Texas Tech University

Transfer Evaluation Office

I want to take a course at another institution and I want to make sure it will be a course I can use.

Many students take courses at other institutions for many reasons and they want to make sure it will transfer back to Texas Tech as a useful course. Most courses will transfer into Texas Tech, but their use here is another question. The Transfer Evaluation Office which is part of the Registrar's office evaluates transcripts from other institutions and helps to assign equivalents. They have created tables which you can access. I would suggest that after you select the state and institution that you then select All Courses or something to that effect so you can browse through the whole list rather than having to go back and forth.

What use do you want to make of that course? If you have questions, turn to the appropriate resource. For instance, if the course is to be applied to your major or minor, ask that advisor. If it is for a Core or General Degree requirement, your major advisor may know or you may have to consult your college advisor. In many cases that is the same person, but in the College of Arts & Sciences it is not.

Always consult the most recent list of courses for the Core or General Degree requirements. Students in the College of Arts & Sciences need to consult the General Degree Requirements for the current year. Students in other colleges may be able to consult the HTML version of the most recent catalog.

Important rule: The 30-hour rule as stated in the Uniform Undergraduate Degree Requirements section of the catalog (look for the section headed “Residence Credit”) establishes that “the last 30 hours of coursework must be from Texas Tech.” Each college determines exceptions to this rule and some are stricter than others so check with your academic or college advisor when you believe you are within 30 hours of your graduation. You certainly don't want to pay for a course at the local college and find that Texas Tech refuses to use it because you were within your last 30 hours when you took it!

Here are a couple of other things you might want to think about.

Distance learning courses (online, correspondence, extended studies, etc.) are particularly important to check on since some colleges require that you gain approval for those types of courses in advance.

If the course you are planning on taking at another school is a prerequisite for something you want to take at Texas Tech, you want to plan so that you can get the course done and get the transcript into Texas Tech's Office of the Registrar in time for it to be posted (to appear on your transcript) before you need to register for that next course. Some departments will allow you to register for the course at the other institution and then show them the proof of registration in order to enroll in the needed class at Tech. The English Dept is not one of those. We ask that you be responsible for meeting the prerequisites by getting the courses posted so that you can register yourself without asking for intervening help.