Transfer Admission Policies

Grade Point Averages (GPA)

GPAs are calculated on the basis of all transferable courses attempted for which grades are assigned and grade-point values can be determined. When a course is repeated, the GPA is computed using both grades and all hours for the course. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign GPA calculations will include graded courses that are excluded from GPA calculations by other institutions due to their grade replacement or academic forgiveness policies. Incomplete grades are accepted as defined by the initiating institution. Grades in other coursework completed, such as technical courses similar in content and level to courses taught at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, may be used in the evaluation for admission upon request of the college to which a student seeks admission. Note that courses taken outside the U.S. won’t be awarded grades if processed through our office, although credit will be awarded if courses are determined to be transferable (see the International Transfer Credit section for more information).

Since the GPA used to establish admission qualifications is based on all transferable coursework attempted, applicants from institutions that delete grades for coursework failed or repeated may find their opportunities limited for admission.

Acceptance of Credit From Other Collegiate Institutions

Credit may be accepted from another accredited university or college. Accepted credit will be based on evaluation of the primary transcript of record of each institution attended. Duplicate credit will be counted in the GPA but excluded from hours earned. A student who has passed a course at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign may not be given credit for the same course taken elsewhere.

Transfer students must meet the academic residency requirements that apply to all students for a degree from the university. In all cases, the precise amount of transfer credit that can be applied toward a particular degree will be determined by the university academic community and department concerned. Applicants might be asked to submit course descriptions or syllabi.

Illinois Colleges & Universities

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign participates in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide agreement that allows transfer between institutions of the completed IAI General Education Core Curriculum (GECC). Completion of the IAI GECC ensures that a student’s general education requirements are met upon transfer to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, although students will also be required to complete additional campus, college, and major graduation requirements, in addition to those satisfied by the GECC.

Completion of the GECC is recommended for students who are exploring their educational options, but students who have chosen a major at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign into which they intend to transfer will be better served following major-specific programs. Students who anticipate transferring to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are strongly advised to work with their institutions’ academic advisors and to consult our Transfer Handbook for any additional transfer requirements specific to the degree requirements for their program of choice.

At University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, junior standing is attained upon the completion of 60 credit hours. Completion of an AA or AS degree typically requires an earned credit total beyond 60 hours. Please note that some test credit, such as CLEP exams, may not be transferable to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Traditional Domestic Transfer Credit

Transfer work is evaluated for admission purposes and considered for credit. The university evaluates transfer work completed at institutions accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, including institutions under candidacy status. Foreign institutions must be recognized by the ministry of education in the home country or an equivalent government authority.

To be eligible for admission and credit, transfer work must be similar in nature, level, and content to courses in the undergraduate curriculum and/or applicable to an undergraduate academic program. Other transfer work that is deemed nontransferable (such as continuing education courses, graduate-level courses, and courses that are remedial, technical, vocational, or doctrinal in nature as determined by the campus) are not used in admission decisions regardless of the institution’s accreditation.

Credit for transfer courses is either applied as a direct equivalent with university courses or applied to a degree in a manner determined by the department and academic community.

The precise amount of transfer credit that is awarded and applicable toward a particular degree is determined by or in consultation with the university academic community and department concerned.

Note: “Transfer work” and “transfer courses” are used interchangeably in this policy. Regardless of the term, this policy applies to transfer not in the form of courses, such as credit for military service and credit earned through testing and experiential learning. Transfer work not in the form of courses is evaluated for transfer per the terms of this policy.

International Transfer Credit

International transfer coursework will be accepted for admission purposes to the university under the following conditions:

• The college or university offers degree programs comparable to programs offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
• The college or university is sufficiently accredited or recognized by the home-country ministry of education or equivalent governmental authority.

International transcripts and coursework are evaluated according to the following requirements or considerations:

• Coursework is transferable with a grade of C- or above only and will appear on the student’s University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign transcript as credit only.
• Transcripts must be submitted from all institutions attended.
• Transcripts must be either in English or accompanied by certified translations (see our translation guidelines below).
• Transcripts are evaluated on a course-by-course basis.

The following types of courses are generally not transferable:

• Courses under three credits if taken prior to Fall 2013 term
• Certain courses pertaining to religion, politics, and military science
• Grammar courses pertaining to the student’s native language
• ESL and English language courses
• Courses that focus on practical or how-to instruction
• Vocational courses
• Law courses
• Veterinary courses
• Criminal justice courses
• Counseling courses

Courses under three credits taken during the fall 2013 term and after will be evaluated for possible transferability. Individual course credits and term credit totals may be reduced when the amount of transferable credit exceeds normal expectations.

If current students wish to take off-campus international coursework (for example, summer courses abroad), questions regarding course transferability can only be addressed after receipt of official transcripts. As campus does not have formal agreements with service providers such as SIE and LION, course equivalency information displayed on provider websites cannot be confirmed for accuracy.

Nontraditional Credit

Acceptance of credit awarded on a basis other than collegiate classroom experiences will be considered for transfer admission purposes as follows:

Test credit as transfer credit for admission. Students presenting test scores for admission will have the scores evaluated against cutoff scores established for those examinations on the Urbana-Champaign campus. Official score reports should be submitted along with the application for admission to the university. A student presenting test credit as transfer credit may be granted transfer credit if they have completed at least 12 graded semester hours of transferable college-level classroom coursework from the institution or single campus in a multi-campus institution that awarded credit by examination and has successfully completed advanced classroom coursework at the institution awarding the test credit in a course that’s acceptable under our transfer credit policies and can be considered as a sequential continuation of the material covered in the test.

After admission, students not awarded credit under this policy may attempt departmental proficiency examinations to receive credit in those areas in which they claim competence.

Credit for military training. A total of four semester hours of lower-division military science credit will be granted for transfer admission only, if completion of six months or more of continuous active duty in the United States Armed Forces, including basic or recruit training, and an honorable discharge from active military duty to civilian life or transfer to the reserve component is posted on the military record (DD214). Submission of the DD214 is required for credit to be granted. Lower-division military service credit (100 to 200) level satisfies no graduation requirements for any University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign program of study, except MILS 120, Intro to U.S. Armed Forces, which satisfies a Historical and Philosophical Perspectives General Education Requirement for all degree programs on campus, effective Fall 2015 and forward. Military science credit at the upper-division (300 to 400) level may also be granted for training completed as on-campus Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) courses at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign or as transfer credit for completion of upper-division ROTC coursework at another four-year domestic, post-secondary institution. Upper-division transfer credit is also awarded for completion of either/both of the Marine Platoon Leadership Class programs when documentation of said training is provided. Upper-division military or naval science coursework may be used to satisfy degree requirements as free elective hours. However, the amount of credit permitted to apply to degree requirements does vary according to the individual college’s policies. The applicant should contact their intended degree-granting college for more specific information. A total of four semester hours of 100-level Physics elective credit will be granted for successful completion of the United States Navy’s Nuclear Power School program, when either a DD214 is submitted with completion of the program listed or a certificate of completion of the program is provided. Credit duplicating ROTC credit won’t be awarded.

Credit for education received in the Armed Forces. Official transcripts of military service school training, including Joint Services Transcripts, may be submitted for comparison to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign courses for transfer credit. However, content that includes Military Occupational Specialty Training isn’t acceptable for transfer to campus. To be eligible for credit, the training must be similar in nature, level, and content to courses in the undergraduate curriculum and/or applicable to an undergraduate academic program.

Credit earned in academic courses sponsored by non-collegiate organizations, such as business, industry, and labor, and those not recognized by the April 1977 Board of Trustees policy statement, aren’t normally accepted. Such work may be evaluated by the college for potential credit toward a specific degree program after admission and registration, subject to validation by proficiency examination or successful completion of advanced coursework. Credit hours may be reduced at the discretion of the enrolling academic community from that shown by the originating agency. All criteria are subject to the recommendation of the enrolling academic community and the department that offers similar coursework.

Credit for experiential learning. Experiential learning credit isn’t accepted for transfer admission purposes. A student who believes themself to be knowledgeable in a specific course may be granted credit hours through established proficiency procedures offered by those degree-granting colleges and departments on campus that offer similar coursework after admission and registration. Not all academic disciplines have proficiency credit exam opportunities.

Note: “Transfer work” and “transfer courses” are used interchangeably in this policy. Regardless of the term, this policy applies to transfer not in the form of courses, such as credit for military service and credit earned through testing and experiential learning. Transfer work not in the form of courses is evaluated for transfer per the terms of this policy.

Reverse Transfer

Reverse transfer is the process of transferring University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign coursework to an Illinois community college for the purpose of completing an associate’s degree. Information regarding reverse transfer may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.