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Transfer Credit Guidelines

Transfer of Credits from other Colleges and Universities

Evaluation of course credit earned at other institutions by the Transfer Evaluation Office does not decree approval of the credit for use towards degree requirements. Only the academic dean of the college offering the program in which a student is enrolled has authority for determining which courses will be applied toward any specific program. The only exception to this rule is that no transferred course completed with a grade below C- may be applied to fulfill course requirements in majors, minors, or specializations.

Applicants must submit official records from all accredited institutions attended. Official transcripts must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions and School Relations. All college-level, non-vocational courses completed with a passing grade at regionally accredited colleges and universities (not including trade or technical schools) will be evaluated for acceptance of transfer credit by the Transfer Evaluation Office. The Transfer Evaluation Office determines acceptable transfer credit on the basis of an evaluation of course content as described from the sending institutions catalog and in consultation with the appropriate academic units at Texas Tech University as necessary for clarification. While all credit hours presented on the sending institution's transcripts will be evaluated, and equivalent college-level courses posted to the student's academic record, a maximum of 66 semester credit hours from two-year colleges may be applied towards degree requirements.

Students are encouraged to meet with the academic advisors of the college in which they plan to enroll to discuss that college’s policies on applicability of transfer credit for degree purposes. Credit hours will be applied to degree programs and majors when courses are deemed equivalent to the Texas Tech courses that satisfy various program requirements by the college in which the student is seeking a degree.

Students wishing to transfer credit to Texas Tech from a non-accredited institution must:

  • Complete 30 semester credit hours of work in residence at Texas Tech with at least a 2.0 GPA
  • Receive approval from the academic dean in order to validate credits for transfer.

The following guidelines apply to the transfer of college credit:

  • Original copies of official college transcripts will be reviewed and course work evaluated before transfer credit will be posted to a student's permanent academic record. Courses that may have been accepted for credit by another institution will not necessarily be accepted by Texas Tech.
  • Non-vocational, college-level courses completed with a grade of D or above at another regionally accredited institution (including courses taken on a pass-fail basis and passed) will normally be accepted for transfer. No transferred course completed with a grade below C- may be applied to fulfill course requirements in majors, minors, or specializations. Courses completed with codes indicating no grade or credit will not be transferred.
  • Vocational and technical courses normally not acceptable for transfer may be transferred as credit with departmental approval. However, only the student’s academic dean can determine the applicability of such credit towards a degree.
  • Transferability of courses will not be affected by a student's academic standing (i.e., probation, suspension), but credits earned while on academic suspension from Texas Tech University will apply to a degree plan only if approved by the student's academic dean.
  • Remedial courses will not be accepted for transfer and the credit hours will not be reflected on the student's academic record at Texas Tech.
  • Non-vocational, college-level courses from a non-accredited institution may be posted to the student's academic record only after the student has validated the credits for transfer with the student's academic dean according to Texas Tech policy.
  • Credit by examination will be accepted when the student provides documentation of appropriate test scores on an original score report from the national testing organization or official high school transcript. Credit is awarded according to Texas Tech University’s credit by examination guidelines.
  • Credit granted for nontraditional educational experiences by community colleges or other universities will not be accepted for transfer. These include courses taken at a non-degree granting institution; life or work experience; and work completed at specialized proprietary schools.
  • Credit for specialized support courses such as math, science, and English intended for use in an occupational program will not be transferred.
  • Credit hours taken at a junior or community college may not be transferred as upper division work, even when the Texas Common Course Numbering System designation indicates similar course content.
  • When a course has been repeated at another institution, only the most recent course and grade will be transferred and posted to the student's academic record, unless the course is designated in the institution's catalog as "may be repeated for credit."
  • Texas Tech will not transfer credit for any college course documented only on a high school transcript.

Application of Transfer Work to Academic Programs

The academic dean of the college in which a student is enrolled has authority for determining which courses will be applied toward any specific degree program. Credit hours will be applied to the various degree programs and majors when courses are deemed equivalent to the Texas Tech courses the satisfy program requirements. Academic advisors have access to electronic degree audit which will identify how transfer credits apply to specific degree program requirements. A transferred course completed with a grade below C- may not be applied to fulfill course requirements in majors, minors, or specialization's. While all credit hours presented on the sending institution's transcripts will be evaluated and equivalent college level courses posted to the student's academic record, a maximum of 66 semester credit hours from two-year college may be applied towards degree requirements.

Texas Common Course Numbering System

The Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) has been designed to aid students in the transfer of general academic courses between Texas public colleges and universities throughout the state. The system insures students that courses designated as common will be accepted for transfer and the credit will be treated as if the courses had actually been taken on the receiving institution's campus. Texas Tech courses identified as common will have the Common Course Number listed in brackets at the end of each course description.

Click on the following link to learn more about the TCCNS: The Texas Common Course Numbering System.

Completion of Core Requirements at another Texas public Institution

In accordance to the rules mandated by the Texas legislature concerning the transfer of core curriculum:

"If a student successfully completes the 42 semester credit hour core curriculum at an institution of higher education, that block of courses may be transferred to any other institution of higher education and must be substituted for the receiving institution's core curriculum. A student shall receive academic credit for each of the courses transferred and may not be required to take additional core curriculum courses at the receiving institution unless the board has approved a larger core curriculum at that institution."

Click here for more information concerning the Texas Tech Core Curriculum

Educational Experience in the Armed Forces

Credit may be given for formal service school courses completed in the armed services after evaluation of official documents by the Transfer Evaluation Office. The student's academic dean decides if credit awarded for such courses will be applied toward requirements for the bachelor's degree.