Transfer Students

Interested in transferring to UC? Here is what you need to know:

General Transfer Admission Requirements

Applicants who have earned 12 or more college-level credits (generally, courses numbered 100 and above) at another institution, have a minimum 2.0 grade point average (on a 4.0-point scale) and are in good standing at the institution last attended must submit the following documentation to be considered for admission:

• Completed online Undergraduate Application for Admission
• $25 application fee or application fee waiver
• Transcripts from each college or university previously attended. Unofficial copies will be accepted for admission review, but final official copies must be submitted upon matriculation to avoid a registration hold being placed on the student’s account.
• Transfer Clearance Form from most recent school attended. This form must be completed by an official (Registrar or Dean of Students) from the prior school and sent from that official directly to tcf@ucwv.edu. Forms submitted by students will not be accepted.
• Applicants who have earned fewer than 12 college-level credits must also submit high school transcripts and meet the admissions requirements for freshman applicants.

 

Helpful Information

 

• Prospective transfer students may send their college transcripts at any time during their current college enrollment for transcript evaluation by the University of Charleston.
• Applicants who are accepted at the University of Charleston must submit final official transcripts from all schools previously attended to the Office of Admissions before being eligible to register for their second semester of classes at UC.
• The Transfer Clearance Form must be received without issue (i.e. no indication of balances owed to prior institution or academic/conduct issues) before the student will be registered for their first semester classes. UC reserves the right to revoke an offer of admission based on the information reported on a Transfer Clearance Form.
• Only non-remedial courses earned from a college or university accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) will be considered for transfer. Specific Articulation Agreements can be found on the Student Right-to-know Information page.
• Only courses with earned grades of “D” or better will transfer. Courses in which a student earned a “D” may not fulfill graduation requirements depending on the degree standards of a student’s selected major. No grades are recorded for courses accepted in transfer. A student’s grade point average at the University of Charleston will be based only upon credits earned at the University of Charleston.

The Office of Admissions reserves the right to deny general admission or request additional application materials for applicants whose scores fall below the stated minimums.

Applicants whose scores fall below a 2.0 may be considered for admission after further review by the Director of Admissions Operations and/or Executive Vice President of Enrollment Management. These students are encouraged to submit materials that support their application which may include but are not limited to:

• A personal statement outlining the student’s career goals, challenges faced and overcome, intent to improve academic performance, and how the University of Charleston fits into the student’s plan for their future (required);
• Letters of recommendation from teachers, school counselors, coaches, mentors, employers, etc.;
• Standardized test scores;
• A resume listing work experience and personal accomplishments

 

An applicant can choose to submit these materials at the time of application. Otherwise, the Office of Admissions will formally request these items after receipt of the admissions application and transcripts. The Director of Admissions Operations and/or the Executive Vice President of Enrollment Management of Admissions may also take into consideration the length of time since previous coursework was attempted.

Throughout the application process, the Office of Admissions’ first preference is for students to improve their GPA during their remaining courses. Additionally, the Office of Admissions may request an interview with the applicant. Neither the information provided by the applicant nor the interview guarantees admission. Any student who is denied admission to the University of Charleston is entitled to appeal the decision.

International Transfer Students

International students who have taken post-secondary courses outside the United States are required to have their international credentials professionally evaluated by a third-party organization recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). “Course by course” evaluations are required for post-secondary transcripts. Simple translations will not be accepted.

International transfer students whose primary language is not English are required to complete one of the following:

1. • Complete 12 or more semester hours of transferable credit with required grade point average of 2.0 from a U.S. college or university.
   • Complete one semester of college level English composition from a U.S. college or university with a grade of C or above.
   • Submit proof of English proficiency via one of the following English exams (minimum scores noted)
     • TOEFL iBT: 68
     • IELTS: 5.5
     • Duolingo: 90
     • PTE: 46
     • Cambridge: B2
2. The University of Charleston reserves the right to administer an English proficiency test to any student whose primary language is not English. This test is taken during International Student Orientation before the start of classes. If a student is found lacking in English proficiency, he or she will be required to take the coursework in English as a Second Language (ESL) currently offered at the University of Charleston. If the needed ESL coursework is not offered, the University of Charleston reserves the right to refer the student to an Intensive English Language Program.
3. Students from the following list of countries do not need to submit an ESL test score
   American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (English-speaking provinces), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Federal States of Micronesia, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Liberia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tabago, Turks and Caicos, United Kingdom and Ireland, US Virgin Islands

Transfer Equivalency Policies

The University of Charleston (UC) awards transfer credit for prior education and training students complete at other accredited institutions. UC adheres to the transfer credit practice guidelines established by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), the American Council on Education (ACE), The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and the Council for Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL).

Students requesting transfer credit must first be accepted to UC. Students must submit transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended. College-level courses (typically 100-level and higher) passed with a grade of “D” or better are reviewed for transfer credit. Regardless of grade UC does not award transfer credit for developmental or vocational courses. UC does not transfer in grades earned at prior institutions. A student’s UC GPA is calculated with UC courses only. Transfer credit limits are imposed based on degree level and program requirements.

Transcripts are reviewed for transfer equivalency by the staff of the Student Solutions Center (SSC). Based on course descriptions and AACRAO/ACE guidelines, the SSC staff determines the UC courses for which the transfer student will receive credit based on prior learning. Once the evaluation is complete the student is notified by the Admission’s Office or Student Solutions Center of the evaluation via the student’s UC email. Transfer students are strongly encouraged to review the transfer equivalency report carefully. Should the student believe any equivalency is in error, the student should first discuss the course taken at the prior institution with their academic advisor and/or academic Program Director. In some cases, the transfer equivalency will be reassessed and determined to be equivalent to a specific UC course. In others, while there may not be a UC course equivalent to the prior course, it may be determined that the prior course meets similar learning outcomes to a UC course and a substitution or waiver of requirement may be approved.