Transfer Applicants
UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG INDEX

Mountain State University welcomes applications from students who wish to transfer from other institutions of higher learning. To have credit evaluated for possible transfer and application toward your degree plan, you must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities you have attended.

In most cases, transfer credit is evaluated by Student Services. Credit for courses completed with a grade of C or better is considered for equivalence to Mountain State courses and applicability to University and program requirements. If you are transferring from a program or an institution that maintains an articulation agreement with MSU—that is, a contract that establishes transfer guidelines between specific courses and programs at two different institutions—evaluation of transfer credit will follow the protocols established in the agreement.

While you can submit an unlimited amount of credit for transfer evaluation, some limits apply to the amount that can be applied. Students are required to complete at least 30 hours of coursework through MSU for a bachelor’s degree, 18 hours for an associate degree, or 6 hours for a certificate. Individual academic schools and degree programs may have additional restrictions and limitations on transfer credit.

Once your transfer credit evaluation is complete and you have applied for admission, you can view the results by looking up either your unofficial transcript or graduation audit report on Cougar Web. You should speak with an advisor to determine how the transfer credits will apply toward your program of study. If you are a transfer student, all credit, regardless of grade, is placed on your MSU transcript. Transfer credits are not included in the calculation of your grade point average but are included in hours attempted and hours earned in evaluating academic progress. The computation of your grade point average at MSU is determined by the local grade point average using only coursework completed at MSU.

Transfer Credit from Institutions Without Regional Accreditation
Unless it is covered by an established articulation agreement, transfer credit from any institution that does not hold regional accreditation is evaluated following the transfer credit practices guidelines of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Coursework that is not transferable under these guidelines may still be eligible for recognition through prior learning assessment. See the section titled Distance Education and Prior Learning Assessment for additional information.

International Transfer Credit
Transfer credit from any institution outside the United States must be translated into English if necessary and submitted for evaluation by an approved agency. See International Students later in this section for additional information.

Quarter Hour Conversion
Mountain State University’s courses are based on the semester-hour system. When transferring courses from a college or university that uses the quarter-hour credit system, a general formula applies of 1 quarter hour to 2/3 semester hours

Quarter Hrs        Semester Hrs
        5                      3.33
        4                      2.67
        3                      2.00
        2                      1.33
        1                      0.67

Courses transferred from a university or college using the quarter system may be approved to fulfill Mountain State University degree requirements. Students must still meet the total credit hour requirements for their general education and degree program, and additional coursework may be necessary to meet the credit-hour requirements.