Apply to WMU

In the event you experience problems with your application, do not submit a second application. Contact International Student and Scholar Services at @email or call (269) 387-5865, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.

International Transfer Credit Guide

How do international credits transfer to WMU?

Academic work taken at a foreign institution will transfer to WMU a number of ways:

• Direct Equivalent - Transfer credit will be awarded direct course credit here at WMU. Example: A writing course from a previous foreign institution can be granted ENGL 1050 at WMU. The evaluation will appear on your transcript as ENGL 1050 along with the number of credit hours for the course.
• Departmental Credit - Transfer credit will be awarded departmental credit here at WMU. Example: A writing course from a previous foreign institution can be granted ENGL credit here at WMU. The evaluation will appear on your transcript as ENGL CR along with the number of credit hours for the course.
• No Credit - Transfer credit will be awarded as no credit either because the course itself was not transferable (nothing similar at WMU, accreditation issue, duplicate course) or because the grade earned was lower than the equivalent of a C at WMU. The evaluation will appear on your transcript as TUN NOCR.
• Credit by Department Recommendation Only - Transfer credit will be awarded for department recommendation when a course must be reviewed by a specific WMU academic department prior to determining if and how the course might transfer. The evaluation will appear on your transcript as CBDRO. 

All incoming transfer students MUST meet with their academic advisor(s) prior to course registration. Your academic advisor(s) will maximize your transfer credits by utilizing direct equivalents and departmental credits for your degree. For assistance with a course listed as CBDRO, students are encouraged to work with their academic advisor(s), as they can assist with identifying a contact person and appropriate academic department to request a review of the course(s) in question. An official course description and/or syllabus will be required to ensure the best determination of credit. If the official course description and/or syllabus is not issued in English, a certified translation of this documentation must be submitted to the appropriate academic department. 

If the course is granted direct equivalency or departmental credit, the reviewer or an academic advisor will email the International Student and Scholar Services office at @email to request the change in evaluation. You will also be notified of this change. Students with CBDRO work are encouraged to complete the review process soon after admission, as it could impact time to graduation.

Exam credit

WMU evaluates credits by examination when official test scores are sent to either the International Student and Scholar Services office, or the domestic Office of Admissions – depending on the type of exam. Please review the policies regarding each type of test and the scores required for credit.

• For Cambridge International Advanced Level (A Level) Examination credit consideration, request an official exam score be sent to the International Student and Scholar Services office. You must receive a grade of “E” or higher (the equivalent of a “C” at WMU) in order to receive transfer credit for A Level Examinations.
• For International Baccalaureate (IB) credit consideration, request an official IB transcript be sent to the domestic Office of Admissions at WMU. Any acceptable credits will then be awarded to students by the WMU Registrar’s Office. The minimum score required to be awarded credit for IB courses depends on the individual subject. Please review the policy from the WMU Registrar’s Office here: https://wmich.edu/registrar/students/advising/students-advising-ib. 

Transfer credit policies

• If the attended institution from which a student wishes to have credits transferred is outside the U.S., the international institution must be recognized by the country's Ministry of Higher Education or equivalent government agency.
• Courses with less than the equivalent of a "C" (2.00) grade earned will not be considered for transfer credit.
• For transferred courses, only the credit transfers; grades/GPAs do not transfer to WMU. Students' WMU GPAs will be based on courses taken at Western Michigan University.
• There is no limit to the number of credits that can be transferred to WMU. However, students transferring from an accredited two-year institution must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours at an accredited four-year, degree-granting institution.
• Students must complete a minimum of 30 hours through WMU. Ten of the last 30 hours must be taken through WMU (not through correspondence credit or credit by examination). Individual colleges and departments may have additional residency requirements.
• Credits completed at an institution that is accredited by some other national or specialized program accreditor may only be accepted upon review and approval by faculty from the appropriate department(s) or areas of study.
• Articulated credit and credit by examination awarded by other institutions is not considered for transfer credit. Transcripts from each institution and/or official exam scores must be provided so that WMU can complete our own evaluation.
• Credit evaluations will not be processed until a student has been fully admitted to WMU.
• Transfer credits will only be considered for institutions reported on your admission application.
• Credit evaluations are only conducted for undergraduate students; graduate-level students must meet with applicable department advisors, and/or department faculty, to request transfer credits.
• The International Student and Scholar Services (I3S) office must receive an official transcript (original transcript) before a credit evaluation can be requested. Official transcripts can be submitted directly to the I3S office via mail* or email**. Hand-carried transcripts will be accepted if in a sealed envelope from the institution. The name of the institution must be printed on the envelope as well. Note: Photocopies of official transcripts, faxed copies of official transcripts, scanned copies of official transcripts, or anything else submitted by students are not considered official.
• If any transcripts are not issued in English, students must also provide an official, attested English translation of each document.
• Normal processing time for a credit evaluation is at least 10 business days.
• For the evaluation of some transfer courses, it may be necessary for students to provide detailed course descriptions and syllabus. 

*Official transcripts can be mailed to the I3S office using this address: 

International Student and Scholar Services (I3S)
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
3110 Faunce Student Services
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5246 USA

**Official transcripts can be emailed to the I3S office at @email. Please note transcripts submitted electronically must be sent from an official school email account (no Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.).

Transfer guides and articulation agreements

WMU has partnered with many institutions to facilitate a smooth transfer process for students who begin their academic career at a community college. Transfer guides suggest specific course selections for students planning to pursue certain majors. They explain individual program requirements and pre-requisites.  Articulation agreements are formal documents signed by WMU and a partnering institution for specific pathways designed by major. Students should utilize these tools in coordination with their foreign institution and WMU advising teams to take the shortest path to graduation with the lowest cost.

Contact Resources for Transfer Credit Questions

The office that evaluates and processes transfer credit at WMU depends on whether the institution(s) or examination board(s) a student is seeking transfer credit from is foreign or domestic. 

• If the attended institution(s) or examination board(s) from which a student wishes to have credits transferred is foreign (outside the U.S.), transcripts will be evaluated and any potential transfer credits will be processed by the I3S office, regardless of whether a student is domestic or international.
• If the attended institution(s) or examination board(s) from which a student wishes to have credits transferred is domestic (within the U.S.), transcripts will be evaluated and any potential transfer credits will be processed by the domestic Office of Admissions, regardless of whether a student is domestic or international.
  • Please note this policy includes any potential IB credits. 

Steps to follow in order to receive transfer credits

1. You must be fully admitted to WMU in order to receive transfer credits.
2. Request your institution(s) submit official transcripts on your behalf to WMU.
   1. Please note third-party transcript evaluation reports, such as from WES, are not a required or acceptable form of credentials for WMU transfer credit purposes.
3. The appropriate office (either domestic Office of Admissions or I3S) will review your official transcript and assign credit to any course in which you received the equivalent of a “C” or higher at WMU.
4. You will receive an email with a report of all transferred credit. 

Eligibility Criteria for Forms DS-2019 for J-1 academic student category

• Program is carried out under a written agreement between WMU and a foreign academic institution or foreign government;
• Program or student is financed by the US government, student's home country government or qualifying international organization; or
• Student is supported substantially by funding from any source other than personal or family funds, which must be at least 50 percent of funding for the entire program at the time of application.

For current enrolled WMU J-1 students who are matriculating between levels:

• May be eligible for a Form DS-2019 to continue studies with proof of full WMU assistantship/associateship for at least one year of funding with possibility of renewal, provided all other eligibility requirements are met.  The Form DS-2019 will be noted accordingly.
• Additional proof of funding required for dependent.

Disability Services for Students at Western Michigan University strives to make education accessible and remove barriers to student success.

Reasonable academic adjustments and accommodations include but are not limited to: