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Transfer students

Transfer to UM-Flint and Finish Your Degree

Transferring as a graduate student may seem overwhelming, but here at UM-Flint, we’ve made this transition easier than you might think. The information below will help you begin the process and get you one step closer to earning your Michigan degree. 

Transfer Credit

The University of Michigan-Flint will recognize graduate credits earned in other regionally accredited institutions of higher education, and in other schools and colleges of the University of Michigan, provided the credits meet the criteria of the appropriate transfer policy. Programs are free to restrict the number or types of credits it will accept or choose not to accept any credits. Students should check with their program of study for further information. This policy governs all master’s degree programs not affiliated with the Rackham School of Graduate Studies. Graduate credits may also be transferred to Rackham master’s degree programs at UM-Flint by following the Rackham Policy on Transfer of Credit. This policy does not govern transfer of credit into doctoral or certificate programs at UM-Flint; programs set their own policy but are urged to follow this policy. All graduate programs (Rackham/non-Rackham as well as master’s and doctoral) follow the same process for requesting transfer credit, even though they may not follow the policy on this page.

Course credits must be transferred in total or not at all. The transferred credit appears on the UM-Flint graduate record but the associated grades received for this credit do not appear and are not computed in the student’s cumulative GPA (with the exception of credits earned through the Michigan Intercollegiate Graduate Studies program). Credit from all quarter-system schools will be transferred according to the standard ratio of two semester hours for three quarter hours or two-thirds of a semester hour for each quarter hour.

UM-Flint differentiates between two types of course credit that may be transferred:

  1. Graduate credits completed in residence at another regionally accredited institution (other than the University of Michigan); or
  2. Non-UM-Flint graduate credits completed in another University of Michigan school or college, e.g., Rackham School of Graduate Studies (any campus), University of Michigan-Dearborn, Ross School of Business, etc.

Outside Institution Transfer of Credit Policy

The policy governing transfer of graduate credit completed in residence at another accredited institution for students in non-Rackham master degree programs is as follows:

  • Up to (9) semester hours required for a master’s degree program may be transferred from any combination of the above institutions to a student’s UM-Flint graduate record.
  • Graduate programs may elect to allow less than 9 semester hours or prohibit transfer credits.* The transferred credit appears on the UM-Flint graduate record but the associated grades received for this credit do not appear and are not computed in the student’s cumulative GPA (except in cases of students taking courses through the Michigan Intercollegiate Graduate Studies program).
  • Such credit may be transferred only for approved graduate-level courses and if all of the conditions below are met.

*UM-Flint-approved articulation agreements with other institutions may increase the number of credits allowed for transfer.

University of Michigan System Transfer of Credit Policy

The policy governing transfer of graduate credit completed in residence at another University of Michigan school or college for students in non-Rackham master degree programs is as follows:

Up to one-half (1/2) the minimum number of credit hours required for a master’s degree program may be transferred to a student’s UM-Flint graduate record from both category one and two sources combined. Such credit may be transferred only for approved graduate-level courses and if all of the conditions below are met.

Conditions That Must Be Met To Transfer Credit

  • Student must be in a current master’s degree program
  • Student must have submitted official final undergraduate transcripts/credentials
  • Submission to the Office of Graduate Programs of the completed transfer of credit form signed by the student and the department or program graduate chair signifying approval along with a current official final transcript from the institution you wish to transfer the credit.

Courses Cannot Be Transferred for Credit If:

  • Already applied in whole or in part, in any way, toward any undergraduate degree, graduate degree, or a certificate.**
  • Credit(s) will be applied in whole or in part, in any way, towards any other current or future U-M degree or certificate.
  • Taken more than five years before first enrollment in the present UM-Flint master’s program.
  • A grade below “B” was earned.
  • Graduate-level work was not done.

**Certificate refers to an academic credential given by a regionally accredited postsecondary institution. It does not refer to teaching certificates.

Courses Taken As an Undergraduate Student
Courses taken while enrolled as an undergraduate may be reviewed for transfer to the student’s graduate record if:

  • The courses have been approved for graduate credit by the graduate school of the institution.
  • The Registrar or Senior Auditor of the granting institution certifies that the courses were not used in whole or in part, in any way, to meet requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

Courses taken while enrolled as an undergraduate are not acceptable for graduate credit if:

  • The courses were taken at an exclusively undergraduate institution.
  • The courses were taken for undergraduate credit.

Process for Requesting Transfer Credit

Students should follow this process when requesting transfer of credit into a graduate program:

  • Request an official transcript with the credit to be sent to the Office of Graduate Programs. (If you had taken the courses prior to applying to UM-Flint, this transcript should be with your admission file and you do not need to request another one unless requested.) We will forward this transcript to your graduate program department for review by faculty.
  • Submit a completed request form (form for non-Rackham program or form for Rackham program) to your faculty advisor, program director, or program’s staff assistant.
  • Faculty will review the course(s) and determine if it can be transferred. They may ask for further documentation of the course (syllabus, papers, tests, etc.). If faculty approve, the department will submit the signed form to the Office of Graduate Programs.
  • The Office of Graduate Programs will check to see that the transfer request meets the basic criteria of the appropriate policy. If it is acceptable, the credit will be posted to the transcript and you will be notified (along with the person who signed the form).