Transferring to SIUE FAQ
General
What makes me eligible to be a transfer student?
You are considered a transfer student if you apply for admission to SIUE and have course work from regionally accredited two-year and/or four-year institutions after graduating from high school.
Is my transfer course work GPA factored in to my SIUE GPA?
No. Your transfer coursework is not averaged with SIUE coursework when calculating your grade point average (GPA.)
If I earned a D in a class at another institution, will it be accepted for transfer credit?
Course work in which you earned a D or better is reviewed and considered for acceptance at SIUE, if it is appropriate to baccalaureate education. Some degree requirements state that you must earn a minimum grade to satisfy a degree requirement. If this is the case, the course in which you earned a D will not fulfill the requirement, i.e. if you earned a D in course work considered equivalent to SIUE English 101 and 102.
Are there cumulative GPA admission requirements for transfer students?
If you have completed a minimum of 30 semester hours at the college level and have not achieved an overall combined higher education GPA of at least 2.0, you are not admissible to the University at this time. However, you are encouraged to work toward completion of an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Upon completion of a transfer degree or achievement of a minimum 2.0 combined GPA, you will be eligible for admission.
Does SIUE offer proficiency tests?
In general, proficiency examinations are available for all General Education Foundations and Breadth courses. In addition, some advanced General Education courses and some departmental courses may offer proficiencies. See the SIUE Proficiency Examination Program for detailed information.
What is the Illinois Articulation Initiative?
The Illinois Articulation Initiative is a statewide agreement that identifies a common curriculum across participating institutions in an attempt to assist you in the transfer process. If you complete the General Education Core Curriculum at a participating institution prior to admission at SIUE, you will have fewer general education requirements to meet when you enter the University. You will enter the University with only major requirements, interdisciplinary studies, foreign language (if appropriate), and all-University requirements remaining to finish your degree.
More information is available through the Illinois Articulation Initiative website.
What is regional accreditation and why is it important to me?
Accreditation is a voluntary process of external review of quality and improvement. Regional accreditors review all aspects of an institution to make sure you receive a high-quality education. Regional accreditors operate in six regions of the country and can review both public and private, profit and nonprofit institutions of higher education.
SIUE is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Information regarding institutional accreditation can be obtained through each college or university that you have attended or plan to attend. In addition, information regarding regional accreditation status can be obtained through the appropriate association listed below:
Transcripts
Where should my official transcript(s) be sent?
Official transcripts can be submitted to:
Office of Admissions
Campus Box 1047, SIUE
Edwardsville, IL 62026-1047
Electronic Transcripts
Electronic transcripts submitted through Parchment, Credentials Solutions, Inc., and other various online providers are accepted. Electronic transcripts also can be sent to etranscripts@siue.edu directly from the institution. If a transcript is received through this account from a student, it will not be considered official.
Hand-carried and/or faxed transcripts are not accepted as official.
Transfer Credit
How can I find out if a course I'm taking at another school will be accepted at SIUE?
You can check out information about accepted course work for many colleges and universities by visiting the SIUE Transfer Credit Course Equivalency Guides. This brief video will explain how to utilize the Course Equivalency Guide. The Office of Admissions provides assistance to prospective students. The Office of the Registrar Transfer Center provides official transfer credit evaluations once students are admitted to the University. Whether certain transfer course work appropriately fits major requirements is determined by your major department.
I am an SIUE student concurrently enrolled in one course at another school. How can I make sure the credit is accepted?
You should always work with a department adviser to figure out how to complete degree requirements. Your adviser(s) will help ensure that transfer course work is appropriate for your degree. The Office of the Registrar-Transfer Center continually makes course articulation agreements with other colleges and universities to assist students and advisers with planning. Articulation agreement information is available through the Transfer Center. You must meet with your adviser and not solely rely on the information from the website.
How soon after I'm admitted will I be able to receive my transfer credit evaluation?
In most cases, after you are admitted, your transfer credit evaluation will be available from the Office of the Registrar Transfer Center in 15 working days. Transfer credit for continuing students also is available to advisers usually within 15 days of SIUE receiving official transcripts reflecting new credit. You will need to talk to your adviser about how your credits will be applied toward your degree requirements.
Does SIUE limit the number of transfer hours accepted?
You can transfer as many hours to the University as you wish. There is no limit. However, SIUE does limit the number of hours that can be applied toward a degree granted at the University.
If you are transferring from regionally accredited two-year institution, you must complete 60 semester hours at a regionally accredited four-year institution and 30 of these 60 hours must be completed at SIUE to satisfy University residency requirements.
If you are transferring to SIUE from a four-year institution, you also must satisfy the 30-semester hour SIUE residency requirement.
How will my transfer credit be applied to my SIUE degree requirements?
If you have completed the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum at an IAI participating school, you will have met all general education requirements with the exception of one Interdisciplinary Studies course and foreign language, if applicable.
Credit will be evaluated to determine equivalency to SIUE coursework and, if equivalent, will apply as it would have had it been completed at SIUE. Courses for which equivalency could not be established will be applied toward general education requirements if the content meets the objectives of the general education curriculum. Course work that is determined appropriate for acceptance by the University, but does not have an SIUE equivalent or meet general education requirements, may be used at the discretion of a student's major department as appropriate.
If the credit is occupational or developmental/preparatory, it will not be accepted toward SIUE general education or degree requirements.
See more information about Transfer CreditAdmission
If I have less than 30 hours to transfer to the University, how should I apply for admission?
You can apply as a transfer applicant provided credit was earned after high school graduation. You must submit your high school credentials, in addition to official transcripts of completed college credit. More information about the application process is available through the Prospective Students website.
If I have earned a degree from a regionally accredited 2-year or 4-year school, am I automatically accepted to SIUE?
If you have earned an Associate in Arts, Science, Science and Arts or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university and have maintained a minimum higher cumulative GPA since you received the degree, you are eligible for admission as an undergraduate. However, please keep in mind that formal application is required and application deadlines apply to all students. Check out information about application deadlines and more on the Prospective Students website.
Academic Advising
Can I make an appointment with an academic adviser as soon as I have been admitted, even if I haven't received my transfer credit evaluation?
You will need to wait until your transfer evaluation is complete before meeting with an adviser. Transfer evaluations are completed within 15 business days after admission or receipt of additional course work for continuing students.
International Transfer Credit
Can I receive transfer credit for courses completed outside the U.S.?
For new students:
Previous college course work and transfer credits will be evaluated case by case to give students the best opportunity to succeed in their program of choice. Applicants seeking university-level transfer credit for courses completed at an institution outside the United States must have their transcripts evaluated by an accredited service (ex. WES, ECE). SIUE will utilize this evaluation of credit as a guideline and SIUE reserves the right to award appropriate credit.
You must send your original transcripts of college-level course work along with course descriptions to SIUE Office of Admissions, Review and Processing, Box 1047, Edwardsville, IL 62026-1047 U.S.A. Photocopies that have been certified (stamped) by the issuing institution are acceptable, but originals must be presented upon your arrival. All official transcripts and course descriptions must be accompanied by translations in English. Transcripts submitted by e-mail or fax are NOT accepted. For more information about international transfer credit, please contact the Office of Admissions, Review and Processing at (618) 650‑3705.
For currently enrolled students:
Coursework taken abroad without prior approval by SIUE and/or at sites not currently recognized by formal agreements and not receiving administrative support from the Office of International Programs will be considered for transfer credit only. Students will need to make arrangements to have official transcripts and course descriptions (accompanied by translations in English) from the foreign institution sent to the Office of Admissions, Review and Processing for evaluation as transfer credit. The coursework, if accepted, will appear strictly as transfer credit on the SIUE transcript.
Upper Division Transfer Credit: Students will need to make arrangements to have the official transcript (accompanied by English translation) sent to the Office of Admissions, Review and Processing for evaluation as transfer credit. Students seeking upper division credit (300-400 level) will need to take a copy of the foreign transcript and course description(s) and/or syllabi to the appropriate SIUE academic department chair to seek approval on the International Transfer Credit Re-Evaluation Request Form. SIUE faculty considering the transfer credit request may view the official transcript received in the Office of Admissions, Review, and Processing through the image-now system. Student is responsible for seeking the necessary approvals on upper division credit and returning the completed International Transfer Credit Re-Evaluation Request Form to Cheryl Haegele, Assistant Director, Office of Admissions, 1207 Rendleman Hall.
The official, original transcript from the foreign institution must be sent directly from the foreign institution directly to: SIUE Office of Admissions, Review and Processing, Box 1047, Edwardsville, IL 62026-1047 U.S.A.
SIUE's comprehensive International Student site is www.siue.edu/internationalstudents/criteria.
