Penn State students may elect to schedule courses at another institution and transfer the credits to Penn State in order to meet degree requirements. Before a student schedules course work at another institution, he/she should have the credits approved for transfer and should work with an adviser to determine how the credits will apply to his/her academic program.
If a student has already taken a course at another institution, then he/she should read General and Specific Credits and follow steps 2-4 in Student Action for Transferring a Course.
Advisability of Taking Course Work Elsewhere
A student considering taking a course at another institution should consult with an academic adviser to decide if it is to his/her advantage. For example, it may not be advisable for a student to take a course at another institution if he/she needs to improve his/her cumulative grade-point average, if the student would be better served by work or an internship experience, if taking the course does not expedite degree completion or significantly reduce an overwhelming semester workload, or if the course lays a foundation for a more advanced course that will be taken at Penn State.
Tuition Increase
Because there is a lower- and upper-division tuition differential, students should calculate the impact of transfer credits on their tuition. Tuition will increase as soon as the student has 59.1 total credits. The increase will be reflected on a student's semester bill during the semester or session in which he/she attains 59.1 or more total credits (if credits are transferred during a semester/session, resulting in 59.1 or more total credits, a mid-semester tuition increase will result). The lower- and upper-division tuition differential should be considered when:
- determining the number of credits the student takes at another institution
- timing the transfer of the credits to the student's Penn State record
- planning the number of credits the student takes in subsequent semester(s).
Students with questions about this assessment should contact the Office of the Bursar.
Limitation
A student must earn at least 36 of his/her last 60 credits required for a baccalaureate degree and at least 18 of the last 30 credits required for an associate degree in courses offered by Penn State or in cooperative degree programs that have been approved by the University Faculty Senate.
Identifying a Course
Undergraduate Admissions facilitates the review of all transfer credits according to specified criteria. When a course is evaluated, it becomes part of a database that students and advisers can use to research opportunities at other institutions. Courses may transfer as general credit or a direct equivalent.
Penn State's Database of Evaluated Courses
The Transferring Credit Tool on the Penn State Admissions page lets students check Penn State’s database to determine (1) what institutions offer a course that is equivalent to a Penn State course of interest or (2) what equivalent courses are offered at a particular institution. Advisers can access this information using either the Transfer Course Evaluation Guide or LionPATH’s XFR Search.
LionPATH’s XFR Search is helpful when a student has identified a particular institution and asks what courses offered there will transfer to Penn State. Use the Source ID field to search for the institution by using the lookup icon. Once you’ve selected an institution, hit search to view all courses that have been evaluated for transfer (general credit and nontransferable courses are included).
If a course of interest is found in the database, the student should follow the instructions in Student Action for Transferring a Course.
Courses Not Included in Penn State's Database
Instructions for evaluating a transfer course at Penn State
Students already admitted to Penn State who have completed college courses at another institution:
To expedite the course review process, please email course syllabi for TRN XFRPEN (transfer pending review) courses listed on your Evaluation of Transferable Credit to crediteval@psu.edu. If not available electronically, please mail syllabi to Undergraduate Admissions, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802-1294. You may also fax syllabi to 814-863-7590.
If emailing syllabi, please follow these instructions:
- Include your name and PSU ID number in the subject line.
- Indicate the institution and state where course work was taken.
- Attach each syllabus as a separate .pdf or Microsoft Word file.
- Attach no more than four syllabi per email.
- Do not send syllabi for multiple institutions in the same email.
Please do not submit brief course descriptions instead of syllabi. Course descriptions are only accepted in extenuating circumstances (e.g. school no longer exists).
It can take up to six weeks from the date a syllabus is received to the time your Penn State record is updated from a TRN XFRPEN to a specific course evaluation. We encourage you to submit course syllabi for transfer pending review courses as soon as you are able. If you do not submit your course information, your transfer pending review credits will be reassigned to general credit (TRN XFRGEN) during your first semester of enrollment at Penn State.
LionPATH is the best place to monitor your transfer credit. Your Transfer Credit Report updates immediately upon departmental review of your XFRPEN courses, or additional transfer credit is added or updated on your Penn State record.
You can access LionPATH at lionpath.psu.edu. To view your course, test, and other transfer credit evaluations, navigate to the Academics tab, select Academic Records within the Academics menu, and click View Transfer Credit Report.
Current Penn State students planning to take transfer courses at another domestic institution:
To expedite the course review process, please email course syllabi to preapproval@psu.edu. If not available electronically, please mail syllabi to Undergraduate Admissions, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802-1294. You may also fax syllabi to 814-863-7590.
If emailing syllabi, please follow these instructions:
- Include your name and PSU ID number in the subject line.
- Indicate the institution and state where course work will be taken.
- Attach each syllabus as a separate .pdf or Microsoft Word file.
- Attach no more than four syllabi per email.
- Do not send syllabi for multiple institutions in the same email.
Please do not submit brief course descriptions instead of syllabi. Course descriptions are only accepted in extenuating circumstances (e.g. school no longer exists).
It can take up to six weeks from the date a syllabus is received to the time you are notified via your PSU email about how the course will transfer to Penn State. Students are also encouraged to meet with an academic adviser before enrolling in courses to determine how transfer credits may apply to their Penn State degree.
Current Penn State students planning to study abroad (not through Penn State’s Office of Global Programs):
University Park students must collect course syllabi and determine which college/university will provide the official transcript for study abroad courses. You can then meet with an admissions counselor to discuss how study abroad credit will transfer to Penn State. Counselors are available for walk-in appointments Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm, in the Undergraduate Admissions Office, 201 Shields Building. If you prefer, you may also email course syllabi to admissions@psu.edu to determine how study abroad credit will transfer to Penn State. Students are also encouraged to meet with an academic adviser before enrolling in the courses to determine how study abroad credits may apply to their Penn State degree.
Commonwealth campus students must collect course syllabi and determine which college/university will provide the official transcript for study abroad courses. You can then email the Undergraduate Admissions Office at admissions@psu.edu to determine how study abroad credit will transfer to Penn State. Students are also encouraged to meet with an academic adviser before enrolling in the courses to determine how study abroad credits may apply to their Penn State degree.
Applicants who have not yet been admitted to Penn State:
To expedite the course review process, please email course syllabi to preapproval@psu.edu. If not available electronically, please mail syllabi to Undergraduate Admissions, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802-1294. You may also fax syllabi to 814-863-7590.
If emailing syllabi, please follow these instructions:
- Include your name and PSU ID number in the subject line.
- Indicate the institution and state where course work was taken.
- Attach each syllabus as a separate .pdf or Microsoft Word file.
- Attach no more than four syllabi per email.
- Do not send syllabi for multiple institutions in the same email.
Please do not submit brief course descriptions instead of syllabi. Course descriptions are only accepted in extenuating circumstances (e.g. school no longer exists).
It can take up to six weeks from the date a syllabus is received to the time you are notified via email about how courses will transfer to Penn State.
Criteria Used to Consider Courses for Transfer to Penn State
The following criteria are used by Undergraduate Admissions to consider courses for transfer to Penn State:
- The institution must be accredited by one of the six regional accrediting agencies listed below. Member institutions are listed on the appropriate websites below:
- The course discipline must be taught at Penn State. Courses such as business education or theology/church doctrine cannot be considered for transfer because Penn State does not offer equivalent courses.
- The course must be appropriate for the student's level: students in four-year programs must take baccalaureate-level courses, and students in two-year programs must take courses at the associate level or higher.
General and Specific Penn State Equivalencies
Transferred credits are recorded as general or specific credits on a student's transcript.
Specific Credit: Courses essentially equivalent to Penn State courses may be considered for transfer as specific Penn State courses, provided they are below the 400 level, (e.g., a 3-semester-credit Introductory Psychology course could be transferred as PSYCH 100; however, a 3-semester-credit advanced Abnormal Psychology course could be transferred as general credits in psychology but not as PSYCH 470
General Credit: Courses that differ in content, differ in number of credits, or are equivalent to 400-level courses are only considered for transfer as general credit. General credit may be specific to fulfilling a general education requirement and/or an academic level or neither (simply general credit). http://admissions.psu.edu/info/future/transfer/transfer-credit-equivalencies/
Fulfilling Degree Requirements: A course evaluated for transfer as specific credit is viewed as equivalent to a Penn State course and can fulfill a degree requirement. General credits can be electives, or they can be reviewed by a student's college or department as a substitution for a specific degree requirement. To initiate this review, students should contact their academic adviser. An official course description for the semester/session that the course was completed is necessary, and a course syllabus will be needed.
Credits Earned
Penn State credits are awarded on a semester-hour basis. Courses evaluated for transfer from colleges and universities with different credit systems (quarter hours, units) are converted to semester hours of credit.
Grade Required for Transferring a Course
A course will be transferable with a grade of C (2.00) or higher. Courses taken for pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grades may only be transferred if the registrar at the other institution verifies that a pass or satisfactory grade is equivalent to at least a C or higher for all students at the institution. Although a grade of C or higher is required for the credit to transfer, only the credit will be transferred. The course grade will not transfer, and the student's Penn State grade-point average will not be affected.
A student should be reminded that although a grade does not appear on his/her Penn State transcript, he/she may be asked by prospective employers or graduate schools to provide a transcript from all institutions attended.
Student Action for Transferring a Course
- If you find the course you want on Penn State's database, print the chart (showing that course's transfer information) as documentation that Penn State will accept that course for transfer. (No further approval is required!)
If you would like to take a course not included in Penn State's database, see instructions in Courses Not Included in Penn State's Database, and then follow the instructions in 2 below.
- After taking coursework at another institution, request that the school send an official transcript directly to Penn State. It can be sent by mail to Undergraduate Admissions, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Shields Building, University Park, PA 16802-1294. Alternatively, the school can send transcripts to Penn State via fax (814-863-7590), Parchment, eScrip-Safe, or the National Student Clearinghouse. If an e-mail address is required, use admissions@psu.edu
- When you receive notification from Undergraduate Admissions indicating that your transfer credits have been added to your PSU record, pay the $25.00 evaluation/recording fee in person or by mail to the Office of the Bursar, 103 Shields Building.
- Verify that the transfer has been processed by checking your academic record using Degree Audit or LionPATH. Students may view their transferable credit in the LionPATH Student Center. Locate the Academics section and select Transfer Credit: Report in the drop down menu to view official course, test, and other transfer credits. All transfer credit listed in the LionPATH Student Center is now part of their Penn State record.
Impact on a Student's Penn State Record
Courses are recorded on a student's transcript as general or specific credit. In the example that follows, a student took two math courses. For one course, the student earned specific credit for MATH 021. For the second course, the student earned general credit fulfilling a general education requirement and a level for a precalculus math course:
Math 021 College Algebra 3.0
Math XFRGQ1 Precalculus 3.0
The institution at which the student enrolled is noted on the transcript.
Fractional transfer credits created in the conversion of quarter-hour credits or units to semester-hour credits are typically coded as TRN XFRGEN, general miscellaneous credits, on a student's transcript.
Credits are transferred; grades are not. The credits transferred from another school do not affect a student's grade-point average. They are included in total credits on the student's Penn State transcript; however, they are not included in cumulative credits.
Nondegree Students
Credits will not be added to a student’s record until the student is admitted to degree status.
