Transfer Credit Policies and Processes

To be eligible to transfer credit from another U.S. college or university toward your degree in the College:

• You must not be on academic or disciplinary suspension, suspension-in-abeyance, required leave after consecutive withdrawals or late semester withdrawal, or an honor leave.

• You must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in the semester prior to taking the courses.

• You must request approval in advance by completing a Transfer Credit Request form.  See Key Steps below for guidance. 

Credit is accepted only from (1) a degree-granting institution of higher education in the U.S. which has been fully accredited by a regional accrediting agency; or (2) an institution approved by the Faculty of Arts & Sciences prior to your enrollment in the course. 

Massive open online courses are not eligible for transfer. Courses from any extension or continuing education program, school or department are not eligible to transfer, regardless of the parent institution.

You can transfer credits for elective credit and, with prior departmental approval, for major or minor credit. Only credit is transferred. Grades do not transfer.

You cannot transfer credits to satisfy College general education requirements. After matriculation to UVA, you must fulfill your general education requirements at UVA. The only exceptions are courses used to fulfill the World Language Requirement, taken abroad in a native-language country, with the language department’s prior approval.

If your transfer credit was approved in advance and you receive a grade of C or better, you will receive credit. Courses passed with an “S”, “P”, or “Credit” grading option will transfer only upon verification that they represent work equivalent to a C or better. Such courses will count against the maximum number of ungraded credits allowed in the degree program. You will receive no more semester hours of transfer credit than you were awarded by the host institution. You may receive fewer. Quarter hours will be reduced proportionally to their semester hour equivalent. If you already have credit for the equivalent course, duplicate credit will not be awarded.

No more than 60 non-UVA credits (including transfer and advanced standing credit) can count toward a degree in the College.

No more than eight credits per Fall or Spring semester may be transferred to the University. Twelve or more credits attempted in a single semester at another institution will constitute one of the student’s eight allotted full-time semesters.

1. You must submit a Transfer Credit Request form before you enroll in classes at another school.

2. Use the Transfer Credit Request – Major or Minor form to request approval for courses for a major or minor that you have already declared. All other domestic transfer credit should be requested using the “Transfer Credit Request – Elective” form.

3. Use the Transfer Credit Request – Elective form to request approval for any courses that are not for a major or minor that you have already declared.

4. Once you complete the approved course(s), you must request an official transcript to be sent directly to the UVA College of Arts & Sciences.

Check the online Transfer Credit Database. If a course you want to take is not listed in the database, it has not yet been evaluated for equivalency. You will request evaluation when you submit your Transfer Credit Request form.

No. Once you start your first semester at UVA, you must complete any remaining general education requirements with UVA coursework. The only exception is for world languages taken in certain approved study abroad programs.

You must have an official transcript sent directly to the UVA College of Arts & Sciences (not the UVA Admissions Office) or to [email protected]. We cannot accept transcripts emailed by students. Electronic transcripts are preferred, but if necessary paper transcripts may be sent to: Transfer Credit Evaluator, P.O. Box 400133, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4133.

During peak period (July–September), processing time is typically two weeks. At other times credit is usually posted within one week.