Transfer Credit Policy
Students joining the student body at UConn have the opportunity to bring in credits from their previous college or university to count towards their degree requirements. “Transfer credit” refers to credit hours (“credit”) for a course taken at an accredited post-secondary institution not affiliated with the University of Connecticut (“the University”).
The office of Undergraduate Admissions will do the initial evaluation of potential transfer credit(s) and assign it as either a “direct equivalency credit” or “generic credit”. This process requires courses to be:
- From a regionally accredited, degree-granting college or university
- Comparable in content and quality to courses offered at UConn
- Completed with a minimum grade of a “C” (2.0)
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions also lists all of the courses (and their UConn equivalent) that the University accepts from other Connecticut institutions. View a list of transfer course equivalencies on the admissions website. Please note: Not all courses will appear on this list. Students may, however, contact the Office of Undergraduate Transfer Admissions to request that a course not on the list be evaluated. This is done by completing a Prior Course Approval form. Courses taken at out-of-state institutions may also be evaluated by completing the Prior Course Approval form.
The Prior Course Approval form can be accessed through the Student Administration System and by following this path: Student Homepage > Manage Classes > Prior Course Approval
Types of Transfer Credit:
In the initial transfer admissions evaluation, your accepted courses will be categorized in one of two ways:
- Direct Equivalency Credit: Transfer course comes in as an exact UConn course
- Generic Credit: Courses that meet the University’s standards but do not have a direct UConn equivalent. These credits will be coded with a “9” at the beginning.
It is important to note that both direct equivalency credit and generic credit can be used towards a UConn degree. While most courses are deemed a “generic credit” due to differing or missing content, in comparison to the comparable course at UConn, these generic credits can still cover general education requirements and other required classes to graduate.
When Might this Apply to You?
Current UConn Students: If you are a current UConn student and plan to take classes over winter or summer break, please review the Transfer Course Equivalencies list on the Transfer Admissions website. You are encouraged to submit a ‘Prior Course Approval Form” to confirm your class will transfer in and in what category.
The Prior Course Approval form can be accessed through the Student Administration System and by following this path: Student Homepage > Manage Classes > Prior Course Approval
Current UConn Students Studying Abroad: If you are planning on studying abroad, please visit the UConn Experiential Global Learning website. The EGL Office will be able to advise which programs and schools offer Journalism focused classes. Currently, we partner closely with Massey University (New Zealand), University of Essex (UK), and the University of Galway (Ireland).
New Transfer Students who desire a Course Re-Evaluation: Students who received “general credit” during the initial Transfer Admissions process may submit a re-evaluation if desired. This process re-reviews the “general credits” to see if they are eligible to transfer over as a “direct equivalency credit.”
It is important to note that the Journalism program at UConn is the only Nationally Accredited program in New England. Due to this accreditation, journalism classes from outside institutions very rarely transfer in as a direct match.
Students who would still like a transfer credit re-evaluation should complete the required form here.