies

For courses taken at an external institution(s), courses must be graded. Courses eligible for transfer credit must receive a grade of “C” or better. Any courses noted on a transcript that are pass/fail, credit/no credit classes, and/or any course receiving a grade of “C-” or below, will not be eligible for transfer credit.

For courses taken during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 through April 2022), the following policy will apply:

Any “Pass” or “Satisfactory” grade that is noted on a transcript as representing a “C-” letter grade or higher will be transferred in as an acceptable grade if a C- would have satisfied the requirement. NOTE: Some CoE departments require a “C” or higher in major courses. Please visit our COVID-19 Resources link for additional information regarding the pandemic.

Please note that CoE policies may differ from the school or college you are transferring from. Credit will not be granted for more than what the course is worth here at U-M for direct course equivalencies (e.g., No 5 credits for MATH 115), OR more than what the course is taken for externally, credit-wise (e.g., No 4 credits for PHYSICS 240 when the transfer course is only worth 3 semester units).  

Cross-campus transfers should note that a “C-” can be reviewed for a department exception if the course was taken at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Campus for courses other than math, science, engineering, or other prerequisites for admission. Grades will not show for courses taken at UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint. 

• All courses previously evaluated and currently approved for transfer credit in the Transfer Credit Equivalency (TCE) and the College of Engineering international database will continue to be accepted even if the course was taken with a different delivery method (e.g online) and without any additional verification process for students.
• Courses that have not been evaluated will continue to be reviewed and approved by the appropriate department to ensure it includes key curricular content that is comparable (including the review of syllabi and exams), but no course should be summarily rejected solely because of the delivery method (e.g. online).

Credit is only accepted from accredited colleges or universities. No credit is granted for an internship, co-op, practicum, military work, or life experience.

The U-M transcript of transfer students will not reflect grades earned while enrolled in an external institution and note that a grade of “T” will show for applicable transfer credit. Transfer credit grades will not count towards a student’s UM cumulative GPA, unless the credit is taken at UM-Ann Arbor for cross-campus transfer students only, refer to the information in the External Grades for Eligibility of Transfer Credit. Grades will not show for courses taken at UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint.  

Students cannot receive credit for the same course twice. Credit will not be granted for more than what the course is worth here at U-M for direct course equivalencies (e.g., No 5 credits for MATH 115), OR more than what the course is taken for externally, credit-wise (e.g., No 4 credits for PHYSICS 240 when the transfer course is only worth 3 semester units).

For this policy for transfer credit while dual enrolled in high school see this link.

If you plan to take a course during the time it is expiring, it is recommended that you have the course re-evaluated prior to taking the course.  An external course must be completed with a final grade BEFORE the expiration date listed on the TCE search and the CoE Study Abroad Course Database.

Departmental credit (101x, 201x, etc.) is assigned when a transferable course does not directly match a specific U-M Ann Arbor course. The course will appear on your transcript under the appropriate department but without a specific equivalent course number (e.g., EECS 101X instead of EECS 183). Contact your academic advisor with questions about departmental credit as these courses may or may not fulfill your degree requirements.

For that reason, you should always consult with your advisor(s) BEFORE taking courses externally and especially when a Transfer Credit Approval Form is not submitted. We recommend obtaining email confirmation from your advisor regarding external courses. It is the responsibility of the student to meet with their Department, IPE, major, minor, dual degree, etc. advisor(s) to determine how the credits earned may or may not be counted toward their degree requirements, as a course being approved for transfer does not mean it will inherently fulfill degree requirements. Remember that the Transfer Credit Evaluation Office does confirm transfer course equivalency and/or how credit will be posted on the unofficial transcript. The Transfer Credit Evaluation Office does NOT confirm fulfillment of degree requirements/how courses might be applied towards your particular degree requirements. After receiving confirmation of transfer course equivalency via the TCAF results, students are highly recommended to consult with their advisor(s) regarding degree/program requirements.

If you are planning to study in another country, whether a study abroad experience through the University of Michigan such as the International Programs in Engineering (IPE) or Center for Global and Intercultural Study (CGIS), a non-UM program, or an international college, please contact your study abroad advisor for assistance in course selection and if the course(s) transfer for credit. Make sure to submit a Transfer Credit Approval Form as needed for any course(s) you are planning to take at the external institution.

The Transfer Credit Evaluation Office will accept official transcripts from certain third-party study-abroad providers, however, please email our the CoE Transfer Credit Office, [email protected], directly to confirm whether or not a third-party study-abroad transcript will be accepted BEFORE taking any course(s). For third-party study-abroad providers, we highly recommend that students ensure a copy of an accredited college/university transcript is provided along with the third-party transcript. Providing this may be beneficial for students seeking recognition beyond the Transfer Credit Evaluation Office (e.g. may be requested or required in the future for transferring credit elsewhere or recognition). Credit that is issued from a third-party study-abroad transcript is posted on the U-M unofficial transcript generically under Foreign Studies/Training Crdt. Credit that is issued from receiving an official college/university transcript directly is posted on the U-M unofficial transcript under the external college name.

It is the student’s responsibility to order a transcript in order for any applicable credit to be posted. For more information on Transfer Credit, please visit the CoE Bulletin page for Transfer Credit.