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Transferring Credit

Transferable College Credit

The University of Houston may award transfer credit for all college-level, academic coursework with grade C- or better from a regionally accredited college or university under the following rules:

  • College-level coursework with grades C- or lower will not count toward academic requirements and pursual of a U.S. baccalaureate degree.
  • Transferable coursework may receive a direct equivalency or general elective credit by course subject area, if applicable.
  • A maximum of 66 lower division (freshman and sophomore-level) semester credit hours may be transferred as course credit.
  • There is no limitation to the number of upper division (junior and senior level) semester credit hours that can transfer to UH.
  • Most upper division coursework will generally be awarded as advanced elective credit. However, students must complete at least 30 semester credit hours in residence at UH to complete baccalaureate degree requirements.
  • Developmental courses may not be considered college-level coursework and will not be transferable.

Work hard. Get credit.

You deserve to get as much credit as you can for your work at your previous institution. Meet our Transfer Credit Estimator, your guide to estimating how many course credits may transfer to your chosen degree program at UH.

UH Transfer Credit Estimator

Calculating GPA

All coursework attempted other than developmental courses are utilized in calculating transferable GPA for admission to UH. Repeated coursework excluded from the cumulative GPA at previous institutions will be included in the calculated GPA at UH as attempted coursework for admission decisions. Please note that GPA will be calculated upon completion of applicant’s admissions file.

Alternative Grading Basis for Transfer Credit:

Pass/Fail Grades

UH will accept and award college-level credit from regionally accredited institutions that provide grades of S (Satisfactory) or P (Pass). Hours earned from S or P grades will be counted towards transfer hours but will not be factored in the calculation of your cumulative transfer GPA and will not factor into your GPA at UH. Hours earned from F grades will count towards the calculation of your cumulative transfer GPA.

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

UH will award course credit to students who earn a score of 3 and higher in AP tests administered by the College Board.

Regionally Accredited Universities

The University of Houston only accepts transfer credit from universities with the following accreditations:

  • MSCHE: Middle States Commission of Higher Education
  • NEASC-CIHE: New England Association of Schools and Colleges–Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
  • HLC: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
  • NWCCU: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  • SACSCOC: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
  • ACCJC: Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges [Western Association of Schools and Colleges]
  • WSCUC: Senior College and University Commission

If your university is not listed, check their accreditation on the U.S. Department of Education website.

Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS)

UH is a participant in the Texas Course Common Numbering System (TCCNS), a cooperative effort among Texas community colleges and universities to facilitate the transfer of freshman- and sophomore-level general academic courses included in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM).

The TCCNS provides a shared, uniform set of course designations for students and their advisors to use in determining both course equivalency and degree applicability of transfer credit on a statewide basis. When students transfer between two participating TCCNS institutions, a course taken at the sending institution transfers as the course carrying or cross-referenced with the same TCCNS designation at the receiving institution. For additional information on the TCCNS, visit the TCCNS website.

Transfer Equivalency Guides

Transfer Equivalency Guides reference courses taken at other Texas public colleges or universities that transfer to UH for credit under the listed majors.

Transfer Credit Petition

Some credits, especially upper division and out-of-state credit, may be transferred as general elective credit or elective credit within a subject area. Students may choose to complete a Transfer Credit Petition eForm once they have reviewed their Transfer Credit Summary — both of which are available on their myUH account.

Alternatively, students seeking to submit a hard copy Transfer Petition request must consult with their College Advisor for additional guidance and approval. However, the Transfer Petition eForm is a more efficient way to submit for faculty/department review. Petitions will be reviewed by faculty in the appropriate college and department to determine if the work and credit are of suitable content and rigor. This process takes place during the first enrollment term. The application of transfer credit toward a degree at the University cannot be determined until the transcripts have been evaluated and a degree plan is processed.

Credit by Exam

Credit by Exam options enable students to receive credit for prior learning and advanced course enrollment. For the complete list of courses for test credit and minimum score requirements, visit the UH Credit by Exam page.

UH College Board School Code: 6870

Students who are transferring from another institution may be eligible for transfer credit by exam if the College Board scores are listed as coursework at the previous institution. For information on which exams are accepted by UH, please review the Credit by Exam Brochure.

All transfer credit is subject to evaluation by the Office of Admissions and not all exams are transferable to the university.

Credit Evaluation Process

Students seeking transfer credit should follow the steps below to ensure they receive the necessary coursework.

Prospective Students

  1. Apply for admission to UH and pay the admissions fee.
  2. Following admission review, please log in to your myUH student account to review transferable coursework accepted by UH. The Transfer Credit Report can be found under the “Academic Records” tab in your myUH student account.
  3. Contact your academic advisor for assistance in submitting a Transfer Credit Petition to petition any transfer credits.

If you are enrolled in in-progress coursework at the time of admission, please submit an updated transcript after completing the term to receive transfer credit and reduce registration delays.

Current Students

  1. If you have taken coursework outside of UH, request an official transcript to be sent by mail or electronically (preferred) upon completion of the term to the Office of Admissions to minimize processing delays.
  2. Once the Office of Admissions has received your official transcript, please allow an average of 10 business days for internal review and processing. Times may vary during peak seasons.
  3. View your Transfer Credit Report under the “Academic records” tab in your myUH account.
  4. Contact your academic advisor for assistance in submitting a Transfer Credit Petition to petition any transfer credits.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding credit awarded, please contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@uh.edu to update your transfer credit report.

International Students

International students requesting transfer credits for courses taken at a foreign institution before enrolling at UH must submit the following:

  • Official copy of their academic transcripts with course syllabi (and a certified copy of English translation if necessary)
  • Grading scale for the institution (if not included on the academic transcript)
  • Accreditation information for the institution (if not included on the academic transcript)

For more information, please contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@uh.edu.