Procedures for Transfer of Academic Credit

Official Transcripts:

Applicants must arrange for official college transcripts to be forwarded from previously attended colleges and universities to Application Processing, University of Maine System, P.O. Box 412, Bangor, ME 04402-0412 or to edocs@maine.edu. Veterans must submit a Joint Services transcript or Form DD295.

Current degree-seeking University of Maine students who have taken a course or courses at another institution should request to have that institution send an official transcript to the Office of Student Records, 5781 Wingate Hall, Orono, ME 04469 or at umrecord@maine.edu.

Current degree-seeking students who have taken courses at other UMS institutions will be identified and their courses will be automatically applied as transfer credit to their academic record at the University of Maine after grades have been posted. It will be the responsibility of the student to notify the Office of Student Records if subsequent grade changes require the original credit to be reevaluated. Students who are not receiving federal financial aid or VA benefits may opt out of this automated transfer credit processing by completing the Internal Transfer Credit Opt Out form and filing it with the Office of Student Records before the last day of classes.

Transfer Credits:

Eligibility: Academic work must be completed with grades of “C-” or better at regionally accredited institutions of higher education to be accepted towards meeting the requirements of a University of Maine baccalaureate degree. Some courses may not transfer because a particular course is not applicable to any UMaine program of study (with the exception of courses completed within the University of Maine System) or is not normally associated with a bachelor’s degree. Credit will not be awarded for institutionally based exams which originate from other schools, or for courses which are defined as developmental, post-baccalaureate, graduate level or professional development. The Office of Student Records maintains a transfer equivalency database of courses which are offered at other institutions and are transferable to the University of Maine.

Pass-fail courses taken outside the University Maine System (UMS) must have “pass” defined as a C- or higher in order to transfer. Only general elective credit will be awarded for courses taken under a pass/fail grading basis.

Non-Degree (including Certificate) Students are not eligible to receive transfer credit.

Evaluation: After a student has been admitted into a degree program and official copies of their transcripts have been received, an official evaluation of transfer credit will be completed, and applicable credits will be posted to their academic record. This evaluation will be available in the Student Center as a Transfer Credit Report, which will show course equivalencies, and any general education requirements satisfied. Students should consult with their advisor and/or Dean’s Office to determine how transfer credits may be used to satisfy degree requirements.

Students who do not agree with the evaluation of their courses may submit a course syllabus to the Office of Student Records for further review. The syllabus should be attached to a statement in writing indicating which course or courses they feel were evaluated inaccurately, as well as what specific course or requirement should be satisfied. The Office of Student Records will review the appeal with a representative from the appropriate department. Appeals should be sent to um.transfer@maine.edu.

Transfer of credit where the courses are not equal in the number of credits earned between the sending and receiving institutions:

In cases where the incoming number of credits is less than the UMaine equivalent course, elective credit only will be awarded. Students seeking to appeal the elective credit awarded should refer to the transfer appeal process.
In cases where the incoming number of credits is greater than the UMaine equivalent course, credit will be awarded for the direct equivalent course and any remaining credits will be awarded as elective credits.

Subject Specific Credit Limitations: Physical Education skills classes will be limited to a total of eight credit hours and will be annotated on the transcript with an equivalent KPE 100S. Participation in varsity athletics will not transfer. Emergency Medical Technician courses will be limited to nine total transfer credit hours and will be annotated on the transcript with an equivalent KPE 100E. First year seminar type courses will be limited to three credit hours. Although credit hours transfer to the university, it is up to the discretion of your Academic Unit to determine how many course hours are utilized in your degree program.

Grades and GPA: Grades earned in courses from other institutions, including any other University of Maine System institution, will appear on the student’s transcript; however they will NOT be calculated into the student’s GPA.

Repeated Courses: Courses taken at another institution may transfer to meet a requirement but will not replace the low grade of a course taken at the University of Maine. To replace a grade for such a course, the course must be repeated at UMaine. More information on the Repeat Policy can be under the Grades and Grading section of the catalog.

Domestic Study Away: Current students should complete a Domestic Study Away form to insure that the transfer credit will apply toward completion of their degree. Students who are applying for financial aid must complete a Domestic Study Away form available on the Office of Student Records website: http://studentrecords.umaine.edu/forms/

Residency Requirement: Refer to the Degree/Graduation Requirements section of the catalog.

General Education Courses: All students are required to pass English 101 or an approved equivalent with a grade of C or better, and to complete the University of Maine’s general education requirements. Note: Students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree from an regionally accredited institution are exempt from the general education requirements except specific courses required by the major (i.e. writing in the major and capstone). Transferred courses that do not have exact UMaine equivalents, but are accepted for elective credit, may meet general education requirements. The determination will be made by the Office of Student Records, with the exception of writing intensive general education requirements. Students seeking the writing intensive general education requirement should contact the English Department for additional review.

Substitutions/Waivers: Exceptions to equivalencies (different equivalents, waivers of curricular requirements based on transfer credit, assessment of student learning outcomes, or limitations on transfer credit applied to degree requirements) may be allowed and recorded at the college or department level, but will not appear on the official evaluation or University of Maine transcript.

Credit from International Institutions: The University of Maine accepts credit from accredited international institutions, both for international students and for domestic students participating in education abroad programs. Academic transcripts submitted to the Office of International Programs for evaluation must be certified original documents. Documents in a language other than English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. The Office of International Programs may request that a student completes an external credential evaluation through an accredited agency in order for UMaine to accept the transfer credits. UMaine awards credit to students who have earned the International Baccalaureate diploma, Cambridge Advanced and other international tests. Contact the Office of International Programs in 300 Stodder Hall, (207) 581-3437, international@maine.edu for information or visit https://umaine.edu/international/transfer_credit/

Credit for Prior Learning: - See Credit for Prior Learning section.

Time Limitations of Course Work: Courses over five years old will be subject to additional review to determine if there have been significant changes.