Transfer Students

Required Documents

• Application for Undergraduate Admission and $50 fee
• Official high school transcript or GED score report (required of all students excluding those who have already earned an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree)
• Official transcript from every college/university attended (except Worcester State)**
• Education Break Explanation if you have taken any time off between high school and college and/or between college semesters
• Essay, letters of recommendation, resume, etc. (Optional)
• Official TEAS exam report for transfer students applying into the BSN Nursing (Track I) major – excludes second bachelor degree candidates. Minimum passing score of 78 required.
• Official NACE exam report for all transfer students applying into the Nursing Track III LPN to BS major. The minimum passing scores are as follows:

Additional Documents for Students with International Education Credentials

• Official high school transcript or national exam scores (unless student has earned an associate degree or higher)
• Official general evaluation of high school transcript or national exam scores (unless student has completed an associate degree or higher)
• Official international college/university transcript(s)
• Course-by-course evaluation of all college/university transcripts by a professional evaluation service, such as The Center for Educational Documentation, World Education Services, Spantran, or Josef Silny & Associates, Inc
• Submission of college/university course descriptions or syllabi are also required for the purpose of creating a transfer credit evaluation
• Notarized translation is required if any of the above transcripts/documents are not in English

After all of the required documents are received, an admission decision will be made for you. If you have attended more than one college/university, the cumulative GPA earned at the college/university most recently attended will be the primary focus of your admission decision. If accepted, you will receive a decision letter that includes a transfer credit summary (called a degree audit).

This preliminary review of your credits is subject to change upon review of your major transfer courses by an academic department chair or if you question the placement of any non-major courses.

**If you fail to disclose any prior college/university experience during the admissions process, you will be considered to have misrepresented your academic history, and—if accepted—your admission is subject to being rescinded.

Disclaimer: Students interested in the BSN Nursing (Track I) major must apply directly into this program. Students offered admission under a different major or current Worcester State students may not change their major to Nursing at a later time.

Note: Effective as of fall 2019, transfer applications will NOT be accepted for Occupational Studies (BSOS).

In order to be considered for admission to Worcester State as a Transfer Applicant, you must meet one of the following requirements:

• 12 to 23 transferable college credits and a minimum 2.5 college GPA
• Up to 23 transferable college credits, a minimum 2.0 college GPA, and a combination of high school grades and SAT/ACT scores that meet first-year admission standards
• 24 or more transferable college credits and a minimum 2.0 GPA

If you have earned college credits while enrolled in high school, you are considered a first-year applicant and must meet the first-year student admissions standards. Transferable college credits are academically-based, college-level courses completed at a regionally accredited college or university in which you received a grade of C- or better.

Maximum Transfer Credit Limits

• 72 credits from one or more 2-year college
• 90 credits from one or more 4-year college or university
• 90 credits from a blend of 2-year and 4-year colleges or universities (with a maximum of 72 credits out of the 90 credits from any 2-year colleges attended)

In order to receive a degree from Worcester State as a transfer student, you must complete at least 30 of your last 40 credits and earn the majority (more than 50%) of credits in your major and minor (if elected) at Worcester State.

Worcester State determines transferability of credits from other colleges and universities based on best practices as outlined by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers, the American Council on Education, and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Transfer and allocation of credit is determined based on the sending institution’s regional accreditation, the comparability of the learning experience to Worcester State, and the applicability of the learning experience to the student’s selected major/minor at Worcester State.

Stipulations that apply to transfer credit include:

• College-level courses completed at colleges and universities accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education, Inc. (NECHE), formerly the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), or similar regional associations, are acceptable for transfer to Worcester State.
• Coursework completed at non-regionally accredited institutions is considered on an individual basis, through a thorough examination of course content, syllabi, and/or learning objectives. Students may appeal the denial of transfer of credit from non-regionally accredited institutions to the Admissions Office.
• Transferability and allocation of courses to Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum (LASC) and/or free electives must be approved by the Admissions Office and Academic Success Center, according to established LASC transfer policies.
• Substitutions of transfer credit in the requirements of the major/minor must be approved by the department in which the major/minor is housed.
• The completion of the MassTransfer Block or the STEM Block at any Massachusetts community college satisfies the Worcester State general core/LASC requirements with the addition of 2 LASC content area courses (6 credits) of the student’s choice. Completion of the MassTransfer Block is confirmed upon receipt of an official transcript stamped with “MTB Complete.” Transfer students without the MassTransfer Block can transfer a maximum of 40 credits into LASC.
• The maximum number of credits that can be transferred from a community or junior college to Worcester State is 72. The maximum number of credits that can be transferred from a four-year institution to Worcester State is 90. If a student has attended a combination of 2-year and 4-year institutions, a maximum of 90 credits, including no more than 72 credits from the 2-year college(s), can be transferred.
• A residency requirement at Worcester State exists, which includes completion of at least 30 of the last 40 credits of any degree program and completion of more than half of the major/minor courses while matriculated at Worcester State.
• All transfer courses must be college-level. Worcester State does not accept remedial or developmental coursework in transfer.
• Courses earned with grades of C- or better will be considered for transfer.
• Life-experience credit, internships, practica, colloquia, and cooperative education experiences at another college cannot be transferred to Worcester State. Credit for such experiences may be offered at Worcester State, through a review with the American Council of Education College Credit Recommendation Service.
• A transfer credit evaluation process is prepared for new transfer students upon their acceptance to Worcester State. New transfer students are also provided an estimate of transferable credits in their acceptance letter.
• Veteran/Military Applicants (VALOR Act Academic Credit Evaluation Policy)

Reverse Transfer

Transfer students who transfer from a Massachusetts community college and have completed at least 30 college-level credits at a Massachusetts community college, but not yet earned their associate degrees, may be able to transfer credits earned at Worcester State to fulfill their associate degree requirements. The program is called “Reverse Transfer” and students can find more information and complete the Participation Form online.

Drop in to the Admissions Transfer Center’s office hours on Wednesdays between 9am-3pm for a one-on-one appointment to discuss transferring to Worcester State. The Admissions Transfer Center is located in the Shaughnessy Administration Building on the first floor in Suite 101-E.

Calling ahead, 508-929-8018, to confirm availability and wait times is strongly encouraged. Zoom appointments are available by request via email.

The Admissions Transfer Center is hosting in-person and virtual individual appointments Monday through Friday. Virtual appointments are scheduled in the form of Zoom meetings.

Request an Appointment