Transfer Credit Policy & Forms

Transferring Credit to a Master's Degree Program

A limited number of graduate course credits taken at a regionally accredited institution in the United States may be transferred toward a master's program provided the Graduate Program Director recommends to the Graduate Dean that the credits be transferred and that request is approved (See Transfer of Credit Forms). No courses taken outside of the University of Massachusetts Amherst may be transferred toward a doctoral or an Educational Specialist program.

1. Course Eligibility Requirements:
   • Course credits must be graduate level.
   • Course credits must have been earned at a regionally accredited institution in the United States.
   • Course credits may not have been used previously to fulfill the requirements for any other degree, certificate or diploma program.
   • Grades received for courses requested for transfer must be "B" (3.00) or better.
   • Course credits must have been taken no more than three years prior to the student's acceptance into the master's program.
   • An official transcript of the course(s) to be transferred is required 
2. Number of Credits:
   No more than a total of twelve (12) graduate credits may be transferred. Of these, a maximum of six (6) credits may be from any one of the following sources:
   • Course(s) taken at another regionally accredited college/university within the United States
   • Course(s) taken at UMass Amherst as a non-degree graduate student (also see Non-Degree Students)
   • Course(s) taken at UMass Amherst as an undergraduate student over and above requirements for the baccalaureate degree
3. Use of Courses to Fulfill Requirements: 
   • Non-University of Massachusetts Amherst transfer credits may be used to fulfill elective or departmental course requirements. These courses may not, however, be used to satisfy the 600-800 level requirement, nor can the grade received in a course taken at another institution be used to satisfy the university's requirement for letter-graded credits (see Master's Degree Requirements).
4. Transfer Credits to Another Institution: 
   • Courses taken as a non-degree student are listed separately from the degree transcript. A course taken while enrolled in a degree program but not applied toward a University of Massachusetts Amherst degree may be transferrable. The Graduate School can, if necessary, certify that a course was not applied to any degree requirement at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was eligible for graduate credit when appropriate.

Transferring Credit to an Accelerated Master's Degree Program

Upon departmental recommendation, up to 12 credits may be transferred to the Accelerated Master's Degree program.  Those credits that are to be transferred must be taken as an undergraduate at UMass Amherst while enrolled in the Accelerated Master’s Degree Option.

Of those 12 transfer credits, 6 to 12 credits (depending on the number of credits required for the Accelerated Master's program) can be double counted toward both the baccalaureate and master's degrees.  Up to 6 credits can be double counted for accelerated master's degree programs requiring 30 - 32 credits, 9 credits for accelerated master's degree programs requiring 33 - 35 credits, and 12 credits for accelerated master's degree programs requiring 36 or more credits.

Transferring Credit from a Graduate Certificate to a Master's Degree Program

Should a graduate certificate student subsequently apply and be accepted to a degree-granting program, up to 15 credits earned as a UMass Amherst graduate certificate student may be applied to satisfy graduate degree requirements. Any application of such credit must be approved by the program/department and must be appropriate to the program.

Transfer of Credit Forms

Transfer of Credits, Accelerated Masters
Transfer of Credits, External
Transfer of Credits, Nondegree

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