Office of Admissions, WWU

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Transfer

for students who have enrolled in college course work after high school

Transfer of Credit Policies

Western generally grants credit for baccalaureate-oriented courses completed at institutions of higher education which have received accreditation by the Regional Associations of Schools and Colleges. The following policies also apply:

Requirements and Restrictions

A maximum of 135 quarter (90 semester) credits are allowed to transfer from any combination of regionally accredited institutions. Of these, no more than 105 quarter (70 semester) credits may be at the lower division (100 and 200) level. Appropriate coursework which exceeds this limit may be used to meet specific major requirements, but will not apply to the total number of credits accepted in transfer and will not display on students' degree evaluations.
The following types of courses do not transfer, regardless of an institution's accreditation: college courses numbered below 100; technical and vocational courses; developmental education or remedial courses; English as a Second Language; sectarian religion courses; credit for life experience/travel; study skills courses; and CLEP examination credit. Credit is not awarded for non-transferable courses, and such courses will not appear on students' degree evaluations.
All transfer courses should be completed on a lettered or numeric grading scale, not pass/fail. English 101 must be completed with a grade of C- or better.

General Information

Semester credits are converted to quarter credits. (One semester credit equals 1.5 quarter credits.)
Courses transfer to Western Washington University at the same level (lower or upper division) as taken at the original institution.
In calculating the transfer admission GPA, the Office of Admissions uses all transferable academic courses, including repeats, from all regionally accredited colleges the student has attended.
Transfer work does not affect the official Western Washington University institutional grade point average.
The number of credits earned for an accepted transfer course will be used even if the number of credits for the equivalent Western course differs.

Additional WWU Requirements

Western's baccalaureate degrees require a minimum of 180 total quarter credit hours with a minimum of 60 quarter hours earned at the upper division (300 and 400) level. 90 credits must be earned at Western to be considered for graduation honors.

Transferring with a Washington Community College Associate Degree

Transfer students who earn an Associate of Arts degree from a Washington state community college that meets the Intercollege Relations Commission guidelines for the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) are generally given junior standing and will have fulfilled Western's General University Requirements (GUR). To substitute fully for Western's GUR, the DTA degree must include 90 credits, 75 of which must be included on Western's list of transferable courses.

Transfer students who earn the Associate of Science (AS-T) degree from a Washington state community college are also generally given junior standing, however this degree does not fulfill Western's GUR in full. Students should carefully review their degree evaluation (received after enrollment confirmation) to determine which GUR remain.

Advanced Placement

Western generally grants credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams completed with a score of three or higher. Credit is granted upon receipt of official scores from the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB).

International Baccalaureate

Appropriate Higher Level examinations passed with a score of four or higher earn a student up to 15 credits per exam for a maximum of 45 credits total. Higher Level exams in Biology, Chemistry, Economics, English, Geography, History, Physics, and Psychology are applicable toward General University Requirements (GUR). Elective credit may be granted for other subject exams, or additional credit for GUR may be considered on an individual basis. The departments of Art and Modern and Classical Language do not grant credit for IB exams, but may use the exam results for purposes of program placement and/or course waivers.

Military Credit

You may receive up to 30 credits for educational training based on American Council on Education (ACE) guidelines. To receive these credits you must submit either a DD-214 or DD-295 to the Registrar's Office for review. These credits do not transfer from one institution to another. They may apply to the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) only as part of the 15 credits of non-transferable course work allowed under statewide guidelines.