Transferring a Degree
All transcripts with college credit that are submitted to WSU are evaluated on a course-by-course basis. However, there are certain transferable degrees that will fulfill all or most lower-division UCORE requirements automatically before the course-by-course evaluation is completed. Within the state of Washington, these degrees include the Direct Transfer Agreement Associate Degree (DTA), the Associate in Science – Transfer Degree (AS-T), and DTA/AS-T Degrees within a Major-Related Program (MRP). More information about these degree options, along with additional degree pathways can be found below.
Direct Transfer Associate Degree (DTA)
Students who transfer to WSU with an approved DTA degree of any type or with any MRP (e.g. Business-DTA) from a regionally accredited Washington community college or an approved program outside Washington (see states listed below) will have the lower-division UCORE fulfilled and will generally be given junior status and 60 semester credit hours. Please note the Integrative Capstone [CAPS] upper-division UCORE requirement will not be completed.
“Reverse Transfer” DTA
Students who have completed at least 60 transferable quarter credit hours toward completion of an approved transferable degree from a Washington community college may complete the Direct Transfer Associates (DTA) degree after their initial enrollment at WSU. See Reverse Transfer Pilot Program.
Interested in reverse transfer? You can find the reverse transfer contact for your previous institution on the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) website.
DTA “Gray Area” Credits
Within a completed DTA, up to 15 quarter (10 semester) credits of coursework at the 100 level or above, that may otherwise be non-transferable vocational/technical courses, may transfer.
Associate in Science Transfer Degree (AS‑T)
Students who have completed the Associate in Science Transfer (AS-T) degree from a Washington community college will generally be given junior status and 60 semester credit hours. The AS-T does not fulfill all the lower-division UCORE requirements. From WSU Academic Regulation 6. g.
“….Completion of the AS-T degree satisfies UCORE WRTG, QUAN, BSCI, PSCI, and three of the following requirements: HUM, SSCI, ARTS, DIVR, ROOTS, EQJS. Up to three additional lower-division UCORE may be satisfied via transfer credit, up to the 73-semester credit limit, or via in-residence credit prior to completion of a baccalaureate degree. An individual course completed within the AS-T degree may not satisfy more than one UCORE category.”
General Education Requirements Completed
Completion of lower-division UCORE requirements will be granted to students who have completed all of the lower-division general education curriculum at another regionally accredited institution, provided the institution’s general education curriculum approximates the disciplinary breadth of WSU’s UCORE curriculum and the sending institution certifies completion via an official document statement or transcript. Notification from the transfer institution registrar’s office can be sent to the Office of Admissions or emailed to transfer@wsu.edu. Please see Academic Regulation 6.i for additional details.
Interstate Passport
While the WICHE Interstate Passport program will sunset effective December 31, 2023, WSU will honor an Interstate Passport credential earned from another member institution . The Passport satisfies lower-division UCORE. WSU is also actively developing 1 to 1 agreements with some former Passport partners. Please see Academic Regulation 6.i for additional details.
Completed Bachelor’s Degree
Completion of all UCORE requirements will be granted to students who have completed a bachelor’s degree from another institution with approved accreditation, provided that the general education program approximates the disciplinary breadth of WSU’s UCORE curriculum. This includes the upper-division Integrative Capstone [CAPS] UCORE requirement and University Writing Portfolio. Please see Academic Regulation 6.g. for additional details.
Please note applied bachelor degrees (BAS) earned from a Washington Community and Technical College are considered transferable bachelor’s for UCORE and University Writing Portfolio requirements.
States with Approved Transfer Degrees:
WSU accepts transferable degrees from other accredited institutions as fulfilling lower-division UCORE, provided the degree’s general education curriculum approximates the disciplinary breadth of WSU’s UCORE curriculum. These degrees do not guarantee junior status or 60 semester credits
Other/International Degrees:
Other degrees, including international degrees, will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis for fulfillment of requirements, in the absence of an approved articulation. Higher degrees do not necessarily fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements.
Please see Academic Regulation 6.(d-j) for additional details on transfer credit and degrees.