Transferring Course Credits

Transferring credits you’ve earned from another school to UWM should be seamless and simple. Review this information to take the guess work out of your transfer.

To transfer credits from another school to UWM, you must submit an official transcript from all previously attended institutions to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions through an approved electronic service or via mail:

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
P.O. Box 749
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0749

Whether or not you’re currently enrolled at another school, it’s important to work closely with your Academic Advisor at UWM to make the most of classes you’ve already taken and to plan your remaining coursework accordingly.

For more information on applying to UWM as a transfer student, see Undergraduate Admissions.

Transfer Credit Policy

Official transcripts are used to determine how many credits and program courses you have completed as you continue your study at UWM.

UWM transfer policy follows guidelines established by UW-System.  The following section provides an overview of UWM’s specific policies governing transfer of undergraduate credit.

You can also review the complete Universities of Wisconsin Transfer Policy online.

Transferable Coursework
  • Typically, transfer credit is only awarded for college-level and undergraduate coursework.
  • Courses that are part of continuing education or graduate level programs and those that are remedial, technical, vocational or doctrinal are not transferable.
  • Credit will be awarded from degree-granting colleges or universities with institutional accreditation from an accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).  Non-CHEA approved institutional accreditors recognized by the Department of Education will be considered on a case-by-case basis and transfer credit allowed if appropriate based on the quality, comparability, and applicability of the coursework.  Schools with programmatic accreditation may be evaluated for transfer if the accreditor is recognized by CHEA and the relevant coursework falls within the accreditor’s area of specialization.
Credit Hours
  • Semester term credits are transferred on a one-to-one basis.
  • Quarter term credits are transferred on a two-thirds-to-one basis: A student who has taken 30 transferrable credits at a quarter-system institution will have 20 semester hours transfer to UWM.
Maximum Credit Transfers
  • A maximum of 72 semester credits from 2-year institutions can be applied to your total UWM degree credits.
  • There is no maximum of semester credits that can be transferred from a four-year university.
Grades
  • Grades you received for credits that are transferred from other institutions are not calculated in your GPA at UWM.
  • Previous grades and GPA may be used in your program’s admission decision.
  • If you repeat UWM coursework at another institution and later return to UWM, the grade you earned at UWM will be used to calculate your GPA.
Equivalencies & Electives
  • Incoming courses may transfer as UWM course equivalents or electives.
  • Departmental elective credit may be awarded for courses that do not resemble UWM courses directly but fit within a specific curricular area, signified by letters instead of a course number (e.g., HISTORY X).
  • General elective credit may be awarded for courses deemed college-level but that do not fit precisely within a UWM academic department.
  • Elective credits count toward degree credit totals and may be used in fulfilling degree requirements pending permission from the academic program.
Degree & Residency Requirements
  • Transfer credit can satisfy degree requirements, although the academic program may need to approve the use of elective credits.
  • Students who have completed a liberal arts associate degree from a UW System institution or Wisconsin Technical College System school will be granted completion of university general education distribution requirements.  Completed associate of applied science degrees may fulfill specific requirements based on course-to-course transfer evaluation.  Also see the articulation agreement section for unique transfer policies related to specific AAS degrees.
  • Each program requires a certain number of credits to be earned in residence at UWM, and some programs include transfer credit GPA in determining if requirements are satisfied.
  • Always consult your Academic Advisor on specific requirements to ensure you are on the right track.
Transfer Credit Evaluation Process

Transfer Credit Evaluation Specialists will always try to award you with as much transfer credit as possible.

  1. Once you have been admitted to UWM, your Official Transcript data is submitted to the Registrar’s Office
  2. The Registrar’s Office Transfer Credit Evaluation Specialists review course descriptions from your other institutions and compare the content with courses offered by UWM
    • Courses are identified as either equivalencies or electives, or are not eligible for transfer
    • At this time, the Transfer Equivalency Database is maintained for new and existing course equivalencies
  3. The official results of the Registrar’s credit evaluation are posted to your PAWS account within 2-4 weeks of your date of admittance.
    • Log in to your PAWS account
    • Under the yellow Academics header, click into the drop down menu for Other Academic
    • Select the Transfer Credit Report and click the yellow arrow button
    • All transfer credit, including course credits and test credits, will be posted within the report
  4. Once your transfer credits are posted, begin planning for your first semester at UWM

Contact the Registrar’s Office via our online form at any time with questions.

Transfer Equivalency Resources
Most often, transfer credit comes through course credit earned at other institutions.  UWM maintains over 90,000 (and counting) transfer equivalencies in our system from public and private institutions across the country.  You can review these equivalencies in a variety of places to see how the course credit you’ve earned elsewhere could be applied to a UWM degree.

Course equivalency results using these and other tools are considered unofficial, but will offer a solid guideline as to what may be transferrable to UWM. Official transfer credit is only awarded after the completion of the credit evaluation process following admission.

Go to Transfer Wisconsin to learn more about how courses transfer in the University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Technical College, and Tribal College systems.

Transferology - Nationwide Transfer Network
Transferology is a nationwide network designed to help students explore their college transfer options.  UWM exports all of its transfer equivalencies to Transferology to help you determine how your credit will transfer.

Learn more about how Transferology works by watching the short video below prepared by the UW System:

Simply click on the icon above to create a free account.  Enter the coursework you’ve completed, then use the search to see how it transfers.

TED: Transfer Equivalency Database
The UWM Transfer Equivalency Database (TED) allows a student to select their institution, subject, and course numbers to determine if a UWM course match exists

Go to the Transfer Equivalency Database

Transfer Guides & Agreements
Students interested in beginning their degree program at a Wisconsin Technical College or select other schools can use the following guides to review their options.

Document Definitions
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) An agreement between two institutions that establishes terms of a partnership, often involving transfer but not necessarily limited to specific course equivalencies.
Transfer Guide An outline of program requirements, transferable credits and recommendations
Transfer Equivalency Worksheet An easy to use, fill-in-the-blank form for transfers in progress
Articulation Agreement A specific program-to-program transfer agreement contract with established conditions.  Some programs below that have transfer guides or worksheets listed also have articulation agreements.  To read the full agreement, visit the Registrar’s Office website.
Multi-Institution Agreements
Program Documents
Collaborative Nursing Program
(Wisconsin Technical College System)
Community Education
Criminal Justice
Early Childhood Education
(Wisconsin Technical College System)
Information Science & Technology
(Most 2-Year Institutions)
UW/WTCS Universal Credit Transfer Agreement
UW College Connections
UWM Branch Campuses to UWM Main Campus
Program Documents
Architecture
Art, Dance, Film, Music, & Theatre Programs
Peck School of the Arts
Business
Criminal Justice
Education
Engineering
Health Programs
(College of Health
Professions & Sciences, College of Public Health)
Information Science & Technology
Letters & Sciences – All Majors
For major transfer guides not listed, contact
let-sci@uwm.edu
Nursing
Social Work
Milwaukee Area Technical College to UWM
Program Documents
Architectural Studies
Art, Dance, Film, Music, & Theatre Programs
Peck School of the Arts
Business
Criminal Justice
Education
Engineering
Freshwater Sciences
General Education – University
General Education – College of Letters & Science
Health Programs
(College of Health
Professions & Sciences, College of Public Health)
Information Science & Technology
Letters & Sciences – Major Specific Guides
For majors not listed, contact
let-sci@uwm.edu
Pre-Major Guides for MATC Students Completing an AA or AS Degree:

Visit the Letters & Science website for transfer guides for MATC students who do not intend to complete a full AA or AS degree.  L&S provides guides for more than 20 different majors.

Nursing
Social Work
Waukesha County Technical College to UWM
Program Documents
Art, Dance, Film, Music, & Theatre Programs
Peck School of the Arts
Business
Criminal Justice
  • Transfer Guide – Applicable to students who have received or will receive an Associate Degree in Police Science/Law Enforcement from WCTC after September 1, 2005
Data Analytics
Education
Engineering (incl. Computer Science)
General Education – College of Letters & Science
Health Programs
(College of Health
Professions & Sciences, College of Public Health)
Letters & Sciences – Major Specific Guides
For majors not listed, contact
let-sci@uwm.edu

Visit the Letters & Science website for transfer guides for WCTC students who do not intend to complete a full AA or AS degree.

Nursing
Social Work
Madison College to UWM
Program Documents
Business
Education
Engineering
Health Programs
(College of Health
Professions & Sciences, College of Public Health)
Letters & Sciences – Major Specific Guides
For majors not listed, contact
let-sci@uwm.edu
Visit the Letters & Science website for transfer guides for Madison College students interested in a Letters & Science major.
Nursing
Moraine Park Technical College
Programs Documents
Business
Criminal Justice
Engineering
General Education
Health Professions & Sciences
Information Science & Technology
Kinesiology
Letters & Science
Nursing
Public Health
Criminal Justice
Social Work
Other WI Technical College System Schools to UWM
Fox Valley Technical College
Occupational Studies
Gateway Technical College
Architectural Studies
Business
Education
Electrical Engineering
Nursing
Lakeshore Technical College
General Education
Northcentral Technical College
American Sign Language
Architectural Studies
UW Four Year Institutions to UWM
Other WI Institutions to UWM
Area Illinois Schools to UWM
College of DuPage (IL)
Architectural Studies
Engineering
Nursing
College of Lake County (IL)
Engineering
Kinesiology
Letters & Sciences – Major Specific Guides
For majors not listed, contact
let-sci@uwm.edu
Visit the Letters & Science website for transfer guides for CLC students interested in a Letters & Science major.
Nursing
Nutrition
Elgin Community College (IL)
Engineering
Harper College (IL)
Engineering
McHenry County College (IL)
Engineering
Education
Rock Valley College (IL)
Engineering