Concordia University Wisconsin has many opportunities for students to transfer in credits earned prior to attending CUW. Please select from the categories below to learn more:

Undergraduate Students

A student may be allowed credit for work completed at the undergraduate level prior to enrolling at Concordia University Wisconsin / Ann Arbor (CUWAA). In some cases, an articulation agreement may govern the transfer of credits. In the absence of an articulation agreement, the following requirements are established.

  • Courses taken at CUWAA, no matter the format, are considered 'residency' courses.
  • Students must earn a minimum of 18 credits at CUWAA to be awarded an associate's degree and a minimum of 36 credits at CUWAA for a bachelor's degree.
    • A minimum of 12 residency credits are required within a student's major.
    • A minimum of 6 residency credits are required within a student's minor/concentration.
  • If there is no specified program policy, the university allows for transfer of up to 42 credits toward an associate's degree and 84 credits toward a bachelor's degree, provided credits are from another regionally accredited university. For a certificate program, up to 25% of the overall credits may be transferred from another regionally accredited university.
  • If the maximum number of transfer credits is not brought in at the start of a student's program, the student may discuss options with his/her academic advisor for additional course credit.

Before awarding transfer credits:

  • The student must provide official transcripts documenting completion of undergraduate-level coursework and the grade(s) obtained for this work.
  • Students transferring fewer than 60 college credits may be required to submit their official high school transcript.
  • The number of undergraduate credits for a course taken at another institution must be equal to or greater than the number of credits for a comparable course at CUWAA (i.e. a two-credit course will not transfer in for a three-credit course).
  • If there is no specified program policy, each course grade must meet the CUWAA undergraduate admission standard of a 'D' or better. Courses in which the student received lower than a 'D' will not be considered for transfer.
  • Transfer credits related to a student’s area of study (major/minor/concentration) may be reviewed by the specific program for age and content relevancy.

Additional information:

  • Transfer credits are not used in calculating a student's grade point average (GPA).
  • Students are required to be 'in residence' (i.e. complete at least on course) at CUWAA during the semester of graduation. It is recommended that students meet with their academic advisor prior to the final semester to review their degree evaluation and make plans for completion of all remaining program requirements.
  • Specific program policies related to maximum transfer credits, currency of coursework, or minimum grade requirements will be listed in the program's section of the catalog or in the department's handbook.

In case of special extenuating circumstances, the Academic Office may approve exceptions to the policy.

Approaches to earning credits

This option may not be applicable within all academic programs. Prior approval by a department level official must be obtained before enrolling in any of the options listed below. All transcripts must be on file at Concordia to ensure there will be no duplication of coursework.

Graduate Students

A student may be allowed credit for work completed at the graduate level prior to enrolling at Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor (CUWAA). In some cases, an articulation agreement may govern the transfer of credits. In the absence of an articulation agreement, the following requirements are established.

  • Courses taken at CUWAA, no matter the format, are considered ‘residency’ courses.
  • Students must earn a minimum of 15 credits at CUWAA to be awarded a master’s degree and a minimum of 30 credits at CUWAA for a doctoral degree.
  • If there is no specified program policy, the university allows for transfer of up to 50% of the overall credit requirements for a degree program and up to 25% of the overall credits for a certificate program, provided credits are from another regionally accredited university.

Before awarding transfer credits:

  • The student must provide official transcripts documenting completion of graduate-level coursework and the grade(s) obtained for this work.
  • Courses older than seven years will not be transferred unless an exception is granted by the program director and/or Dean.
  • The number of graduate credits for a course taken at another institution must be equal to or greater than the number of credits for a comparable course at CUWAA (i.e. a two-credit course will not transfer in for a three-credit course).
  • If there is no specified program policy, each course grade must meet the CUWAA graduate admission standard of a 3.0 (B) or better. Courses in which the student received lower than a 3.0 (B) will not be considered for transfer.

Additional information:

  • Transfer credits are not used in calculating a student’s grade point average (GPA).
  • Students are required to be ‘in residence’ (i.e. complete at least one course) at CUWAA during the semester of graduation. It is recommended that students meet with their academic advisor prior to the final semester to review their degree evaluation and make plans for completion of all remaining program requirements.
  • Specific program policies related to maximum transfer credits, currency of coursework, or minimum grade requirements will be listed in the program’s section of the catalog or in the department’s handbook.

In case of special extenuating circumstances, the Provost’s Office may approve exceptions to this policy.

Credit sharing between Concordia programs

A student completing multiple programs at CUWAA may be permitted to have shared credits count for both programs.

  • An Undergraduate and Graduate Program: If graduate-level courses were approved to be taken as part of a student’s undergraduate degree, up to 15 credits may be used toward the completion of a master’s degree.
  • Two Masters Programs: If there is no specified program policy, a student may share up to 15 credits between two master’s programs. A minimum of 15 unique, non-overlapping credits is required in each program to award a degree.
  • A Masters and Doctoral Program: If there is no specified program policy, a student may have up to 15 credits of doctoral work count toward a master’s program. A minimum of 15 unique, non-overlapping credits at the master’s level, and 30 unique, non-overlapping credits at the doctoral level, is required to award each degree.
  • If there is no specified program policy, grades for graduate-level shared credits must meet the CUWAA admission standard of a 3.0 (B) or better to count for both programs.

Articulation agreements

Questions?

The Registrar's Office is located in Stuenkel, room 103. Our regular business hours are from 8am to 5pm Monday through Thursday and 8am through 4pm on Fridays. Hours may vary at different times of the semester. For holiday closures, please check the academic calendar.

You may email us at registrar@cuw.edu or call 262-243-4345.

Transfer out to other institutions

Concordia University Nebraska

Program: Graduate and Professional
Major or Graduate Degree: PharmD
Partner Program: Master's in Public Health with Medication Safety & Pharmacovigilance Concentration

Concordia Wisconsin PharmD students complete 10 elective credits taught by Wisconsin which also qualify as the concentration in the Master's in Public Health degree at Concordia Nebraska. If Concordia Wisconsin students enter the dual degree program, 12 of the required 39 credits in the MPH at Nebraska have been completed at Wisconsin and the balance of the courses toward the MPH are taken at Nebraska. Students matriculate at both institutions. 

Lakeland University

Concordia Program: Graduate and Professional
Concordia Major or Graduate Degree: PharmD
Partner Program: B.S. Biochemistry with Pharmaceutical emphasis

Students taking a B.S. Degree in Biochemistry with a Pharmaceutical Emphasis from Lakeland use a reverse transfer arrangement of the first year of the Doctor of Pharmacy program at CUW. The B.S. degree is awarded by LU and the PharmD degree awarded by CUW. This is designed as a 3 + 4 program.

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Concordia Program: Graduate and Professional
Concordia Major or Graduate Degree: PharmD
Partner Program: Biological Sciences Undergraduate Major

3 + 4 Program leading to a B.S. Degree in Biological Sciences from UWM and a PharmD from CUW.

Cooperative Degrees

We’ve designed this program with Alverno College
  • Music Education - Music Therapy
We've designed these cooperative programs with Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC):
  • Interior Design
  • Horticulture
  • Environmental Health and Water Quality Technology
We've designed these cooperative programs with the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD):
  • Graphic Design
  • Interior Architecture and Design
  • Illustration
We've designed this cooperative programs with the Mount Mary University
  • Fashion Merchandising