Incoming Transfer Students

Overview

The transfer credit process consists of two separate steps. First, your transcripts are reviewed and transfer credits are accepted by the Admissions Office. Then, the transfer credits are evaluated for applicability toward your degree.

Acceptance

The Admissions Office will evaluate your transcripts and will work with the academic department to assign transfer credit. You should consult the Admissions Transfer Credit Policy and Guidelines for more information about this process and contact them with any questions about your status.

A preliminary Transfer Credit Report will be available on your approximately 4-6 weeks after you are admitted. This report will show which classes were accepted for transfer and how many credits you received.

Applicability

Once your Transfer Credit Report is final, the CEAE Department will work with you to apply your transfer credits to your degree requirements. Please note that transfer credits are not guaranteed to count toward your degree. Your transfer credits can only fulfill applicable degree requirements listed in the advising guide for your major.

Decisions about applicability of transfer credit are made by faculty transfer credit evaluators.

What You Need to Do

Your academic advisor will guide you through the transfer credit process. Your advisor will contact you with more information, but you should be prepared for the following:

  1. Collect any documentation requested for your transfer courses – you can be prepared by having this ready in advance. You may be asked to provide:
    • Copies of your undergraduate transcripts
    • A course description and outline/syllabus for each course (in English)
  2. Meet with your undergraduate academic advisor to review your transfer coursework and prepare any necessary paperwork (petitions, etc.).
  3. Your advisor will inform you of any additional steps (meeting with the CEAE Faculty Transfer Credit Evaluator, etc.) that are required.

As an incoming student, you can make sure the transfer credit evaluation process goes as smoothly and quickly as possible by doing the following:

Transcripts

Make sure that official transcripts are sent to the Admissions Office from every institution you attended. If you are still enrolled in classes at your previous school, make sure an updated transcript is sent to the Admissions Office as soon as your grades are final.

If you have AP/IB credit, you also need to have those scores sent directly to CU Boulder by the testing agency. AP/IB credit will not transfer from your previous university.

Course Descriptions/Syllabi

Plan in advance by bringing course outlines/syllabi from all of your previous courses when you come to CU Boulder.  You may not need them for every course, but having these materials in advance is the best way to avoid long delays in evaluating your transfer credits. International students MUST bring syllabi (in English) for every course in order to ensure that they receive appropriate transfer credit.

Registering for Classes

Please do not wait until your transfer credit evaluation is complete before registering for classes! The process of evaluating your transcripts, assigning transfer credit, and applying those credits to your degree requirements can take several weeks and may not be complete until partway through your first semester at CU Boulder. We can review your transcripts and make a preliminary assessment regarding your transfer credits to help you register for the appropriate classes. If you have any questions about which classes to take, please contact the academic advisor for your major.