A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
As you consider transferring to UW-Stout, we encourage you to explore your transfer credits opportunities using the resources below.
- Transfer Pipelines & Articulation Agreements: Review our program-to-program transfer pipelines with regional two-year and traditional four-year university partners to fast track your transfer process and maximize your transfer credits.
- Transfer Guides: Program and general education guides by school and/or program
- Transfer Wisconsin: If you're transferring from a Wisconsin UW or WTCS
A program planning sheet lists all the courses required to complete a specific program at UW-Stout. With this information, you can plan your transfer classes around similar UW-Stout program courses. See Academic Programs/Majors within the Undergraduate Bulletin to find the program plan sheets.
To ensure that your credits will transfer, be sure to get them approved ahead of time by connecting with a transfer counselor, and/or filling out specific transfer proposals available through the Admissions Office.
Credit is generally awarded for college-level course work completed at institutions accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Foreign institutions must be recognized by the Ministry of Education (or equivalent) in that country.
Credits earned in non-accredited institutions are generally not accepted for transfer. However, credit may be granted for post-secondary work from non-accredited institutions by examination and/or upon department evaluation of course syllabi and other program information. Courses must be similar in nature, level, and content to a course in our undergraduate curriculum and applicable to one of our academic programs; this includes courses that are technical or vocational in nature.
Continuing education courses, graduate-level courses, and courses that are remedial or doctrinal in nature are not transferable.
All credit that is transcripted is evaluated, including credit that is awarded for experiential learning, for other forms of prior learning, or that which relies on the evaluation of responsible third parties. Credits earned through test-out at one institution and are clearly indicated on the official transcript, will transfer to UW-Stout as it would under normal transfer circumstances. These credits may include retroactive credit for foreign language and test-out credit for that institution's actual course (as opposed to elective credit).
In order to receive credit earned by means of any other test (such as Advanced Placement, College Level Examination Program, International Baccalaureate) must provide UW-Stout with an original score report. These credits are pre-determined by departmental review. Dual credit courses or programs for high school students are considered equivalent in learning outcomes and levels in achievement to its higher education curriculum by means of receipt of an official college transcript from a regionally accredited institution.
Courses completed at other colleges or universities that have descriptions that closely match the descriptions of courses taught at UW-Stout generally will transfer as a direct course equivalent.
College-level courses completed at other colleges or universities that do not transfer exactly as a UW-Stout course will instead transfer as an elective course within that discipline or a related discipline. Elective credits may count toward a degree in the same way that a direct course equivalent does. In addition, college-level courses completed at other universities that hold general education/liberal arts requirements, diversity or global perspective designations but do not transfer exactly as a UW-Stout course will transfer as an elective course which holds a similar designation attribute. Whenever possible, this course will be used towards similar general education/liberal arts requirements at UW-Stout.
We offer credit for a variety of exams, including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and the College-Level Examination Program. Students may also "test out" of a course by means of a Credit by Departmental Exam where they feel they may have the knowledge or experience required.
For detailed information on how to test out via a departmental exam, visit the Registration and Records website.
If you have military experience or military school training, you may be eligible to earn academic credit. Credit may be awarded for what has been learned through the normal course of job-related responsibilities or training. Learn more on the Credit for Prior Learning page.
Certain undergraduate programs at UW-Stout require that applicants submit materials in addition to the standard application. Transfer credit will be applied toward degree requirements appropriately, depending upon which major and/or degree you intend to complete.
There is no specific limit on the number of credits that a student can transfer to UW-Stout. In order to earn a degree at UW-Stout, students must complete a minimum of 32 credits here.
Credits from other institutions are recorded on your UW-Stout permanent record. Grades and honors points do not transfer. Only grades earned at UW-Stout are used to compute grade point average on your UW-Stout transcript. At the point of graduation, all credits completed at UW-Stout and additional credits accepted at UW-Stout (as indicated on the transcript and Degree Audit) from all previous institutions attended will be used to determine possible graduation with honors.
If you believe that there has been an error or oversight in your transfer credit evaluation, please contact the Transfer Coordinator for assistance. In the event of an unresolved disagreement with evaluation, the Transfer Coordinator will work with the appropriate academic department chairperson for a second review. You should be prepared to furnish a course syllabus or letter of description from the previous institution if you wish to appeal the initial evaluation.
