Main Content
Students who have attended college or university after graduating from high school may be admitted to the University of Washington Tacoma as transfer students. Applicants who have completed 40 or fewer transferable academic college-level credits are required to submit their high school transcripts to meet the minimum CADR. Official test scores are required for homeschool work and for those who are using SAT/ACT scores to meet English Language Proficiency (ELP). The minimum cumulative grade point average for all college course work must be at least 2.0 for admission consideration. Additional university requirements are outlined below.
Transfer students may apply for an academic program at the same time they apply to the university or at a later quarter. Note that not all programs admit for all quarters and some are capacity constrained. Whenever students choose to apply to a school or program, they must meet the program’s application deadlines and admission requirements. Admission to some programs is selective and not all qualified students will be accepted.
General University Admission Requirements
Transfer students who hold more than 40 transferable college credits at the time of application, meeting these criteria will qualify for review:
Minimum requirements for consideration:
- Hold a minimum 2.0 transferable college GPA
- Submit all official college transcripts
- Proof of English proficiency, in some cases.
Mathematics & World Language Requirements
There are no Mathematics & World Language requirements for transfer applicants with over 40 credits. However, for transfer applicants with less than 40 credits, the following information applies.
The World Language requirement is satisfied when a student has completed two years of the same World Language through level 102 (or in high school). The study must be devoted to a single World Language and must be in sequence, with no repetition of any prior term of study. Any World Language other than English that has been formally studied may be used to satisfy this requirement, including languages no longer spoken, such as Latin and ancient Greek. American Sign Language (AMESLAN) will also meet this requirement. The World Language requirement will be considered satisfied if you had instruction outside of the United States through the seventh grade in school(s) where English was not the language of instruction or in countries other than, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the U.K.
It is possible for transfer students with a World Language deficiency to be admitted to the University with the special permission of the University Admissions Committee. According to University policy, these "provisionally admitted" students are responsible for removing the World Language deficiency as soon as possible after enrolling. A student will not be allowed to graduate without having satisfied this requirement.
UW World Language/Language of Admission Credit Restrictions:
- High school world language
- UW students who completed two or more years of world language are not allowed to earn UW credit for the first quarter college language course. For example, a student who has earned two years of Russian in high school is not eligible to apply credit earned in RUSS 101 towards their degree.
- Native language
- UW students who meet the classification for native language speaker (i.e. attends school in non-English speaking country grades 1-7) are not eligible for college level course work through the 200 level.
All applicants must complete either three years of high school mathematics including Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 through Intermediate (second-year) Algebra or complete Intermediate Algebra or higher in college with a 2.0 grade or better. Higher-level mathematics, specifically Pre-Calculus, Calculus or Business Calculus will also fulfill this requirement; courses in Philosophy, Statistics, or Computer Science do not meet this requirement. Review details on the Admissions website.
Undergraduate Transfer Credit Policy
To students pursuing a first bachelor’s degree, UW Tacoma awards transfer credit two weeks after the New Student Enrollment and Orientation Fee (NSEOF) is paid and according to the guidelines listed below. It reserves the right to accept or reject credits earned at other institutions of higher education. In general, it is university policy to accept credits earned at institutions fully accredited by the regional accrediting association provided that such credits have been earned through university-level courses (see exceptions below) and are appropriate to the student’s degree program.
For courses taken at a Washington state community college, UW Tacoma follows the list of transferable courses published in the UW Equivalency Guide for Washington Community and Technical Colleges.
Notable Restrictions on Transfer Credit
Lower-division college credit
Two weeks after an admitted student has paid the New Student Enrollment and Orientation Fee (NSEOF), a maximum of 90 lower-division (100- or 200-level courses) quarter credits can be awarded toward the student’s degree. Depending on the degree program, students may be allowed to petition the academic program for additional lower-division credit. Under no circumstances will students be awarded in excess of 135 lower-division credits. Some transfer courses labeled 100 and above are not actually college-level and will not be accepted for credit (e.g. Math 100 is developmental math on many campuses).
Upper-division credits (300- or 400-level courses) from other four-year institutions may apply to some program requirements. For some programs, there is a seven-year limit on upper-division transfer credits that are applied toward required core or concentration courses. Please consult with an advisor for details.
Other Notable Restrictions Include:
If permitted by the degree program, up to 90 credits earned in correspondence courses offered by the Distance Learning division of UW Extension may be applied toward a UW degree. However, 45 of the student’s final 60 credits must be taken in residence at UW Tacoma to meet the final-year residency requirement.
No more than 45 credits earned as extension credit from other schools may be applied toward a UW degree. Military credit and CLEP, discussed below, is included in the 45-extension credit limit.
Credits earned in Armed Forces Training Schools (AFTS) and through USAFI and DANTES may not exceed 30 and are included in the 45-extension credit limit. Official transcripts or DD-214 or DD-295 forms must be submitted. Scores received in such course work are not included in the transfer GPA.
Students who have completed two or more years of high school foreign language receive no college credit for an entry-level course (e.g., French 101) in the same language when that course is completed after matriculation at the University. Transfer students who complete such a course before matriculation at UW Tacoma are eligible to receive transfer credit.
First-year (elementary) or second-year (intermediate) foreign language credit is not granted either by examination or by course completion in a student‘s native language. “Native Language” is defined as education completed through the seventh grade in school(s) where English was not the language of instruction or in countries other than Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S.
Credit is not awarded for prerequisite courses completed after a more advanced-level course has been completed. For example, students will not be awarded credit for Spanish 102 if it was taken after Spanish 103.
If an academic department considers two of its courses to have overlapping content, credit will be awarded for only one. Restrictions of this kind are noted in the catalog or department web pages.
No more than 3-quarter credits will be allowed for physical education activity courses.
A maximum of 15 transfer credits will be awarded for a wide range of college-level courses that are vocational-technical, rather than academic, in content (e.g., bookkeeping, electronics, physical therapy technician). These credits may apply only to the elective component of a baccalaureate degree and are not included in the transfer GPA.
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a nationwide program that allows students to earn college credit by examination.
The academic programs have authorized the use of these examinations and determined the scores necessary to receive college credit. CLEP examination equivalencies are determined by UW Tacoma faculty and course credit is available in a wide range of lower-division courses.
CLEP examinations cover material taught in courses that most students take as requirements in the first two years of college. The amount of credit usually equals the amount of credit earned by someone successfully completing the course.
You can receive credit for CLEP tests after we receive your official CLEP transcript and credit is awarded based on the type of test and score earned. No more than 45 total quarter credits (including all other extension and military credits) is allowed. CLEP credits count toward graduation but do not count as finalyear residence.
NOTE: Under UW policy, no more than 45 total credits can be earned through CLEP or other extension credit. Extension credits include distance learning, Advance Placement and International Baccalaureate credit, credit by exam, College in the High School, Armed Forces Training School credit, and UW courses taken by students on drop status. The University allows a maximum of 90 credits of lower division transfer coursework to be applied toward a UW degree.
Courses receiving no transfer credit include (but are not limited to):
- Courses below college level (usually numbered below 100)
- Repeated or duplicate courses
- Course work taken at an institution that is not accredited by the regional association
- Courses that provide instruction in a particular religious doctrine
- Mathematics courses considered below college level, including basic math, business math, beginning and intermediate algebra
- Courses offered for non-credit continuing education units
- Remedial English (e.g., reading, vocabulary development, grammar, speed reading, or any courses that are preparatory to an institution’s first English composition course)
- Courses providing instruction in English as a Second Language (100-level or above)
- Remedial courses in any academic discipline
Applicability of Transfer Credit to Degree Requirements
The Office of the Registrar has the authority to make decisions approving transfer courses to fulfill university degree requirements based on the recommendations of the faculty. The individual academic program offices have the authority to determine application of transfer credits to fulfill major requirements.
By the first quarter of enrollment, a student should meet with their academic advisor for academic planning.
Quarter vs. Semester Credits
Colleges and universities that operate on a semester system award semester credit. The University of Washington Tacoma awards quarter credit.
- One semester credit is equivalent to 1.5 quarter credits.
- One three-semester-credit course is equivalent to 4.5 quarter credits.
- Sixty semester credits are equivalent to 90 quarter credits.
Transfer GPA
In calculating the transfer GPA, the following guidelines apply:
- Grades from all transferable academic courses attempted, from all accredited colleges the student has attended, in which the student has received grades between 0.0 and 4.0 on a 4.0 grading scale are included in the calculation.
- To protect the students’ investment of educational effort and the value of the degree, UW Tacoma will not award credit for courses that repeat work done elsewhere. It is the responsibility of students who have earned credit at other colleges to determine whether courses they plan to take at UW Tacoma would duplicate any previously earned credit. Duplicate credit will not be awarded for courses that are equivalent to courses previously passed. Students who are in doubt should consult an advisor before registering for a UW Tacoma course.
- All transferable academic credit from two-year and four-year colleges is included in the calculation, even if it exceeds the 90 credits awarded.
- Transfer course work completed after a student matriculates must be graded on a numerical or letter-grade basis.
The following are not included in the transfer GPA:
- Courses considered by UW Tacoma to be below college level
- Math courses equivalent to MATH 098 (formerly MATH 101 Intermediate Algebra)
- Certain religion courses that teach from a particular doctrinal perspective or that teach preparation for the ministry
- Developmental or remedial courses
- Courses in study skills
- English as a Second Language courses
- Vocational/technical courses
- Courses recorded with a grade of Incomplete
- Courses recorded with a grade of Pass or Satisfactory
- P.E. activity credits in excess of 3 quarter credits
Post-Baccalaureate Students
Post-baccalaureate students are those who have completed one or more bachelor’s degrees and are working toward another bachelor’s degree or completing prerequisite courses for a graduate program. Post-baccalaureate is a matriculated status at the University of Washington Tacoma. The Office of Admissions does not award transfer credit to post-baccalaureate students. Any application of a student’s previous course work toward graduation requirements will be determined by program faculty and academic advisors.
