Learning Abroad Center

Transfer Credit

Most learning abroad programs receive resident credit, however, non-affiliated and a few department exchanges receive transfer credit.  Transfer credit appears as a block of credit on your transcript. It does not factor into your UofM GPA, nor are individual courses listed separately. It is important to check with your departmental and college advisers on possible transfer credit limits or restrictions prior to departure on your program particularly if you are close to graduation, have already transferred a large number of credits to the UofM from another institution, or if you plan on using study abroad credits to fulfill major or minor requirements. If you need to request transcripts from the program or host institution in the future, you will need to do this directly with them and not through the UofM. In some cases securing these transcripts can be difficult.

Where should I have my transcript be sent if I am receiving transfer credit?

Have your official study abroad transcript sent to the UMN Office of Admissions as soon as possible. Have it sent to:

Office of Admissions
University of Minnesota
240 Williamson Hall
231 Pillsbury Drive, S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
USA

Upon receiving your study abroad transcript, the Office of Admissions evaluates and posts the transfer credit to your transcript.

How will I know when my transfer credits have posted?

While you studied abroad, your transcript showed a FOST placeholder course registration for a block number of credits during the terms of your study abroad.

After your credits are evaluated by Admissions for transfer credit, the transfer credits will appear near the top of your transcript (in the "Transfer Credit" section before "Beginning of Undergraduate Record"). The individual courses and grades will not be listed. You will just see the total number of transfer credits you received and the name of the school from which they came.

What will my transfer credit look like on my University of Minnesota transcript when everything is complete?

Your FOST registration will show 0 credits. If you passed your courses you will also receive an "S" grade for your FOST registration. If you did not pass your courses you will receive an N. A transcript memo will display, explaining your study abroad credit. It will look something like:

TRANSFER CREDITS FROM MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY REFLECT STUDY ABROAD IN AKITA, JAPAN 

This memo will appear below the last semester of your study abroad. For example, if you studied abroad for Academic Year 2018-19, it will appear under Spring 2019 on your UofM transcript.

How will I know if my courses transferred or if they meet degree requirements?

Look at your APAS report. The APAS report lists individual transfer courses and shows what degree requirements they meet. Talk with your college adviser to see if you need to petition any courses to meet degree requirements. If petitioning is necessary, your college adviser will guide you through that process.

Do my transfer credit grades count?

Transfer credit grades are not included in your UofM GPA. (Your APAS report will sometimes still show whether you passed or failed transfer courses, and may show your A-F grades.) The credit does count toward overall credits needed to graduate. However, there are policies about how much transfer credit you can have so check with your college or major adviser to learn the guidelines.

Why didn't some of my coursework transfer?

Ask your college adviser to help you figure this out. They have access to your "Transfer Record of Articulated Courses," which shows a code related to the reason transfer credit was denied.

If transfer credit is denied, can I petition?

Sometimes. While some courses cannot transfer, often a denial of transfer credit just means that the evaluator didn't have enough information about the course for it to transfer. This is why you should save all coursework, syllabi, and exams. Occasionally, you can petition Admissions to have a course reconsidered for transfer credit. If you want to petition a course, talk with your college adviser, who can direct you to what you need to do.

How long does it take for my transfer credit to appear?

It can take several weeks to months after your transcript is received for credit to appear on your University of Minnesota transcript.

Is there a deadline for my study abroad grades to be posted?

There is no deadline for your transfer credits to be posted. The amount of time can vary greatly based on country or program.

How will I know when my transfer credits have posted?

View your UMN transcript on the One Stop website.

While you studied abroad, your transcript showed a FOST registration for the terms of your study abroad.

After your credits are evaluated for transfer credit, the transfer credits will appear near the top of your transcript (in the "Transfer Credit" section before "Beginning of Undergraduate Record"). The individual courses and grades will not be listed; you will just see the total number of transfer credits you received and the name of the school from which they came.

What will my transfer credit look like on my University of Minnesota transcript when everything is complete?

Your FOST registration will show 0 credits. If you passed your courses you will also receive an "S" grade for your FOST registration. If you did not pass your courses you will receive an N. If you pass your courses, you will also receive a transcript memo explaining your study abroad credit. It will look something like:

TRANSFER CREDITS FROM MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY REFLECT STUDY ABROAD IN AKITA, JAPAN

This memo will appear below the last semester of your study abroad. For example, if you studied abroad for Academic Year 2009–10, it will appear under Spring 2010 on your University of Minnesota transcript.

How will I know if my courses transferred or if they meet degree requirements?

Look at your APAS report. The APAS report lists individual transfer courses and shows what degree requirements they meet. Talk with your college adviser to see if you need to petition any courses for transfer credit or to meet degree requirements. If petitioning is necessary, your college adviser will guide you through that process.

Do my transfer credit grades count?

Transfer credit grades are not included in your UMN GPA. (Your APAS report will still show whether you passed or failed foreign transfer courses, and may show your A-F grade for US transfer courses.) The credit does count toward overall credits needed to graduate. However, there are policies about how much transfer credit you can have so check with your college or major adviser to learn the guidelines.

Why didn't some of my transfer credit coursework not transfer?

Ask your college adviser to help you figure this out. They have access to your "Transfer Record of Articulated Courses," which shows a code related to the reason transfer credit was denied.

If transfer credit is denied, can I petition?

Sometimes. Initial denial of transfer credit is not a reason to panic. While some courses cannot transfer, often a denial of transfer credit just means that the evaluator didn't have enough information about the course for it to transfer. This is why you should save all coursework, syllabi, and exams. You can always petition to have a course reconsidered for transfer credit. If you want to petition a course, talk with your college adviser, who can direct you to what you need to do.

What if I plan to graduate soon? Will the transfer credit be processed in time?

If you plan to graduate within one semester of completing your study abroad, contact Admissions to ask them to rush your transcript. Let them know your name, student ID, the name of your study abroad program, and the term of your study abroad. Then, be sure to also ask a Learning Abroad Center staff member to rush your transcript process. While your credit will be processed as quickly as possible, there is a chance that your graduation may be delayed. Talk with your college adviser about this. Also, remember that the sooner your transcript is sent to the Admissions Office, the sooner your credit can be evaluated.