Who is a transfer applicant?
If you completed college courses as part of a high school diploma, you may earn college credit, but you are considered a freshman, or first-time applicant, rather than a transfer applicant.
You are a transfer applicant if
- You've attempted 12 or more college-level credits, and
- they were non-developmental, non-technical academic credits, and
- they were at a post-secondary institution accredited by the Council for Higher Education Administration (CHEA)
If you have attempted fewer than 12 post-secondary college credits at the time of application, you'll apply as a transfer, but your high school information grades and test scores will be factored into the admission decision. You cannot be considered a first-time student once coursework has been attempted outside of high school.
When to Apply
You should apply at least one semester before you plan to enroll at IUP. It is always best to apply early to ensure admission, especially to those programs limited in size. Applying early provides more time for reviewing your credits and for understanding how they fit into your intended major.
Required items for transfer applicants to receive a decision:
- Complete the online application or download a paper application
- College transcript from all colleges attended (if more than one)
- Decisions can be made using unofficial transcripts. However, final transcripts are required prior to enrolling.
- Final high school transcript
General Admission Requirements
A cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale from all post-secondary institutions attended is required. If you've attended more than one school, we'll calculate a combined cumulative GPA.
If you apply to IUP before completing your first semester at another institution, your admission decision may be based on high school information, pending receipt of your final college transcript at the completion of the semester.
Language
There is no language requirement for admission. However, some departments have a language requirement for graduating from the university.
Some departments require transfer students to meet major-specific admission requirements in addition to university admission requirements. Please contact Admissions with questions.
A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.
Required Courses*
You must also have completed two of the following seven:
CHEM 101 College Chemistry I
CHEM 102 College Chemistry II
CHEM 255 Biochemistry and Nutrition
BIOL 150 Human Anatomy
BIOL 240 Human Physiology
BIOL 241 Introductory Medical Microbiology
*A minimum grade of "C" in all science courses is required.
If you don't meet minimum requirements, you may be admitted to the nutrition major, providing you meet minimum IUP university admission requirements.
Learn more about these programs at the Food and Nutrition Department.
For these majors:
- Early Childhood Education
- Early Childhood Education/Special Education
- Special Education
Students with 35 or fewer credits must have a 2.75 gpa. Students with 36 or more credits must have a 3.0gpa.
For these other teacher education certification programs:
- English Education
- Family and Consumer Sciences Education
- Health and Physical Education (K-12)
- Mathematics Education
- Secondary Science Education Certificate (added to Biology, Chemistry, Geology, or Physics)
- Social Studies Education/History
- Spanish Education Certificate (PK-12) and Spanish
Students must have a minimum 3.0 gpa regardless of credits.
Learn more about education majors at the Teacher Education Department.
- Art Studio/Graphic Design
- Music (all tracks including education)
- Musical Theatre
Students who intend to major in the fine arts programs listed above are required to do one of the following after they have earned admission to IUP:
- Submit a portfolio (art studio) or
- Perform an audition (music/music theatre)
An email will be sent to the address given on the application with instructions to arrange the audition/portfolio review. Final admission to the major of choice is determined by the appropriate department and will be communicated via mail.
Students applying to Art Education or Music Education must have a minimum 2.5 gpa.
Learn more about these majors at the Art and Design Department, Music Department, and Theatre, Dance, and Performance Department.
IUP no longer accepts transfer students into the nursing major.
Students who have an LPN license and second-degree students who wish to attend IUP may apply but must have equivalents to the following courses to be considered:
LPN Students:
- CHEM 101
- CHEM102
- BIOL 150
- BIOL 240
Second Degree Students:
- CHEM 101 or CHEM 111
- CHEM102 or CHEM 112
- BIOL 150
- BIOL 240
- BIOL 241
- PSYC 215
Admission to the nursing major depends on meeting academic requirements and space availability. You can refer to the Nursing Department site for additional information.
Students who meet general university admission requirements but cannot be admitted to nursing may be admitted to IUP in a different major. Students who fall into this category should consider other healthcare majors at IUP.
Students can apply for fall or spring semester. Required minimum GPA of 2.5.
Learn more about Safety, Health, and Environmental Applied Sciences.
Second-degree-seeking students only:
An interview with the Foreign Language Department is required. Applicants who meet minimum admission requirements will be contacted to interview, after which a decision will be made.
All transfer and second-degree students interested in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology should apply and complete the additional requirements listed below. All requirements must be completed before the application is reviewed for admission.
- A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
Transfer of Credits
Credit Evaluation
Once you have been admitted, an official credit evaluation will be performed and sent to you, usually within two weeks. The evaluation will list courses you have taken and any IUP equivalents. This first phase of the credit transfer process shows you how many of your credits will appear on your IUP transcript. Please remember that this is unofficial until we receive your final official transcript(s).
The second phase of understanding your credit transfer relates specifically to your chosen major. You must use the IUP catalog to determine which courses fulfill the specific requirements within your major. Your department has authority over the application of credits toward your degree and can help to clarify those courses that do not fit clearly within the constraints of the major once you enroll.
You are able to work with the Online Credit Evaluation System at any time to determine, unofficially, how your courses will transfer. This system shows all courses that have been evaluated previously and their IUP equivalents. Courses that are not in this system have not been evaluated but may still be transferable. Your official evaluation will include all classes on your transcript.
Important Update
The Pennsylvania State System Student Transfer Policy has been updated to further benefit students who complete an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree from their previous institution.
Beginning with the fall 2022 semester, all incoming AA and AS degree earners whose school’s accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation will have their general education requirements met. General education courses at IUP are referred to as Liberal Studies Requirements, which include: Learning Skills, Knowledge Area, Liberal Studies Electives, and Writing Across the Curriculum (designated as WI). Exceptions to this policy are any general education (liberal studies) courses specifically required by their IUP degree program. All other graduation requirements will need to be met as outlined in the IUP Undergraduate Catalog. Please contact your transfer counselor with any questions.
Reevaluation Request
If you believe a course was evaluated incorrectly, you can submit a reevaluation form with a syllabus for the course in question. The form and syllabus for each course submitted for review should be taken to the Office of Transfer Services, Sutton Hall, Room G26, for consideration.
You may pick up a form in Sutton Hall, Room G26, or download the Request for Review of Transfer Credits form.
Registration
Once you are admitted, you are asked to make a $150 tuition deposit to hold your place in the class. You will be invited to one of four New Transfer Student Advisement and Registration days during the summer. This one-day program will introduce you to the registration process, provide an informal advisement session with college faculty and representatives, and allow you to register and leave with a schedule at the end of the day. Because of course registration restrictions, you can only register on these selected days.
Students unable to attend a summer registration day will register during late registration, the day before classes begin each semester.
Planning
If you are considering transferring to IUP, but will attend your current institution for a semester or more before making the transition, you should plan your schedule so that the courses will transfer and satisfy your graduation requirements at IUP. Again, using the Online Credit Evaluation System and the IUP catalog will help you select the best courses.
For students attending community colleges, we have listed courses that fulfill many of IUP's requirements for graduation to aid in your scheduling. View our community college guides.
Planning will help you to earn your degree in a timely manner.
Help
If you need assistance during the transfer process, please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions, home of Transfer Services. We can assist you through email or phone, so do not hesitate to contact us at admissions-inquiry@iup.edu or 724-357-2230.
