It is important to know how your credits will transfer and apply to your degree requirements.
This page outlines important Towson University policies, including the transferability
of credits and the evaluation of credit for students completing their first degree.
Please visit Non-Traditional Credits & Experiences if you have credits from a non-accredited institution or any credit for prior experience
(including exams and military experience).
Transfer Credit Policies
Transfer Credit Maximums
- 2-year schools: Maximum of 64 credits
- 4-year schools: Maximum of 90 credits
- More than one school: Maximum of 90 credits, including a limit of 64 credits from
any 2-year schools
Grade Requirements
- The minimum grade required for transfer credit is a D (1.0).
- Some TU degree requirements require a C (2.0) or higher, including Core 2 English
Composition, Core 9 Advanced Writing Seminar, and any major or minor requirements.
- Courses with a grade lower than a C will transfer even if they may need to be repeated
at TU.
Course Level
- Courses will transfer as the same level that they were taken, whether it was a lower-level
numbered 100-299 or upper-level course numbered 300-499.
- Community college courses will always transfer as lower-level. These can be recognized
as equivalent to upper-level TU courses if the content is the same, but they will
not apply to the graduation requirement of 32 upper-level units.
Non-transferable Coursework
Courses that are not parallel or discipline-compatible with TU courses will not transfer.
This includes the following types of coursework:
- Developmental or remedial courses
- Institutional credit or courses not counted toward graduation
- Technical or occupational courses
- Select business courses
- Separate 1-credit lab courses which are not taught as a separate lab at TU and were
not taken with a companion lecture course
Credit Evaluation
The TSC completes preliminary credit evaluations for every admitted student and a
final, official credit evaluation for enrolled students prior to their first term.
We require official transcripts from every institution attended, and we will evaluate
all coursework completed prior to your first term (fall or spring) at TU, including
winter or summer courses.
Evaluation Timeline
There are three key points in our credit evaluation process: your admission, your
enrollment, and submission of your final transcript.
- Admission: You will be given a preliminary estimate of total transfer credits based on your transcripts
within 10 business days of admission.
- Enrollment: Once you submit your enrollment contract, we will evaluate and post your transfer
credits to your online student center. This will be done prior to your new student
orientation date.
- Final Transcript: You must submit your final official transcript before attending new student orientation
and registering for classes.
Evaluation Policies
The objective of the transfer credit evaluation is to determine how your transfer
courses fit into your TU degree requirements. The evaluation is divided into two main
sections: courses applied to the Core Curriculum and free electives/potential major
courses. Transfer students are required to complete the Core Curriculum, which is
TU's general education program.
If you have completed more than the maximum of transferable credits, we will prioritize
transferring the courses you need to satisfy Core Curriculum and major requirements.
The following policies are part of the credit evaluation process:
Core Curriculum Transfer Policies
- The Towson Seminar (Core 1) will be waived for all transfer students.
- General education courses taken at your previous institution(s) will be applied to
the Core Curriculum based on the general education category.
- The Advanced Writing Seminar (Core 9) is an institutional requirement and typically
not satisfied in transfer. The requirement cannot be satisfied through lower-level
credit.
- If you complete a general education program at a Maryland public institution, your
general education will transfer without the need for a course-by-course match. You
will still have to complete the Advanced Writing Seminar (Core 9) and any additional
units to meet the minimum of 40 units. No more than 18 additional units will be required.
Free Electives/Potential Major Courses
- If a course is directly equivalent to a course required by your major, it will transfer
as that course without need for review.
- Courses that have not been previously reviewed for a course equivalency will transfer
as elective credit. These may require departmental review before they can be applied
to the major.
- Any courses that are transferable but not applicable to your major will be considered
free electives toward the 120 units required for a degree.
The university's complete transfer policy and regulations specific to Maryland transfer
credit are available in our Undergraduate Catalog.
Course Equivalencies
Many transfer courses are already equivalent to courses at TU. If a course equivalency
have already been approved for a course, it will transfer directly as that TU course
when we evaluate your credits.
Some courses are transferable but have not been reviewed yet for a TU course equivalency.
In these instances, our evaluators will transfer courses as elective credit in the
appropriate discipline.
Course Equivalency Resources
Current Students
If you have already transferred to TU but still have questions about your transfer
credits, please contact the Transfer Student Center for assistance.
If you are a current student who wants to take a new course at another institution,
please visit the Individual Course Petitions page for information.
Still have questions?
Visit the Frequently Asked Questions page or contact the TSC today. We are available by phone, e-mail, or in person.