Transfer Credits

Q: Does UM-Ann Arbor accept the Michigan Transfer Agreement?
A: Completion of the MTA curriculum at a Michigan community college does not guarantee fulfillment of the LSA general degree requirements. However, every course included on each community colleges MTA list has been evaluated.  They are all included on the transfer guides for Michigan community colleges so you can see what degree requirements these courses will count for.

Q: Do I have to apply for my major when applying to LSA?
A: Computer Science is the only major that you have to apply for when applying for admission to LSA. See the next question for details on that. All of the other LSA majors are open for transfer students once you have completed the requirements set by the department. Almost all of the majors just require you to complete a set of prerequisite classes. The exceptions to this are the Organizational Studies major and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics major. Both of those require an application in addition to completion of prerequisite classes. 

Q: How do I apply to major in Computer Science?
A: Students who want to major in Computer Science must indicate they wish to be considered for advance selection on the Common Application by answering the question on the University of Michigan supplemental part of the Common Application. Students who apply for computer science will either be admitted into a pathway to declare the CS major or denied admission into LSA.

Q: If I do not apply for Computer Science in my Common Application and get admitted to LSA, can I later declare the Computer Science major?
A: No. There is no secondary application process. If you are not admitted to the Computer Science pathway when admitted into LSA you will not be able to declare the Computer Science major. 

Q: How can I see if the classes that I am taking transfer?
A: Please see the transfer credit page for all the details on how transfer credit counts for degrees and how you can check the classes you are taking for transferability.

Q: On the transfer guide, it states that I will have to take a placement exam for a language and that I might place below the course that I already took.  Should I even bother to take a language at my current school given that I might have to retake a semester?
A: Although it can happen that you place back in a semester that you have already taken, we recommend that you do take a language if your school offers one that you are interested in learning. If you have taken another language you will place out of some semesters so will be on pace to complete the language requirement. 

Q: I have multiple courses that are transferring with the same course subject and number, i.e. multiple courses listed as CHEM 101X.  Does that mean that I am only receiving credit for one class?
A: No, you will receive credit for each class posted on your transcript. For example, if you have 3 courses listed as CHEM 101X, each for 3 credits, you will receive a total of 9 credits for the 3 courses.

Q: Do I have to complete specific courses to be eligible to transfer for my major?
A: No. Students do not have to complete specific courses to transfer.

Q: On the website for the department of my major, I see a list of prerequisite courses. Does that mean I have to complete those courses before I transfer?
A: No. The prerequisites listed by the departments are the courses that a student has to complete in order to declare the major. You might be able to complete prerequisites before you transfer but you are not required to do so and any that you have not completed when you transfer can be completed as an LSA student.

Q: Where can I find the list of courses that I am required to complete to be eligible to transfer?
A: There are not courses that you are required to complete. No matter what major you are considering, you do not have to complete specific courses to be considered for admission to LSA.

Q: If I am applying to LSA with plans to complete a different major from the major I am currently in at my current institution will that affect my competitiveness for admissions?
A: No.  Your current program is not considered in the application review. Your academic record is evaluated based on the courses that you select and your performance in those courses. 

COVID 19 Pandemic Circumstances

Q: My school has adopted new grading criteria due to the COVID 19 crisis. Will my courses for which I receive a Pass transfer? 
A: For all courses taken in the 2020-21 academic year that are transferred in any "P" or "S" grade that is noted on a transcript as representing a C- letter grade or higher will be transferred in and accepted as an acceptable grade (subject to usual criteria for degree requirement credit).

Q: All of my classes were taught online due to the COVID 19 Crisis. Will my courses transfer to all LSA Departments?
A:  For all courses taken in the 2020-21 academic year all courses previously evaluated and currently approved in the Transfer Credit Equivalency (TCE) will continue to be accepted even if the course was taken with a different delivery method (i.e. online) and without any additional verification process for students.

Current Students 

Q: Why don’t all of my transfer credits appear on my U-M transcript?
A: There are a couple of reasons why this might be the case. If your final transcript from your previous institution, including the grades for your last semester, never arrived, these classes will not be posted to your transcript. Make sure that you had your previous institution send a final transcript to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. There might also have been classes that could not be evaluated because the credit evaluators needed more information. These were probably noted on the Transfer Credit Summary report you received. Need more help? Your academic advisor in the Newnan Advising Center can help sort this out.

Q:  Some of my credits transferred as departmental credits. How do I get those evaluated for credit toward my major?
A: Make an appointment with an advisor in your major department. Go to the department web page to schedule an advising appointment.

Q: At orientation, my advisor told me some of my departmental credits would count for distribution, but they are not showing on my degree audit. How do I get them posted?
A:  First, make sure that your final transcript was sent from your previous institution. After you confirm that it was sent, make an appointment with your advisor in the Newnan Advising Center. Your advisor will be able to complete the process so the credits appear on your degree audit where appropriate.

Q: How can I check my progress toward my degree?
A:  Go to the LSA Unofficial Audit Checklist. The audit checklist will show your progress toward your major, minor, and general degree requirements.

Q: Can I complete the first two semesters of the language requirement at my previous college before transferring and then return to my previous college after transferring to complete the final two semesters?
A: No. Once a student transfers they have to complete the language requirement through course work taken through the U-M language department. In rare circumstances, a department may grant permission for a student to complete the language requirement at another institution. 

Have more questions? Contact your LSA general advisor by email or by calling the Newnan Advising Center at 734.764.0332.