Transfer
Students

A high school graduate or high school equivalency diploma recipient who wishes to enroll at Marshall University and who has attempted coursework from another accepted, accredited college or university is classified as a transfer student. Marshall University does not at any time or under any condition disregard college or university credits attempted or earned at accepted, accredited institutions for the purpose of admission. Any student admitted on the basis of false and/or incomplete information is subject to immediate dismissal or other disciplinary action.

General Admission Requirements

All transfer students must be eligible to return to the institution they most recently attended.

In addition, transfer students who have fewer than 30 earned semester hours must meet one of the following criteria:

• Must meet the current freshman admission standards

OR

• Have earned 12 graded college-level semester hours while maintaining a 2.00 cumulative college GPA.

Transfer students who do not meet either of these requirements may appeal the decision through the Admission Appeals Committee. If a transfer student is admitted with a cumulative GPA below 2.00, he or she is on academic probation and is eligible to register for a limited number of credit hours. Please contact the appropriate dean’s office for specific guidelines.

Admission to Marshall University does not guarantee admission to specific academic programs. Students must meet all requirements of an academic program in order to be admitted to that program.

Required Application Materials:

1. Completed application for admission. (The application must be complete before transfer students can be considered for admission to the university.)
2. A non-refundable transfer evaluation fee of $50.
3. Official transcripts from the Registrar’s Office of all accepted, accredited institutions attended must be sent directly to the Marshall Office of Admissions. (Faxed transcripts, transcripts marked “Issued to Student,” transcripts issued to any third party, or transcripts submitted directly by students cannot be accepted.)
4. Transfer applicants with fewer than 30 earned semester hours must also submit an official high school transcript with graduation date.
5. American College Test (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores sent directly from the testing center. The Higher Education Policy Commission requires that all freshmen submit the American College Test (ACT), or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores except applicants who graduated from high school five years or more ago. (Students who are admitted without ACT or SAT scores by meeting other eligibility requirements should consult their academic advisors about meeting prerequisites for math and English courses.) ACT or SAT test scores are used in placing students in English and mathematics, for scholarship applications, for academic counseling, for determining eligibility for certain degree programs, and in part to meet NCAA athletic eligibility requirements.¹
6. A valid immunization record, including measles and rubella (or MMR) and all other required vaccinations or screenings, is required of all transfer students. Applicants can provide an immunization record signed by a physician or an official copy of the permanent high school health record including a report of the required immunizations. Students must provide proof of immunity before or during the first semester of enrollment or they will not be permitted to enroll in subsequent terms. Requests for medical exemptions should be made to the Office of Admissions. Students born prior to January 1, 1957 are exempt from the measles and rubella (or MMR) immunization requirement.

Evaluation of Credit

Transfer Students from West Virginia State Colleges or Universities:

Credits and grades earned for all baccalaureate level courses at any accredited baccalaureate degree-granting institution in the West Virginia state-supported system of higher education are transferable to Marshall University.

Transfer Students from Community Colleges or Branch Colleges:

Seventy-two hours of credits and grades completed at community colleges or branch colleges may be applied toward graduation at Marshall University.

Evaluation of Transfer Credit

Transfer students should apply to Marshall University and submit their credentials at least one month before course registration to allow ample time for an evaluation of their credits.

All materials and credentials submitted to the Office of Admissions become the property of Marshall University and will not be returned or released to third parties.

Marshall University accepts all transferable coursework from accepted, accredited institutions. Coursework taken at another accepted, accredited institution transfers at the level at which it was taken. This is something important to consider since Marshall students must have a minimum number of upper division credits (300/400 level credit), determined by their college, in order to graduate. For example, if a student takes CHM 230, Organic Chemistry I, at another institution, that course will convert to CHM 355 at Marshall; however, those credits will count as lower division (100- to 200-level credits), since the original course was taken at the 200 level.

Grades earned for coursework taken at other institutions are calculated in the overall GPA (includes courses taken at Marshall University and other institutions), but have no impact on the Marshall GPA (includes only Marshall University coursework), except for D/F repeats.

The Core Curriculum (see additional information under “Academic Information”) applies to transfer students. Students who believe they may have taken coursework at other institutions that would satisfy part of the Core Curriculum should submit documentation (course syllabi, catalog descriptions) to their dean’s office for review by the appropriate committee.

Appeal of Denial of Transfer Credit, or Course Equivalency Determination, or Course Substitution

Students may appeal decisions on how transfer credits are evaluated.

The Marshall Office of Admissions determines transferability of credits and course equivalency at the time of admission. Once admitted, if a student believes the proper equivalent credit has not been awarded, the student should request, in writing, an explanation of credit denial from the Office of Admissions. This initial step must be taken within thirty (30) days of receipt of the transfer credit evaluation or within ten (10) instructional days of the beginning of the student’s matriculating term, whichever comes first. The Office of Admissions will review the request for technical errors and issue a written response within ten (10) days.

The college in which the student’s degree program is housed determines course substitutions. After receiving the transfer credit evaluation from the Office of Admissions, the student should meet with an academic advisor in the student’s degree program to determine the extent to which transferred credits and course equivalencies meet specific degree requirements. At this point, the advisor may make certain additional course substitutions per the policies of the college that houses the student’s degree program.

If the student is not satisfied with the determinations in Step 2 regarding course substitutions, the student may initiate a formal appeal, in writing, to the dean of the academic college in which the student is admitted. The appeal must include applicable syllabi and other supporting documents and must be submitted within thirty (30) days of the beginning of the student’s matriculating term.

If a course substitution is not granted by the dean, the student may appeal the decision to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, in writing, within ten (10) days of the issuance of the dean’s decision. The Commission will review the entire case, including both course equivalencies and course substitutions, and issue a recommendation to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Marshall University, who shall then render the final decision.

Provisional Admission of Transfer Students

Transfer students may be provisionally admitted to Marshall University for one semester only with the following minimum documentation:

1. Completed application for admission with $50 transfer evaluation fee;
2. Official college transcripts from all accepted, accredited colleges and universities attended. Applicants currently attending another institution may be provisionally admitted with a current, official transcript of credit earned and courses in progress, pending receipt of an official, final transcript from the current institution with all grades from the final semester of attendance.
3. To be considered for admission, transfer applicants who have earned fewer than 30 semester hours from accepted, accredited institution(s) must have an official final high school transcript with graduation date or high school equivalency test scores mailed directly to the Office of Admissions from the high school, state testing center or state department of education.
4. To be considered for admission, transfer applicants who have earned fewer than 30 semester hours from accepted, accredited institution(s) must have official ACT/SAT scores sent directly to the Office of Admissions from the respective testing agency.

Transfer students will be fully admitted to the university and will be eligible to register for succeeding terms when all requirements have been met and all required documentation has been received.

¹Students who graduated from high school five years or more ago are not required to take the ACT or SAT exam except for admission into the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences. Students who are admitted without ACT or SAT scores by meeting other eligibility requirements should consult their academic advisors about meeting prerequisites for math and English courses.