Transfer Student Admission

Did You Know?

If you're considering transferring from another UW System school or from the Wisconsin Technical College System, our Transfer Information System (TIS) will tell you exactly how your freshman- and sophomore-level credits will transfer to UW-Madison.

Transfer Credit

After a transfer student has been admitted and confirmed his or her intent to enroll, we will perform an official evaluation of transfer credit.

If you would like to begin to evaluate how your credits might transfer to UW-Madison, use the following guidelines and consult the Undergraduate Catalog:

  • Accredited Institutions. Credit is generally awarded for college-level course work completed at regionally accredited institutions or at foreign institutions recognized by the Ministry of Education.
  • Equivalent Credit. Courses completed at other colleges or universities that have descriptions that closely match the descriptions of courses taught at UW-Madison generally will transfer as a direct course equivalent.
  • Elective Credit. Courses completed at other colleges or universities that don't have direct course equivalents at UW-Madison will generally be equated as elective credits within the appropriate academic department. Elective credits count toward a degree in the same way that a direct course equivalent does.
  • Maximum Number of Credits. The maximum number of transferable credits from a two-year college is 72.
  • Conversion of Quarter-Hours and Units. All transfer credit processed from quarter-hour institutions will be converted to semester credits at UW-Madison. Similarly, course work measured in units will be converted to semester credits. This will ensure you will receive the equivalent number of credits. To make the quarter-hour to semester-hour conversion, we will multiply your quarter credits by .666. For example, if you have 40 quarter credits (40 x .666 = 26.64), you will receive 27 semester credits.
  • UW System Transfer Students. Students transferring from another UW System school or from the Wisconsin Technical College System should consult our Transfer Information System (TIS) to determine exactly how your credits will transfer to UW-Madison. The TIS Credit Transfer Wizard will show you how your freshman- and sophomore-level courses will transfer to UW-Madison.
  • Credit by Exam. We offer credit for a variety of exams, including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and the College-Level Examination Program.
  • Military Credit. Transfer credit may be awarded to students who have completed Basic Training. Enrolling students who have completed Basic Training should submit their records to the unit commander who will determine how transfer credit will be assigned (up to 6 credit hours). Military transcripts will also be evaluated for transfer credit. Generally we will accept credit for baccalaureate courses. Credit awarded for vocational/technical training or in a Military Occupational Specialty will not be accepted.
  • Degree Requirements. Specific degree requirements differ among the various UW-Madison schools and colleges. Transfer credit will be applied toward degree requirements appropriately, depending upon which major and/or degree you intend to complete. To learn more about degree and major requirements, consult the Undergraduate Catalog or the appropriate undergraduate major.
  • Grade Point Average. Grades received in the courses transferred into UW-Madison will not be calculated into your UW-Madison grade point average.

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