Transfer Student Admission

To be considered for transfer admission to Southwest Minnesota State University, students must submit the following to the Office of Admission:

• Completed application for admission and non-refundable fee of $20.00.
• Official transcripts from all non-MnSCU post-secondary institutions attended. Transcripts must be sent directly from each institution to the SMSU Office of Admission. Most transcripts from MnSCU institutions can be retrieved by electronic transcript process.

Students may also apply online at www.smsu.edu

Transfer admission will be granted to students who meet the following criteria:

• Have attained a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in previous college coursework from a college, university or technical college.
• Students wishing to transfer with less than 24 semester credits from an accredited two or four year institution must also submit an official high school transcript.

Information regarding preparation for transfer or evaluation of transfer credits may be obtained by contacting the Transfer Specialist in the Office of the Registrar. Students may review how courses will transfer at: www.smsu.edu/admission.

Students who do not possess the above stated admission requirements may be considered for Academic Opportunity-FYE if judged to have potential to be successful in the academic program at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Students who have been suspended from another institution will not be considered for admission to SMSU until the suspension has been lifted by that institution or until one year has elapsed. Students who possess debts at other institutions will not be offered admission to the University.

Evaluation of Previous Coursework

1. SMSU accepts all credits from the awarding institution in the following cases:
   • Bachelor’s degree
   • Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree
   • Complete Minnesota General Education Transfer Curriculum
     
     These credits will transfer to fulfill SMSU’s Liberal Arts Core Curriculum requirements.
2. In all other situations, the following rules for acceptance of transfer credit¹ will apply:
   • A grade of “C” or better must have been attained. (Policy under review)
   • Some restrictions apply to the number of transfer credits accepted in correspondence and religion courses.
   • Courses considered to be developmental (often numbered less than 100) will not transfer.
   • The criteria for accepting major coursework from other institutions is determined by the department of your chosen major.

Questions relative to the transfer of coursework should be directed to the Transfer Specialist located in the Office of Registration and Records.

¹

As with any transfer of credit, comparable course content is required.

Transferring from a Technical College

The Bachelor of Applied Science is a unique program at SMSU designed to allow technical college students an alternative plan to complete a bachelor’s degree. Students wishing to transfer into a Bachelor of Applied Science program at SMSU should contact the Office of Admission for further information.

Other technical college transfer students will receive a maximum of 16 semester credits (24 quarter credits) if they have successfully completed an established program at a technical college. Additional credits may be granted dependent upon individual departmental review.