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Transferring Credit

Transferrable College Credit

UH may award transfer credit for all college-level, academic coursework with grade C- or better from a regionally accredited college or university. College-level coursework with grades C- or lower will not count toward academic requirements and will not count towards the pursual of a U.S. baccalaureate degree. Transferrable 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 as college-level coursework and will not be transferrable.

Work hard. Get credit.

Transferring college credits can be confusing. Meet our Transfer Credit Estimator, a new tool designed to help you estimate how many course credits may transfer to your chosen degree program at the University of Houston.


Launch Transfer Credit Estimator

Calculating GPA

All coursework attempted other than developmental courses are utilized in calculating transferrable 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
The University of Houston will accept and award college-level credit from regionally-accredited institutions who provide grades of S (Satisfactory) or P (Pass) during semesters impacted by COVID-19. 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
The University of Houston will continue to follow our standard practices on awarding AP test scores and will accept scores taken by the online exam format through College Board due to COVID-19.

Regionally Accredited Universities

The University of Houston only accepts transferrable 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

Students can check the accreditation of their institutions through the US Department of Education website.

Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS)

The University of Houston is a participant in the Texas Course Common Numbering System (TCCNS), a cooperative effort among Texas community colleges and universities to facilitate 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 enrolled 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.

How to submit and view the Transfer Credit Petition eForm >

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.

Credit Evaluation Process

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

Prospective Students

  1. Apply for admission to the University of Houston and pay the admissions fee.
  2. Following admission review, please log in to your myUH student account to review transferrable coursework accepted by UH. The Transfer Credit Report can be found under the Academic Records tab in your myUH student account.
  3. To petition any transfer credits, please contact your academic advisor for assistance in submitting a Transfer Credit Petition.
  4. If you are currently enrolled with in-progress coursework at the time of admission, please ensure that you submit an updated transcript after completion of the term to receive transfer credit and to reduce registration delays.

Current Students

  1. If you have taken coursework outside of UH, we encourage students to 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. You may view your Transfer Credit Report under the Academic records tab in your myUH account.
  4. To petition any transfer credits, please contact your academic advisor for assistance in submitting a Transfer Credit Petition.
  5. If you have any questions or concerns regarding credit awarded, please contact the Office of Admissions to update your transfer credit report.

International Students

International students requesting transfer credits for courses taken at a foreign institution, prior to enrolling at University of Houston must submit the following:

  • Official copy of their academic transcripts along 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 email admissions@uh.edu.