Transfer Credit
The transfer credit option allows master’s students to use graduate coursework completed at a different institution to fulfill course requirements for their KU degree. Transferred course(s) appear on the KU transcript in the original semester they were taken in at the other institution and with the grade obtained from that institution; however, the course title will appear as the KU course equivalent.
Up to 9 hours of credit can be transferred from another institution to KU. Both the department and COGA must approve the transfer request.
Some restrictions apply:
- The transfer of credit is only approved for master’s degrees. KU policy doesn’t allow transfer credit towards a PhD.
- Only courses taken for graduate credit while enrolling as a graduate student are eligible.
- The grade must be a B or higher (3.0 on a 4.0 scale or higher).
- The courses in question cannot have counted toward any previously completed undergraduate or graduate degrees.
If you believe a course from a previous institution may be eligible, you should contact your department to begin the process. The department, usually the Director of Graduate Studies, will review the coursework to determine whether the course is equivalent to a specific course at KU and meets the transfer requirements. You will need to provide the department with documentation about the course, including an official transcript reflecting the courses from the other institution to be transferred in, as well as descriptions and/or syllabi for the courses in question. If approved by the department, they will submit the transfer request on your behalf.
Graduate courses taken as a non-degree seeking student at KU may be allowed to count toward a certificate or degree program. If the degree-granting department endorses the request and the courses in question meet the University’s criteria for graduate credit, then a maximum of 9 credit hours may be counted in to fulfill degree requirements.
Coursework taken as a non-degree seeking student already counts into the calculation of the graduate GPA, but departmental approval is needed for the coursework to count to fulfill degree requirements. This approval is managed internally in the department and the school and is not otherwise reflected in your transcript.
With the exception of coursework completed via a pre-approved Co-enrollment arrangement, graduate coursework completed as an undergraduate degree-seeking or undergraduate non-degree seeking student may not be counted toward a graduate degree at KU.
Graduate courses taken at KU may count toward both a graduate degree and graduate certificate(s) as long as you are admitted and enrolled in the intended program prior to completion of the last required course. If the courses were taken as a non-degree seeking student, both the degree-granting department and the certificate granting department (if separate) must independently approve the coursework to count to fulfill a degree requirements in their department prior to their approval for graduation or approval of the certificate.
Kansas Board of Regents policy defines 30 hours as the minimum for master's degrees at KU. Departments may petition for a reduced hour degree master's degree for individual students. A reduction in hours is distinct from a transfer of credit and is reserved for those students especially well-prepared to complete a graduate-level degree and able to maintain a superior grade point average. If approved, you could be allowed to complete your degree by enrolling in up to 6 fewer hours of graduate credit than is typically required for that degree. No coursework is transferred and no modifications to the transcript are made.
To find out more about reduced hour degrees, please contact your department directly. Departments can submit reduced credit hour degree petitions on behalf of their students through the Miscellaneous Functions Progress to Degree (PTD) form. The department must support the petition and COGA must approve it before the reduced degree requirements will be granted.
For Master's programs that require more than 30 graduate hours, a reduced credit hour degree petition need only be approved by COGA if the reduction brings the student's total graduate hours below 30.
Like with transfer credit, for doctoral degrees departments may take prior graduate work into consideration in setting up your programs of study and may reduce or substitute requirements accordingly. Such decisions are left to the discretion of the department; approval from the College or COGA is not required.
The transfer credit option allows master’s students to use graduate coursework completed at a different institution to fulfill course requirements for their KU degree. Transferred course(s) appear on the KU transcript in the original semester they were taken in at the other institution and with the grade obtained from that institution; however, the course title will appear as the KU course equivalent.
Up to 9 hours of credit can be transferred from another institution to KU. Both the department and COGA must approve the transfer request.
Some restrictions apply:
- The transfer of credit is only approved for master’s degrees. KU policy doesn’t allow transfer credit towards a PhD.
- Only courses taken for graduate credit while enrolling as a graduate student are eligible.
- The grade must be a B or higher (3.0 on a 4.0 scale or higher).
- The courses in question cannot have counted toward any previously completed undergraduate or graduate degrees.
If you believe a course from a previous institution may be eligible, you should contact your department to begin the process. The department, usually the Director of Graduate Studies, will review the coursework to determine whether the course is equivalent to a specific course at KU and meets the transfer requirements. You will need to provide the department with documentation about the course, including an official transcript reflecting the courses from the other institution to be transferred in, as well as descriptions and/or syllabi for the courses in question. If approved by the department, they will submit the transfer request on your behalf.
Graduate courses taken as a non-degree seeking student at KU may be allowed to count toward a certificate or degree program. If the degree-granting department endorses the request and the courses in question meet the University’s criteria for graduate credit, then a maximum of 9 credit hours may be counted in to fulfill degree requirements.
Coursework taken as a non-degree seeking student already counts into the calculation of the graduate GPA, but departmental approval is needed for the coursework to count to fulfill degree requirements. This approval is managed internally in the department and the school and is not otherwise reflected in your transcript.
With the exception of coursework completed via a pre-approved Co-enrollment arrangement, graduate coursework completed as an undergraduate degree-seeking or undergraduate non-degree seeking student may not be counted toward a graduate degree at KU.
Graduate courses taken at KU may count toward both a graduate degree and graduate certificate(s) as long as you are admitted and enrolled in the intended program prior to completion of the last required course. If the courses were taken as a non-degree seeking student, both the degree-granting department and the certificate granting department (if separate) must independently approve the coursework to count to fulfill a degree requirements in their department prior to their approval for graduation or approval of the certificate.
Kansas Board of Regents policy defines 30 hours as the minimum for master's degrees at KU. Departments may petition for a reduced hour degree master's degree for individual students. A reduction in hours is distinct from a transfer of credit and is reserved for those students especially well-prepared to complete a graduate-level degree and able to maintain a superior grade point average. If approved, you could be allowed to complete your degree by enrolling in up to 6 fewer hours of graduate credit than is typically required for that degree. No coursework is transferred and no modifications to the transcript are made.
To find out more about reduced hour degrees, please contact your department directly. Departments can submit reduced credit hour degree petitions on behalf of their students through the Miscellaneous Functions Progress to Degree (PTD) form. The department must support the petition and COGA must approve it before the reduced degree requirements will be granted.
For Master's programs that require more than 30 graduate hours, a reduced credit hour degree petition need only be approved by COGA if the reduction brings the student's total graduate hours below 30.
Like with transfer credit, for doctoral degrees departments may take prior graduate work into consideration in setting up your programs of study and may reduce or substitute requirements accordingly. Such decisions are left to the discretion of the department; approval from the College or COGA is not required.