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Transfers

Planning to transfer colleges and complete your bachelor’s degree at Oakland University? We make it easy.

Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for two-year colleges, named Oakland University to its prestigious Transfer Honor Roll for 2024. The award recognizes universities that excel in providing transfer students with pathways to a four-year degree. This is OU's fourth consecutive year receiving this recognition.

Oakland University welcomes more than 1,000 transfer students every year, and the number is growing. We welcome transfer students from community colleges and four-year schools, as well as military veterans, international students, and high school graduates who’ve earned college credits through Advanced Placement (AP) courses, International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, or the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).

If you’re thinking of transferring colleges, we’ll help you achieve a smooth transition to Oakland University with:

  • Attention to your needs. You’ll work one-on-one with admissions advisers and academic advisers who’ll listen carefully, communicate promptly, eliminate hassles, and remove obstacles. Every transfer student has distinct objectives. We’ll put yours front and center. Register for a transfer student event or schedule a one-on-one consultation with an adviser (800-OAK-UNIV) so we can start the conversation.
  • Convenience. We’ll help you maximize the value of your transfer credits, so you can graduate as quickly and affordably as possible. To streamline the admissions process for transfer students, Oakland University participates in statewide transfer agreements (such as MTA and MACRAO) and have individual Transfer Articulation Agreements with nearly 40 institutions.
  • Ongoing support. Once you’re enrolled, we’ll stay in touch to ensure that your transition to Oakland University is successful. If you need any help getting acclimated, choosing courses, planning your schedule, or succeeding in your classes, our entire team—including faculty, advisers, and administrators—is at your disposal.
  • Financial assistance. We’ve set aside millions of dollars in scholarship and grant funds for transfer students. Depending on your grade-point average, the number of transfer credits you have, and other criteria, you can save thousands in tuition.

Transferring to Oakland University: Helpful Hints

Before you submit your formal application to transfer to Oakland University, we recommend completing one or more of these steps. With just a little advance planning, you can save a lot of time and hassle down the road.

  • Attend a transfer event and meet with an adviser. If you only take one step before you apply for transfer, make it this one. Oakland University hosts free events for transfer students throughout the year, including Transfer Tuesdays (twice a month) and Transfer Open Houses (four times a year). All events enable you to meet with admissions advisers. If you attend an Open House, you can get an immediate admission decision. Check our events calendar to register for the next transfer student event.
  • Use our self-service tools. If you’d like an immediate, unofficial assessment of your transfer credits, use our Transfer Equivalency Self-Service tool. You may also use our Transfer GuidesArticulation AgreementsMI Pathways and other transfer credit resources. These online tools enable you to find your current institution and translate your credits into their equivalents at Oakland University. The self-service tools are not intended as substitutes for a one-on-one meeting with an academic adviser, and the information is unofficial. However, they can give you a useful approximation of which prerequisites you’ve met and which degree requirements you’ve already fulfilled.
  • Consult our college-specific transfer guides. If you’re attending a college that Oakland University maintains a transfer agreement with, consult the corresponding transfer guide. These short, concise checklists enable you to quickly determine which credits will transfer to fulfill the specific degree you’re interested in.
  • Review our admissions criteria for transfer students and our rules for transferring credit.


Apply Now How to Check Your Admission Status
Transfer Equivalency Tool Transfer Guides

Criteria

Admission criteria depends on how many credits you already earned from another institution at the time of application:

  • 24 or more college credits: GPA of at least 2.5 will be considered for admission to Oakland University. OU will also consider positive trends of most recent grades.
  • fewer than 24 college credits: Admission will be based on both college and high school records; you must submit both college and high school transcripts.

You must submit official transcript(s) from each college or university you have attended (and high school if you have fewer than 24 college credits) to:

Undergraduate Admissions
Wilson Hall, Room 2000
371 Wilson Blvd.
Rochester, MI 48309-4454

Electronic transcripts may be sent to [email protected] (current OU students should have their transcripts sent to the Office of the Registrar at [email protected]). Transcripts must bear the seal of the institution and must not be stamped "issued to student." If you have attended more than one college, transcripts from each must be provided.

Admission of individuals whose formal education has been interrupted for three or more years, and who would not normally meet other admission criteria, may be considered based on one or more of the following: sustained employment record; recommendations from employers, educators or other professionals; and standardized test results. An interview with an Oakland University Admissions Adviser is required for such applicants to be considered for admission.

Appealing an Admission Decision

Oakland University carefully and thoughtfully considers all of the information applicants provide at the point of application. OU's application review process involves the careful reading and consideration of each applicant. An applicant for admission may submit an appeal if there is new information that was not previously provided at the point of application.

Submitting a Decision Appeal

You may submit your appeal to the Director of Undergraduate Admissions, along with the following:

  1. A description of the new information (not already included in your original admissions application) that should be considered by the Director. This new information can be related to the applicant's academic performance, or a description of the extenuating circumstances, which was not provided at the original point of application.
  2. Any relevant supplemental information, including an updated transcript or standardized test scores, if applicable.
Steps to Apply
  1. Complete the online application.
  2. Have your transcripts sent from all previously attended institutions regardless of whether or not credit was actually earned. The application process requires that students list all institutions attended. Failure to do so may result in denial of admission or subsequent cancellation of admission. Transfer students who earned fewer than 24 semester hours of credit must also submit high school transcripts, and must meet admission standards which are applied to entering freshmen. Click here to request your high school transcript through Parchment, if applicable.  Transcripts must bear the seal of the institution and must not be stamped "issued to student."
  3. If admitted, you will receive a transfer credit evaluation within one week.
  4. If admitted, you will be invited to attend a transfer student orientation where you will receive important information on the university, meet with an academic adviser and register for classes.
Transferring credit

As an incoming OU student, beginning fall 2020 there will be no limit on the number of credits you can transfer from your previous institutions. OU accepts transfer credit from all regionally accredited institutions and some non-regionally accredited institutions. All students transferring to OU must earn at least 45 credits at Oakland University to complete a bachelor’s degree program. Review course-by-course transfer equivalencies.

After you are admitted, you will receive an official transfer credit evaluation. All coursework completed with a 2.0 (or equivalent) or better grade is evaluated. You may use transferred courses for general education and major requirements. Academic departments will review transcripts for credits to be used toward major requirements by the end of your first semester at OU.

OU participates in several community college transfer agreements, including the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA).We also have formal agreements with each of Michigan's 28 community colleges that outline the specific academic pathway for transferring to OU. Learn about the benefits of following a transfer agreement.

You can also follow a transfer program guide for your intended OU major, from any community college in Michigan.

Students with international credentials must have an official, course-by-course evaluation sent by a NACES member evaluator such as Span Tran, World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators.

Military students with one year of continuous active duty service are awarded four elective credits. Further transfer credit may be awarded after review of military transcripts and ACE guidelines.

AP/IB/CLEP/DSST Policies
Oakland University welcomes students who have gone above and beyond by earning college-level credit through Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) or DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST). OU’s Office of the Registrar evaluates and awards credit or exemption for certain scores on AP, IB, CLEP and DSST. We also recognize the IB diploma. You should apply for admission and be sure to send your scores directly to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation.
TAG

By following the path laid out by our Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) program, high school and transfer students can reserve a place at Oakland University. Whether you’re a community college student hoping to transfer after the completion of your associate degree or a high school junior planning ahead, you have a unique chance to secure your future.

The TAG program gives you access to special College Credit Advising Days, which provide guidance from OU academic advising staff to ensure you’re on the right path for maximum transferability of your community college coursework. When you follow the TAG program and complete a course plan designed for a transfer to Oakland University, you have the assurance that every effort was made to maximize your credit and to spare you from having to repeat a course.

In order to best maximize your time at the community college, the TAG program is designed for high school juniors and seniors planning to begin their post-secondary education at the community college, or current community college students with less than 56 earned credits.

If you can answer “yes” to every statement below, you may be eligible to participate in the TAG program:

  • I am planning to complete my bachelor’s degree through Oakland University
  • I plan to have a cumulative college GPA of 2.5 or higher
Request more information about the TAG program.

Undergraduate Admissions

Wilson Hall, Room 2000
371 Wilson Boulevard
Rochester, MI 48309-4486
(location map)
(248) 370-3360
Text: (248) 712-3361


Office Hours
M-F 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Appointments
M-F 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Make an appointment