Transfer Students

Transfer Admissions

Applicants who wish to be considered for transfer admission should have maintained at least a 2.50 grade point average in 15 or more college-level credits completed after high school at an accredited two- or four-year institution of higher education, although this is no guarantee of admission. The average GPA for entering transfer students is over a 3.00.

Applicants must submit official transcripts from high schools and each college previously attended. The university defines "official transcript" as that which is sent directly from a high school or college to Temple's Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

An evaluation showing accepted transfer credits and a list of Temple course equivalencies is made available in TUportal for admitted students. Evaluations are based on the majors students indicate on their applications. The Temple school/college in which they enroll will make the final determination of which transfer credits are applicable to the degree.

Transfer Credit Policy

Generally, Temple accepts academic, college-level courses beyond the developmental level completed with a grade "C" or better from schools with institutional accreditation. College-level coursework completed at an institution that is not accredited by an institutional accrediting agency will be evaluated for course equivalencies. Exceptions may be considered on appeal. Temple also awards limited academic credit for previous academic, employment, military, and/or other learning experiences not earned in a traditional college/university classroom setting. Grades are not assigned to transfer credits and therefore credit awarded will not affect a student's grade point average at Temple.

All transcripts, including dual enrollment in high school, military transcripts and official score reports for standardized exams, such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP, etc. should be sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (https://admissions.temple.edu/). There is an expectation that final transcripts are received prior to the beginning of registration for the next semester after initial matriculation to ensure that students' academic records are up-to-date.

  • Evaluation of transfer credits is based on a student's major. Undergraduate Admissions initially determines which credits will transfer to the University; the student's school/college at Temple makes the final determination of which transfer credits are applicable to the student's degree program. Transfer evaluations may change for students who change majors or if additional transcripts or scores are received. All requirements of Temple's schools and colleges and major programs of study remain in force. Students should consult the appropriate sections of the Bulletin and their academic advisor about school/college requirements.
  • Evaluations of transfer credit will reflect information available to Temple at the time of the evaluation by the Admissions Office (see Appeals Process for information regarding transfer equivalency changes.)

In addition to meeting the accreditation standards of the Middle States Commission, some schools, colleges, and programs at Temple are governed by national accrediting bodies which oversee the number and quality of transfer credits permitted. After matriculation, transfer students should consult with their respective school, college, or program to determine transfer credit eligibility. Go to the Accreditation site at https://provost.temple.edu/aaair/accreditation and click "View other Accrediting Bodies" to view the list of other accrediting bodies.

In most instances, credit is awarded:

  • in academic subjects with a corresponding/related Temple University department;

  • when the official score information or official transcript is received by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions;

  • when possible, for courses completed more than 10 years prior to the date of admission. (Individual schools and colleges may have additional limitations, e.g. FSBM and CST. See individual school/college policy page.)

and credit is not awarded

  • for the same course twice;

  • for a course(s) in progress at the time of application;

  • for a course that is equivalent to a course previously attempted (earned a letter grade, CR, CD, NC, P, W, or I) at Temple;

  • for courses with non-standard grades such as, but not limited to AU, F, I, P (unless P is equal to a grade of C or higher), or W.

To earn a degree from Temple, students must complete at least 45 semester hours of the last 60 semester hours as a matriculated student at Temple, fulfill all university requirements (the General Education Program) and fulfill all degree requirements of the Temple school or college in which they are enrolled. (See Academic Residency.)

  • Transfer credits do not count towards academic residency.

To graduate from Temple with Latin Honors, transfer students must complete at least 60 hours in residence as matriculated students at Temple University. (See Honors for Academic Achievement.)

Non-University/College Credit including Military Credit

Students may earn credits through Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement Tests, International Baccalaureate Exams, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), transcripted military experience and Portfolio Review for work or life experience (CLEX).

Individual schools and colleges may have additional limitations regarding the type and the total number of semester hours granted through non-traditional means. (For an individual school/college policy, refer to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/sites/undergradstudies/files/Prior_Learning_Credit.pdf.)​

Students will receive the equivalency that is in effect at the time of the evaluation by the Admissions Office for the following:

  • Credits earned through Dual Enrollment while in high school will be evaluated according to the guidelines established for transfer credits. Courses must be on an official transcript from the post-secondary institution.
    • When students submit dual enrollment credit for an AP course on a university or college transcript and also submit scores for the corresponding AP exam, Temple will only award credit based on the evaluation of the dual enrollment credit presented on the university or college transcript. Duplicate credit will not be awarded for both the university/college credit and the AP score(s), since according to Temple University policy, students cannot receive credit for the same course twice.
    • To see how Dual Enrollment credits might transfer to Temple, refer to Temple's Transfer Equivalency Tool: https://admissions.temple.edu/apply/transfer-students/transfer-equivalency-tool.
  • For a listing of Advanced Placement equivalencies and required scores refer to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/transfer/course-equivalency-tables.
    • Although the AP credits do not transfer as direct equivalents to Temple GenEd courses, Temple University will allow students to satisfy the designated GenEd area with AP Credits.
    • For a listing of International Baccalaureate (IB) equivalencies refer to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/transfer/course-equivalency-tables.
      • Students who have earned the International Baccalaureate Diploma and meet minimum eligibility requirements complete the IB GenEd Program in place of the full GenEd Program. For more information refer to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/transfer/gened.
        • This program still requires students to complete up to 18-19 credits of the GenEd program.
      • Students may be able to satisfy additional GenEd areas with the IB equivalencies.
  • Cambridge International GCE A-Level (British A-Level)
    • GCE A-Levels results are recognized for credit by Temple University. (Grades must be a "C" or higher.)
      • A maximum of 8 semester hours per GCE A Level may be granted with up to one year's credit available.
  • College Level Examination Program (CLEP) provides a recognized assessment for students to meet requirements of a class through examination.
    • Temple will only award credit as indicated on the chart provided at https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/transfer/course-equivalency-tables. Exams that are not listed are not accepted for credit at Temple University, even if the student received credit for the exam at a previous institution.
    • Credit for CLEP examinations posted on transcripts from other institutions will not be used to update a student's academic record at Temple. Students are responsible for requesting that their scores be sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Temple University, 1801 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122.
    • Currently, all literature, history, and political science CLEP exams require an additional Temple essay in order to receive credit for these tests. For the CLEP credits to be posted to the student's academic record, the student must have both the minimum score on the CLEP test and a grade of "pass" on the essay.
    • CLEP credits completed prior to matriculation at Temple will count towards the 45+ GenEd designation and will apply to the General Education program according to the course attribute.
  • Credit is awarded for DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) completed prior to matriculation according to the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations.
  • Temple awards college credit for documented military experience according to the ACE guide recommendations. Examples of acceptable electronic documentation include, but are not limited to:
  • Community College of the Air Force Transcript
  • Joint Services Transcript
  • Decisions to process a Portfolio Review for Prior Work or Life Experience (CLEX) are made in the individual schools and colleges by a faculty committee. The evaluation may be based on the submission of papers, presentation of a portfolio of completed work, and/or a demonstration of acquired skills.
    • If a student changes his/her program of study after the awarding of CLEX credits, the CLEX credits may not be usable in the new major.
    • CLEX credits will be posted only after the completion of a minimum of 30 credits of formal coursework at Temple University.
  • College-level coursework completed at colleges and universities that are not members of one of the six regional accrediting associations may be eligible for Credit by Validation after matriculation.
    • Students will need to provide the syllabus used in each class to be evaluated along with the qualifications of the instructor of the course.
  • Temple University accepts for transfer credit most college-level, liberal arts courses taught at institutions participating in Pennsylvania's College Transfer System (PA TRAC).

Different Credit Systems

Quarter hours are converted to semester hours using the ratio of 3:2:

  • 2 quarter hour credits are equivalent to 1.5 semester hour credits;

  • 3 quarter hour credits are equivalent to 2.0 semester hour credits;

  • 4 quarter hour credits are equivalent to 2.5 semester hour credits.

International Credits

  • European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) units are converted using 5 ECTS credit to 3 US semester hour credits.

    • 1.667 ECTS credits = 1 Temple credit

      • Additional equivalencies:
      • 1 ECTS credit = 0.5 semester hour credits
      • 1.5 ECTS credits = 1 semester hour credits
      • 2 ECTS credits = 1 semester hour credits
      • 2.5 ECTS credits = 1.5 semester hour credits
      • 3 ECTS credits = 2 semester hour credits
      • 3.5 ECTS credits = 2 semester hour credits
      • 4 ECTS credits = 2.5 semester hour credits
      • 4.5 ECTS credits = 2.5 semester hour credits
      • 5 ECTS credits = 3 semester hour credits
      • 10 ECTS credits = 6 semester hour credits
      • 20 ECTS credits = 12 semester hour credits
      • 25 ECTS credits = 15 semester hour credits
    • Note: Different US institutions have different conversion ratios for ECTS credits.

Transfer Credit Appeals Process

Initial evaluation of transfer credits is made in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Re-evaluation of credits will be done first by Undergraduate Admissions.

Re-evaluation of credits will be facilitated by academic advisors in the student's school/college according to standard Temple policies and procedures. The Office of Undergraduate Studies will assist with the re-evaluation when necessary.

Credit (re)evaluation/appeals process continues if:

  1. final transcript(s) received during first semester of matriculation;

  2. course(s) needs to be (re)evaluated for General Education (GenEd) Curriculum equivalency;

  3. course(s) needs to be (re)evaluated for College/School/Department credit;

  4. student changes major, declaration of minor or a second major;

  5. original evaluation needs modification;

  6. student receives E000 (Elective - needs evaluation) on Credit Evaluation Statement.

Students may have to complete one or more of these processes. The entire process can take as little as a few days to as much as the entire semester, depending on the complexity of each student's situation. Factors that may impact the re-evaluation process are: student's major, student changing major, addition of certificate or minor, missing information, incomplete student record, and transfer institution.

Transfer Agreements

To encourage and facilitate transfer for students from other colleges to Temple University, Temple has established transfer agreements with other institutions:

  • Dual Admissions agreements conditionally admit students to Temple while they are enrolled at a partner community college, and provide the opportunity for additional merit scholarships to Temple for eligible students. To be eligible for Dual Admissions, students must enroll in the Dual Admissions Program at the partner institution before completing 30 college credits, including credit from any colleges previously attended. For a list of Dual Admissions agreements, go to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/transfer/agreements.

  • GenEd-to-GenEd Transfer agreements accept the general education requirements of associate degrees from partner institutions in lieu of Temple's GenEd Program requirements. For a list of partner institutions and eligible programs, go to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/transfer/agreements. (All students complete two Writing Intensive courses at Temple.)

  • Program-to-program agreements are between Temple's academic schools and/or departments and other two-year and four-year institutions. These agreements align the degree requirements of both institutions, so students know what courses they need to complete prior to earning both an Associate's degree from their community college and a Bachelor's degree from Temple. They provide students with a four-year pathway to degree completion for selected programs. For more information on Program-to-Program agreements, go to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/transfer/agreements.

Transfer Students and the University General Education Curriculum

Every Temple student fulfills the 35-36 credit General Education Program (GenEd) in some way. Transfer students may be able to use their transfer credits to satisfy General Education requirements. The following GenEd policies for transfer students apply only to University GenEd requirements.

Basic GenEd Transfer Policies (for additional information on program details, refer to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/about/gened):

  • Initial evaluation of transfer credits will be made in the Temple Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Re-evaluation of credits will be done by the academic advisor in the schools and colleges, in consultation with the General Education Program when necessary, according to standard Temple policies and procedures.

  • Transfer courses will be applied to major and minor requirements first and then to GenEd.

  • Students cannot use the same course to fulfill a General Education and a major or minor requirement.

  • The Analytical Reading and Writing requirement may be met by placing out of Temple's Analytical Reading and Writing through a placement test, by transferring in the equivalent of Temple's Analytical Reading and Writing course, by earning a score of 4 or higher on the AP English: Language & Composition exam, or by placing out of English Composition at a previous institution:

    • Transfer students who completed an English placement test at their previous institution and tested out of their previous institution's English Composition or comparable requirement can be waived from the Analytical Reading and Writing requirement if they have documentation of their placement and have successfully completed a higher-level English/Writing course. Acceptable documentation includes an official letter from the university's registrar, advising unit, a faculty member, or other appropriate university official. If approved, the student's advisor will post a DARS exception after matriculation.

  • The Global/World Society requirement (GG) also may be met by participating in an approved Study Abroad program that is a minimum of 28 days in length in-country. Transfer students who completed a study abroad at their previous institution should check with their advisor for additional information. Foreign National students admitted Fall 2014 or later, whose permanent residence is outside of US boundaries are also eligible for a GG waiver.

  • All students are required to take two Writing Intensive courses at Temple University in addition to completing the GenEd requirements. Writing Intensive courses in transfer cannot be used to fulfill this school/college requirement. The two Writing Intensive courses will be designated by the student's major.

  • Credit for Prior Learning (completed prior to matriculation at Temple) such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) will satisfy General Education requirements according to current practice, i.e. using course attributes/core equivalents.

  • All requirements of Temple's schools and colleges and major programs of study remain in force. Students should consult the appropriate sections of the Bulletin and their academic advisors about school/college major requirements.

GenEd-to-GenEd, 45+ GenEd, and IB GenEd students must still complete the required number of credits for their baccalaureate degree, using courses in transfer as well as credits completed at Temple.

  • A GenEd-to-GenEd student has completed the GenEd Program as stipulated in the agreement. For a list of agreements by institution go to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/transfer/agreements.

    • Students must meet the academic residency requirement that requires students to complete 45 of the last 60 credits be taken at Temple University.

  • Students with fewer than 45 transfer credits and have not completed an approved degree at a GenEd-to-GenEd partner institution, complete the full GenEd Program. Refer to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/transfer/gened.

  • Students with 45 or more transferable credits and have not completed an approved degree at a GenEd-to-GenEd partner institution, complete the 45+ GenEd Program. Refer to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/transfer/gened.

​Eligibility Requirements for 45+ GenEd:

  • For students new to Temple: The courses have been taken elsewhere before the student matriculates at Temple.

  • For reenrolled students: 45 or more transferable credits have been taken elsewhere since the student's last date of enrollment at Temple and before the date of the student's return to Temple.

  • Courses taken at Temple as a non-matriculated student are not counted toward eligibility for 45+ GenEd.

  • Courses taken elsewhere by students once they are matriculated at Temple are not counted toward eligibility for 45+ GenEd.

  • Credits for prior learning (e.g., AP, IB, CLEP, DSST, etc.) are not counted towards eligibility for 45+ GenEd, if completed after matriculation to Temple.

  • Students who have earned the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and meet minimum eligibility requirements complete the IB GenEd Program. For more information go to https://undergradstudies.temple.edu/transfer/gened.

    • This program still requires students to complete up to 18-19 credits of the GenEd Program.