What Happens to My Credits When I Transfer? Understanding Credit Transfer Policies
When students transfer colleges, their new school determines which credits to accept and how they are applied toward earning a degree. Transfer credits often satisfy general education requirements and may also count toward requirements for completing a major.
However, every college has its own transfer credit policies and graduation requirements. For transfer students, the key to making a good decision about what school to attend is understanding how a university recognizes the credits they have earned.
How Transfer Credits Work
Colleges evaluate transfer credits by reviewing official transcripts and the requirements of the student’s intended degree program. Some schools offer free, unofficial transfer credit evaluations to help prospective students make an informed decision.
When examining transfer credits, a college considers a variety of factors. They include:
- The accreditation status of the institution where the credits were earned
- The course subject and content
- The number of credit hours awarded
- The grade earned in the course
- How closely the course matches one offered by the receiving college
- Whether the course applies to general education, major or elective requirements
- How recently the course was completed
Will My Credits Transfer?
Not necessarily. Some credits may not transfer due to course content, grades, accreditation, credit limits or the receiving college’s academic policies. Even when a college accepts a course for credit, it may not apply to the student’s major.
For example, a course may transfer as a general elective rather than replace a class that is required to complete a major. That credit still becomes part of the student’s academic record, but it may not reduce the number of courses needed for the degree.
Students should therefore ask two separate questions:
- Will the college accept this course for transfer credit?
- Will the course satisfy a requirement in my intended major?
The second question often has the greater effect on the time it takes to earn a degree. Knowing the answer can help students maximize the benefits of a college degree.
Where Can Transfer Credits Apply?
Transfer credits commonly apply to general education requirements, major requirements or electives.
General education courses often include subjects such as writing, mathematics, natural science, social science and humanities. When a transfer course closely matches one of the receiving college’s requirements, it may fulfill that part of the degree.
Major courses may receive closer review because programs can differ in content and sequence. A business or psychology course at one institution may not cover the same material as a similarly named course elsewhere.
Elective credit may be awarded when a course is considered college-level but does not meet a specific requirement.
What Are Articulation Agreements and Transfer Pathways?
Articulation agreements explain how courses or an entire program at one institution can apply toward a degree at another institution. These formal agreements can provide a clearer path from a community college to a four-year university.
Transfer pathways serve a similar purpose by helping students plan their coursework around a future major. However, an agreement may apply only to particular colleges and degrees. Students should follow the correct agreement and confirm the plan with advisers at both institutions.
When choosing a community college, students should find out whether it has a transfer agreement with the four-year institution they eventually hope to attend.
Transfer credits commonly apply to general education requirements, major requirements or electives.
How Can Transfer Credits Affect Time-to-Degree?
Transfer credits affect time-to-degree based on how many apply to the student’s remaining graduation requirements.
The total number of accepted credits does not always tell the full story. A student may have enough credits to have junior standing but still need lower-level prerequisites for the major. Required courses may also be offered only during certain semesters.
Students should request a degree evaluation that shows:
- Which requirements their credits satisfy
- Which courses remain
- Whether prerequisites are still needed
- When required courses are available
- How many semesters may be needed to graduate
This review can also help students estimate the remaining cost of their degree.
How Does NMU Evaluate Transfer Credits?
Northern Michigan University offers transfer credit resources to help students understand how their previous coursework applies toward earning a degree. Students can explore transfer equivalencies, major equivalency guides, articulation agreements, MiTransfer Pathways and the Michigan Transfer Agreement.
NMU considers students whose official community college transcripts state “Michigan Transfer Agreement Satisfied” to have completed NMU’s General Education Program requirements. Students must still complete program-specific and other graduation requirements.
Students considering NMU can request an unofficial transfer credit evaluation and connect with transfer staff before applying. Starting that conversation early can help students choose courses more efficiently and understand the steps that remain between transfer and graduation.
Learn More About Credit Transfers