/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/2024-2025/Student-Policies-local.json

/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/2024-2025/Student-Policies.json

Transfer Admission

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Applicants who last attended a college or university other than The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley after high school completion may seek admission as a transfer student. Applicants must be in good standing or have a status that allows them to return to the transferring institution.

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

1. Transfer Application. The application is available at https://applytexas.org.
2. Official College Transcripts from All Colleges and Universities Attended. Transcripts must not be older than 6 months. Students who are currently enrolled at another institution should request a transcript to be sent with the coursework completed to date, followed by a final official transcript to be sent upon completion of the current semester. If a domestic applicant attended a foreign college or university, a foreign credential evaluation will be required. See Evaluation of Foreign Credentials section under International Undergraduate Student Admission for more details.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED AFTER ADMISSION

1. Texas Success Initiative (TSI). TSI approved test scores or proof of exemption for students who plan to enroll in college-level coursework. Test scores from approved TSI exams or TSI exemption will not be used as a basis for admission but will be used to determine placement.
2. Meningitis Vaccination. Medical record documenting Meningitis Vaccination administered within 5 years prior to the start of the application term or exemption will not be used for admission purposes but is a requirement for enrollment for students under 22 years of age Please check with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for full details.  

Transfer students who have fewer than 24 earned college-level hours must also submit: 

1. ACT or SAT Scores. For the current application cycle, UTRGV remains test optional. Methods in which UTRGV will accept test scores: (a) sent directly from the testing agency or (b) on official high school transcript. The UTRGV school code is ACT 6991 and SAT 6568. 
2. Final High School Transcript or High School Equivalency. Final high school transcript indicating graduation date, class rank and size (if applicable), GPA, and high school graduation plan (if applicable). The transcript must be received directly from the school or may be delivered by the student in a sealed envelope from the institution. For high school equivalency, a copy of the certificate and the high school transcript with any coursework completed before earning the equivalency certificate are needed.

All documents submitted become property of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Documents submitted will not be returned to the student.  

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Assured admission is in place for transfer applicants who have earned an associate’s degree from an accredited college. For applicants with 24 earned college-level hours or more, a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale) is required on all transfer coursework attempted. For applicants with less than 24 earned college-level hours, the freshman admission requirements must be followed in addition to a minimum cumulative college GPA of 2.0 (essays not required). Applicants must be in good standing at their previous institution(s) to be considered for admission at UTRGV.

OUTREACH TO PROSPECTIVE TRANSFER STUDENTS

In an effort to help facilitate the transfer process from two-year and four-year institutions to UTRGV, several programs and resources have been established to assist transfer students. 

UTRGV provides a host of transfer resources such as the Transfer Equivalency Guide found under the “Resources” tab at my.utrgv.edu to assist transfer students in evaluating how their existing course credits might transfer to UTRGV. Additional information on transfer coursework can be found at www.tccns.org.  

For more information on transferring to UTRGV, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website at www.utrgv.edu/admissions or call 1-888-882-4026. 

TRANSFER OF UNDERGRADUATE CREDITS

It is the student's responsibility to submit official transcripts from all the post-secondary institutions attended before they enroll at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). Official college transcripts are also required for coursework taken while in high school or while attending UTRGV concurrently with another post-secondary institution. Transcripts must be sent to UTRGV directly from the transfer institution or hand-delivered by the student in a school-issued sealed envelope to be considered official.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions, in consultation with academic departments, is responsible for awarding transfer credit. An evaluation of transfer credit is completed for undergraduate degree-seeking applicants at the time of admission. Students are responsible for reviewing their transfer credit evaluations by accessing their Advising Course History and their DegreeWorks on ASSIST. Students should consult with their Academic Advisor regarding concerns about how transfer credit applies to their degree within their first year of enrollment at UTRGV to ensure accuracy in degree progression.

UTRGV will review transfer credit for all college-level academic coursework, regardless of grade or total number of credits being transferred. The grading policies of UTRGV will be applied to all coursework transferring from other institutions. The applicability of transfer coursework to a student’s degree plan will depend on degree requirements. Most academic transfer courses with passing grades are applicable towards the student’s degree at UTRGV. One exception to this rule is when degree requirements require a higher grade, which would apply equally whether the course was completed at UTRGV or a transferring institution. Transfer courses are not individually listed on official transcripts issued by UTRGV.

Transfer of college-level academic coursework or recognition of degrees from another institution by UTRGV involves at least three considerations in addition to the guidelines and practices recommended by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO):

1. The educational quality of the institution from which the student transfers.
2. The comparability of the nature, content and level of credit earned to that offered by UTRGV.
3. The appropriateness and applicability of credit earned to the programs offered by UTRGV.

UTRGV accepts transfer credit from institutions of higher education with an institutional accreditation according to the U.S. Department of Education. In some circumstances, course credit earned at institutions undergoing accreditation or from foreign institutions may be accepted.

Some special circumstances regarding the transfer or non-transfer of credit to UTRGV are listed as follows:

1. Second Undergraduate Degrees: Refer to the Multiple Degrees section of the Undergraduate Catalog for more information.
2. Quarter-based institutions: UTRGV operates on a semester-hour system, therefore, quarter hours will be converted to semester credit hours.
3. Lecture and lab course combinations: Transfer courses for which the lecture and lab are offered separate at the transfer institution, but UTRGV only offers a combined course will be given elective credit and a course substitution may be required. (i.e., BIOL 1306/1106 vs BIOL 1406)
4. Incomplete Grades: Incomplete grades are kept as incomplete until a letter grade has been posted by the transferring institution.
5. Life Experience: No credit will be awarded for life experience.
6. Remedial Courses: Courses such as remedial or developmental reading and math, speed reading, remedial science and orientation are not transferable.
7. Terminal Courses: Terminal courses offered at many two-year institutions are not offered for the purpose of transfer to four-year institutions and usually are clearly labeled in the college catalog as being non-transferable. Examples of terminal courses are auto mechanics, machine shop, electricity, data processing and welding.
8. Vocational/Technical Courses: Coursework typically described as vocational or technical are not designed for transfer into university curricula even when courses have been taken at a two-year institution as part of a certificate program or an Associate of Applied Science degree. In Texas, such courses are organized in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM). UTRGV generally does not accept WECM or similar courses for transfer. Exceptions are only considered when content is substantially like subjects/courses offered at UTRGV as demonstrated by a review of the course description and learning outcomes. Exceptions are approved as part of standard curriculum approval processes at UTRGV.
9. Faith-Related Coursework: Religious courses of a doctrinal or denominational character (sacraments, Christian approaches to missions, etc.) are nontransferable.

Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS)

UTRGV participates in the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) which aids students in the transfer of general academic courses between colleges and universities throughout Texas. Common courses are freshman and sophomore academic credit courses identified as common by TCCNS member institutions. The TCCNS system ensures that if the student takes courses designated as common, they are accepted as transfer with credit. A list of courses UTRGV has identified as common and their TCCNS equivalents are listed in the undergraduate catalog.

Non-TCCNS Courses

Transfer coursework not part of the TCCNS inventory is evaluated on a course-by-course basis by an admissions staff member to determine if there is an equivalent course at UTRGV. Admissions staff analyzes course descriptions, content, quality, and comparability to UTRGV courses. If a course is found to be equivalent to a UTRGV course and it does not exist in the system as an equivalent, it will be created. The course must be of the same level and number of credits. A lower-level course at the transfer institution cannot be given an upper-level UTRGV equivalent, and an upper-level transfer course cannot be given a lower-level UTRGV equivalent. If the equivalent of a required upper-division UTRGV course is completed at an accredited institution as a lower-division course, the course need not be repeated, but another upper-division course, approved by the student’s advisor, must be completed at UTRGV in substitution. If the admissions staff member cannot determine if the course is equivalent to a UTRGV course, they may consult with the appropriate department official. An electronic request is sent to the department for review. The department will review and respond with a decision. If the course is not equivalent to a UTRGV course but the discipline and level is offered at UTRGV, it may transfer as a general credit under such discipline (i.e. HIST 1000, BIOL 3000, etc.), otherwise, the course may be transferred as general elective credit according to the level of the course (i.e. ELAC 1000, ELAC 2000, etc). A general credit may in some situations be used to meet a degree requirement. Credit is not given for duplicated courses, except in specific circumstances such as but not limited to Special topics and Music courses.

Credit for Military Experience

In accordance with Texas Education Code, Section 51.3042, eligible former armed forces members admitted as undergraduates or readmitted as undergraduates (after having withdrawn to perform military service) are given course credit for all required physical education courses and for additional semester credit hours, not to exceed 12, satisfying any elective course requirements for courses outside the student’s degree program. Credits will be reflected as transfer credit on the student’s academic record.

Eligible veterans must graduate from an accredited public or private high school, or a U.S. Department of Defense operated high school, and be honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces after completion of at least two years of service or discharged because of disability.

To award the credit, students must complete a Military Service Credit Request form and must provide proof of eligibility (i.e., DD214 or disability discharge documentation).

Credit from Foreign Institutions

Students that attended institutions outside the U.S. are required to have their credits evaluated at the student’s expense through one of the following agencies: The Evaluation Company (previously SPANTRAN), Foreign Credentials Service of America (FCSA), World Education Services (WES), or International Education Evaluation (IEE).

Evaluations must be received directly from the agency and include a list of the courses and grades, in addition to the grade point average and degrees earned. Elective credit is generally granted for foreign courses. Students can request a credit review for possible equivalency to a UTRGV course by providing the Office of Undergraduate Admissions with a copy of the original foreign transcript, certified English translation for the course description, and course syllabus if these documents are not included in their foreign credential evaluation file sent to UTRGV by the agencies.

An evaluation may be waived on a case-by-case basis if the foreign institution is accredited by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the official foreign transcript is issued in English by the foreign institution. Waiver is not applicable to students with a foreign degree.

Courses taken at language training centers or language institutes are not transferable.

Credit By Exam

UTRGV offers college credit by examination to qualified students through approved examinations. Students may apply to their degree plan up to 30 hours of undergraduate credit by examination through the following programs:

• Advanced Placement (AP) Tests
• International Baccalaureate (IB) exams
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

A list of available credits and the process to petition the credits may be found in the UTRGV Undergraduate Admissions website. Students must request official scores to be sent directly to UTRGV by the Testing agency. Credit posts to the student’s permanent record after census day of the student's first term of enrollment. Credit by exam is accepted as credit only (CR) and does not affect the student’s cumulative grade point average.

UTRGV accepts courses earned through credit by examination (AP, IB, CLEP) reported on another institution’s official transcript as long as they are clearly identified and they are subject to the same policies as institutionally granted credit.

Students planning on participating in Exchange or Study Abroad programs

It is highly recommended that UTRGV students planning on participating in Exchange or Study Abroad programs email the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at admissions@utrgv.edu to address the transferability of the courses prior to finalizing their program participation. For applicability of credit to their degree plan, students must consult with the respective Academic department overseeing their major.

Transfer equivalency reconsideration

Students may request reconsideration of transfer credit equivalencies within their first year of enrollment at UTRGV when coursework is evaluated as elective credit. Requests for reconsideration can be emailed to admissions@utrgv.edu through the student’s UTRGV email address and must include the course being requested for reevaluation, course description, and syllabus. Appealing a transfer equivalency decision does not guarantee a different outcome. Degree applicability concerns must be addressed to the student’s Academic Advisor or Academic department overseeing the major.

Disputes for Lower-Division Courses

UTRGV follows the process established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) regarding transfer disputes for lower-division courses from Texas institutions of higher education (see definition of institutions in the Texas Education Code, §61.003).

If UTRGV does not accept academic lower-division course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, UTRGV shall give written notice to the student and to the sending institution that it intends to deny the transfer of the course credit and shall include in that notice the reasons for the denial. The student may dispute the denial of credit by contacting the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at UTRGV. The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of the course credit in accordance with the rules and guidelines of THECB. If the student or the sending institution is not satisfied with the resolution of the credit transfer dispute, the student or the sending institution may notify the Commissioner in writing of the request for transfer dispute resolution. UTRGV shall notify the Commissioner in writing of its denial and the reasons for the denial not later than the 45th day after the date UTRGV provided the required notice of the transfer credit denial to the student. The Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee shall make the final determination about a credit transfer dispute and give written notice of the determination to the student and institutions.