ADMISSIONS
A Generous Transfer Policy
Get Credit for Work You’ve Already Done—Transferring to WGU Can Be Easy
If you’ve taken courses or received a degree from a community college or another college or university, you're likely already well on your way to a WGU degree. You can almost always transfer credits when you send bachelor's or associate degree transcripts to WGU for a college transfer evaluation. Learn more about our generous transfer credit policy by exploring this page.
Transfer Made Easy
On-Demand Videos about Transferring
We’re relentless about giving community college graduates every advantage for success with a WGU bachelor’s degree. When transferring from a partner community college, you can expect your credits to transfer generously.
Visit this page for short, on-demand videos to learn more about transferring your credits to WGU.
“From the very beginning, the whole process was very smooth. My enrollment counselors were knowledgeable and helpful. If I did run into any kind of little snag, somebody was always there to help me.” Cindy Krupinski
B.S. Information Technology
Guidelines for Transferring
How credits transfer can differ by degree program. See the specifics below.
General college transfer guidelines
- For undergraduate programs, a personal evaluation of your transcripts from previously attended institutions will be needed to determine whether you will be able to use transfer credits to clear any degree requirements. See below for more specific guidelines.
- WGU accepts limited college transfer credits at the graduate (master’s) level in only a few programs: M.S. Nursing and Master of Health Leadership. Transfer credit into the M.S. Nursing and Master of Health Leadership programs will only be considered for new students beginning their program on February 1, 2021, and beyond. Transfer credit is not accepted in all other master's programs.
- Send bachelor's degree transcripts for proof of completion of a bachelor’s degree.
- WGU will not complete unofficial transcript evaluations. Speak to an Enrollment Counselor to get a generalized idea of what you might be able to transfer, but you will be required to submit official copies of your transcripts for an official evaluation.
- To have an official transcript evaluation completed for you, you will need to complete the online application form and pay the application fee.
Already completed some courses or a degree?
- If you hold an Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), or Associate of Applied Science (AAS) from an institution that is recognized as nationally or regionally accredited by the U.S. Department of Education, transferring your credits will help you clear most or all of the lower-division general education requirements for a bachelor’s degree in business or information technology. For the Health Professions and Teachers College programs, a course-by-course evaluation is typically required for college credit transfer. See a list of USDE-recognized national and regional accrediting agencies.
- If you have completed college courses but not earned a degree of any type, you may also be able to transfer and clear some degree requirements through a course-by-course transcript evaluation.
Transferring from a community college
WGU maintains great relations with community colleges throughout the United States. Students transferring from a U.S. community college can expect a comprehensive transfer policy.
FAQs about Transcripts and Transferring
Does WGU require transcript submissions of prior college work?
Yes. Transcripts are used by your program mentor to help develop your personalized degree plan. WGU requires that official transcripts of previous academic work completed at other colleges or graduate schools be submitted for evaluation. It is your obligation to request official transcripts from the institutions you have attended when applying for admission. At the present time, we don't require a minimum grade point average (GPA) or SAT/ACT scores for admission.
Do graduate students need to submit transcripts?
Yes. Students applying to a graduate degree program must send bachelor's degree official transcripts verifying their receipt of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally or DETC-accredited institution. The Records and Admissions Departments should receive the official transcripts by the 1st of the month prior to the start of your program. WGU accepts limited college transfer credits at the graduate (master’s) level in only a few programs: M.S. Nursing and Master of Health Leadership. Transfer credit into the M.S. Nursing and Master of Health Leadership programs will only be considered for new students beginning their program on February 1, 2021, and beyond. Transfer credit is not accepted in all other master's programs. For all other graduate-level programs, requirements are not cleared through transfer because of prior graduate school study. However, competencies obtained through prior study will help students to accelerate toward degree completion.
Who reviews my transcripts? How long does it take?
Your official transcripts will be evaluated by a member of the Transcripts Department. The time it takes to review your transcripts and report which subject areas (domains) are cleared will vary. We will inform you via email when your transcripts arrive, and we endeavor to report transfer decisions through your Enrollment Counselor within two weeks of that date.
What is the deadline for transcript submission?
Because your mentor will use your transcripts to help develop your personalized Degree Plan, it is important we receive official transcripts directly from all the colleges and universities you have previously attended no later than the 1st of the month prior to your intended start date. WGU will not award transfer credit based upon the work identified by transcripts received after your start date.
Can I submit unofficial copies of transcripts?
If you have questions about your transcripts prior to submission of your official transcripts, you may contact your Enrollment Counselor to discuss the Transfer Evaluation Guidelines for your intended degree program.
Can I transfer previously earned college credits to WGU?
Yes. If you’re applying for a bachelor’s degree program and have completed college coursework at another institution, we can evaluate your transcripts to determine if you can clear some or all of the requirements for lower-division courses through transfer credits. In some programs, professional certifications may clear additional requirements.
What credit hours can I expect to transfer into WGU?
Many students transfer to a WGU degree program already having accumulated many credit hours or having earned an associate degree. Transcripts are evaluated on a course-by-course basis according to the following general guidelines:
- If you hold an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree from an institution that is recognized as nationally or regionally accredited by the U.S. Department of Education, you should clear all or many of the lower-division requirements for a bachelor’s degree in Business or Information Technology. For Health Professions and Teachers College programs, a course-by-course evaluation is typically required. Only an official transcript evaluation can determine how many requirements you may be able to waive.
- If you earned an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) or other applied associate degree, you may be able to clear a significant portion of WGU's lower-division degree requirements.
- If you have completed college courses but have not earned a degree of any type, you may also be able to have some degree requirements cleared through a course-by-course transcript evaluation.
- WGU accepts limited college transfer credits at the graduate (master’s) level in only a few programs: M.S. Nursing and Master of Health Leadership. Transfer credit into the M.S. Nursing and Master of Health Leadership programs will only be considered for new students beginning their program on February 1, 2021, and beyond. Transfer credit is not accepted in all other master's programs. For all other graduate-level programs, requirements are not cleared through transfer because of prior graduate school study. However, competencies obtained through your prior study will help students to accelerate toward degree completion.
I have lots of credit hours but don't have a bachelor's or associate degree. What will transfer?
It depends on how well the courses you’ve already taken match the competencies in the WGU degree program you’re applying for.
Each WGU degree program specifies the competencies you must possess and demonstrate mastery of in order to receive your degree; having accumulated credits isn’t sufficient proof that you have mastered the competencies.
Prior courses must be relevant. If your prior coursework directly matches the requirements for your WGU bachelor’s degree, you may be able to clear one or more required lower-division courses. However, if your coursework was in subject areas that don’t match WGU's degree requirements, the amount of transfer credit you receive may be limited.
Sending in Transcripts for College Transfer
Official transcripts should be mailed directly from transferring colleges to our Transcripts Department. Your copy of your transcript is not considered official unless it is sealed. Please order official transcripts promptly, as they can take a few weeks to arrive. Your transcripts should be received by the first of the month prior to your intended start date.
Please make arrangements for the official copies to be sent to:
Western Governors University
ATTN: Transcripts Department
4001 South 700 East, Suite 300
Salt Lake City, UT 84107-2533
Transfer Guidelines for Current WGU Students and Alumni
Listed below are transfer requirements for current and returning WGU students.
Transferring from WGU
WGU students who may be interested in transferring to another institution, either before or after completing their studies at WGU, should keep in mind the following points:
- All institutions reserve the right to determine their own transfer policies, and not all academic work completed at one institution may transfer to another.
- Students should check the transfer policies at the institution or institutions they are considering by consulting with the admissions or registrar office at those institution(s).
- Students who transfer should request that the WGU registrar send an official academic transcript of their WGU transfer credits and academic work to the institution(s) where they are applying for admission.
- The WGU academic transcript will note subject areas (domains) that were successfully completed. WGU transfer credits and equivalencies for the completed domains will be listed.
Requesting official WGU transcripts
An official WGU academic transcript may be ordered in the following ways:
- Online: From the WGU student portal, navigate to Records under the Student Support tab. Clicking “Request an Official Transcript” will direct you to the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) WGU Storefront. If you do not have access to your WGU portal, please visit the WGU NSC Storefront. Online delivery options include electronic transcript fulfillment, same-day express service, or mail.
- By Mail: Students may send a handwritten or typed request to the Student Records Office. The Transcript Mail-in Form can be obtained via the WGU Transcript Request student handbook article.
- The request must include your name and other names used, the last year attended or graduated, Social Security number, current mailing address, email, and phone number (so we can contact you if there are any problems in processing the request).
- The request must be signed and include the name and address of the recipient if the academic transcript is to be mailed to someone other than you.
- Make checks or money orders payable to Western Governors University.
Mail academic transcript requests with payment to:
Western Governors University
ATTN: Records Department
4001 South 700 East, Suite 300
Salt Lake City, UT 84107-2533
How do I request official transcripts from other institutions?
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