How transfer credits work at CSU Global

Many students aim to bring their previously earned credits to Colorado State University Global, saving time and money on their degrees. On average, students transfer more than 50 credits from community colleges, other universities, or alternative credit programs like Sophia Learning, StraighterLine, and Study.com.

Cindy Witmer, the university’s transfer evaluation manager, explains how CSU Global evaluates transcripts and helps students make the most of their prior academic work. Her insights shed light on the credit transfer process that streamlines the path to graduation for many students.

How does the transfer credit process work at CSU Global, and what should students know before starting?

When a student applies to attend CSU Global, the official transcripts provided are reviewed for possible transfer credit; a line-by-line evaluation of each transcript is completed. Each individual course is reviewed for possible transfer to CSU Global as a General Education course, major course, or elective course. The Transfer Evaluation team uses a national database to review course descriptions from the institution attended to determine the transferability of a course. When a course description is not available, a syllabus will be requested that the student can provide for further review.

What’s unique about CSU Global’s transfer credit policies compared to other universities?

CSU Global has a very generous transfer credit policy; students can transfer up to 90 credits toward their bachelor’s program and up to 50% of their master’s program. For bachelor students, there are many alternative credit options for earning General Education and elective credits, making completing a bachelor’s degree more cost-effective and decreasing the time needed to earn a bachelor’s degree.

For a program with a 30-credit major, a student could transfer in all 31 General Education requirements and 59 elective credits and only need to complete 30 major credits at CSU Global. Every program has different major requirements; the required electives will vary depending on the program. Elective requirements can range from 59 to 26; the fewer electives needed means more credits are required in the major.

How does CSU Global convert quarter system credits to semester credits, and what should students know about how this affects their degree progress?

If a student attended a quarter-credit school, CSU Global converts those to semester credits. Typically, a quarter is 10 weeks versus a 15-week semester; therefore, a 3-quarter credit class is a 2-semester hour class due to the amount of time a student spends in that course. CSU Global utilizes a formula to convert quarter credits to semester credits, which the majority of schools also use, so there is nothing specific to CSU Global.

Can a student get a transfer credit evaluation or an idea ahead of time how many credits will transfer before they’re formally admitted?

Yes, a student can work with an Enrollment Counselor to have a Transfer Estimate completed prior to enrolling at CSU Global. This is an estimate of how many credits will transfer; however, the student would need an Official Evaluation of their transcripts to know what specific course requirements would be needed.

Are there any specific types of courses or programs that don’t transfer, and how can students check before applying?

The transferability of a course depends on the accreditation an institution holds, and a CSU Global Enrollment Counselor can assist in checking the accreditation. Courses that do not transfer are any bachelor’s course with a grade of D+ or lower and any graduate course with a grade of C+ or lower. For bachelor students, developmental courses do not transfer as well as courses with an S, P, or CR grade in some circumstances. Every institution has a different course numbering system; therefore, what is determined to be developmental varies based on the institution attended.

For more information on evaluating transfer credits or to start your own evaluation, reach out to an Enrollment Counselor today.