Still have questions?  Use our FAQs to find answers to some common transfer-related questions.

Reach out to the Transfer Contacts & Advocates if you do not find answers to your questions or need additional assistance with the transfer process.

Selecting my Campus

The University of Wisconsin (UW) System is one of the largest systems of public higher education in the country, serving more than 170,000 students.  These institutions are a tremendous academic, cultural, and economic resource for Wisconsin, the nation, and the world. 

The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) serves communities in Wisconsin, large or small, urban or rural.  With 16 districts and 49 campuses, the colleges provide learning opportunities close to home.

Find links to the homepages of all UW institutions, or explore MajorMania, the searchable database of UW System undergraduate and graduate programs.

UW institutions have specific admission requirements for transfer students. Check the UW HELP’s Transfer Student Admission Requirements to ensure that you qualify for admission at your desired transfer institution.

Complete an online Application for Admission to a UW institution.

You can search all WTCS programs, or go to the website of the campus you are thinking about attending to see information on offered programs.  If you plan to transfer to a WTCS campus and still have unanswered questions, visit the Frequently Asked Questions section on the WTCS website.

Visit Apply Now to apply to a Wisconsin Technical College campus.

Understanding the Transfer Process

Credits and courses are considered for transfer. Some institutions include transfer grades to calculate an overall grade point average (GPA); others use transfer grades primarily in making admission decisions. Transfer grade policies may differ depending on your major or your school/college at a particular UW institution. Check the Transfer Contacts & Advocates or UW HELP transfer for questions on transfer credit and grade policies.

An official transfer credit evaluation is produced once you have have been admitted to an institution. Institutions require official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended before they will produce the evaluation. When you receive your evaluation depends on the UW institution. Some may send your evaluation with your acceptance letter; others may send it at a different time, but you should receive it before orientation or registration. Keep in touch with your transfer campus and ask if you have questions.

Some UW institutions require that you earn a minimum number of credits prior to transferring. Check the UW HELP’s Transfer Student Admission Requirements for information about the specific campus admission requirements.

  1. If you are transferring from a Wisconsin Technical College:
    • Students transferring from the Wisconsin Technical College System Liberal Studies (college transfer) program at Madison Area, Milwaukee Area, Nicolet Area, Chippewa Valley, or Western Technical College may transfer up to 72 credits to any UW institution. Some UW institutions may accept additional credits.
    • Courses from WTCS Associate Degree occupational programs may be accepted by UW institutions in three ways:
      1. Approved WTCS general education courses in communications, social sciences, behavioral sciences, mathematics, and natural science may transfer. Use the Credit Transfer Wizard to learn how specific courses transfer.
      2. In some cases, UW institutions will accept in transfer occupational/technical courses from WTCS applied associate degree programs. You may find this information using the Credit Transfer Wizard.
      3. UW and WTCS campuses have many transfer or articulation agreements that allow WTCS students enrolled in specific associate degree programs to transfer additional occupational credits.  These credits may transfer to other UW institutions only if a similar credit transfer or articulation agreement exists.
    • You are encouraged to use the advising resources available on all UW and WTCS campuses, as well as the information in Transfer Wisconsin and the Credit Transfer Wizards to plan your transfer. If you encounter unexpected issues, you can contact a transfer advocate for help in resolving transfer concerns.
  2. If you are transferring from a college or university located outside of Wisconsin, contact the UW institution to which you wish to transfer to find out how your credits will transfer. In most cases, you will need to apply or be admitted to the UW institution before receiving an official evaluation of your transfer courses. Visit the transfer website for the UW institution you wish to transfer to find contact information.

In order to take a summer school (or winter) class, apply or register as a “special or non-degree” student. Each UW institution has its own procedures for the admission of students who are interested in enrolling in courses without formally entering a degree program. Consult the appropriate UW campus for specific information about admission, deadlines, and appropriate admission form(s) to complete.

Check with the individual UW institution to see what courses are offered and when. Look for “Schedule of Classes” or “Timetable”. UW HELP has links to UW institution Schedule of Classes information.

Your home campus may require you to get approval prior to enrolling in a course at a different campus. Check with your advisor or the Registrar’s Office at your home campus to verify.

Search for online course offerings in the UW System via distance education

Contact the UW institution(s) that you attended. Check UW HELP for transcript request information.

Effective September 2003, unless a student is transferring directly from a two-year UW branch campus, an application fee is required.

The first step is to apply and be admitted to the UW institution. On your application, list your intended major and the degree that you are seeking. To apply to a UW institution, Apply Online.

Application procedures and admission requirements for individual schools and colleges differ. Check UW HELP’s Transfer Student Admission Requirements for more information.

If you plan to attend or are attending a two-year UW branch campus, transfer guides include information about applying to and transferring into specific majors at the UW institutions.

All UW Independent Learning courses are listed within Transferology. After creating an account or logging in to your current account, enter “University of Wisconsin Independent Learning – Extended Campus.” You will see which campuses accept your courses for transfer.

Every UW campus requires students to satisfy general education requirements (in addition to requirements in their major) to graduate. General Education requirements (also known as Gen Ed, General Degree Requirements, GE, and GER) include basic student competency or proficiency requirements, such as English composition, mathematics, and foreign language. They may also include distribution or breadth requirements in the arts, humanities, natural and social sciences as a foundation for specialization.

Different UW campuses have different general education requirements. The Gen Ed column on the TIS Transfer Report tells you how the transfer course will satisfy general education requirements at the “Transfer To” campus. Use Transferology to find out what courses at your current campus transfer to general education at another campus.

For transfer to a Wisconsin Technical College, Transferology shows how courses transfer into the applied associate degree system-wide general education courses. For information on how other courses may be used to meet general education requirements at a particular Wisconsin Technical College, contact the transfer contact at your intended technical college transfer campus.

A course transfer relationship does not mean that the courses are equal.  Course content and credits may vary across institutions, so courses may transfer but may not apply exactly the same.

Each UW campus has different programs, program requirements, and courses. Each campus makes its own determination how transfer courses fit into its requirements. Campus faculty members determine how courses transfer.

Contact the campus you will be attending to get answers on questions about course transfer and find out about the transfer appeal process.

Understanding Credit Transfer Results

A campus may determine that a transfer course is below its required level of coursework and grant no credit or remedial (non-degree) credit. A campus may choose not to accept a transfer course if the coursework has no relationship to its courses and/or programs.

A course transfer relationship does not mean that the courses are equal.  Course content and credits may vary across institutions, so courses may transfer but may not apply exactly the same.

Different campuses have different formats for identifying departments. TIS matches the primary format used by a campus in publications, such as catalogs, transcripts, and grade reports.

Each UW campus has different programs, program requirements, and courses. Each campus makes its own determination how transfer courses fit into its requirements. Campus faculty members determine how courses transfer.

Contact the campus you will be attending to get answers on questions about course transfer and find out about the transfer appeal process.

Transferology contains official UW and WTCS undergraduate transfer information that has been provided to show how transfer credit will be awarded. Courses may change over time and how courses transfer may vary based upon specific majors or programs. The best policy is to stay in close contact with advisors and transfer staff – at both your initial campus and your transfer campus.

The transfer course information contained in Transferology is guaranteed for courses taken during the current or immediately succeeding semester and will apply as indicated on the report. The transfer equivalencies listed in Transferology are accurate but may satisfy different degree requirements depending upon the specific major or program. Course revisions or changes in requirements may cause equivalencies to change. It is your responsibility to discuss specific circumstances with an advisor, check Transferology for periodic updates, and retain printed copies of Transferology reports as documentation for the semester the course is taken, if questions arise upon transfer.

All UW Independent Learning courses are listed within Transferology. After creating an account or logging in to your current account, enter “University of Wisconsin Independent Learning – Extended Campus.” You will see which campuses accept your courses for transfer.