Transfer Coursework Process

Graduate credits from other institutions are approved as part of your overall degree plan, as laid out in your GPAS worksheet. For PhD students, there is no fixed limit on the number of courses that may be considered for transfer, but all courses must be approved, and in general no more than 20 course credits from another institution will be approved. For MSME students, up to 40% of your coursework may be transferred with approval. A minimum of 12 graduate course credits must be taken at the University of Minnesota for the PhD degree.
The steps to transfer coursework are below.

For PhD students:

1. Meet with the Director of Graduate Studies in advance to confirm which courses may be eligible for transfer. You will need to provide a justification for how each course is comparable to a University of Minnesota course.
2. The DGS may request course syllabi and/or additional information to complete the review.
3. Once courses are approved, complete the GPAS worksheet form with your advisor's approval, listing only the approved transfer credits, and submit it to the Graduate Program Manager within one semester of passing the Qualifying Exams (typically your 3rd semester).
4. Once the GPAS worksheet form is approved, submit your GPAS Planner through One Stop.

Note: Doctoral thesis credits (ME 8888) or any other research credits earned at another institution cannot be applied toward the 24-credit doctoral thesis requirement, and a dissertation completed at another university cannot be transferred to the University of Minnesota.

For MSME (Plan A or Plan C) students:

1. Meet with the Director of Graduate Studies in advance to confirm which courses may be eligible for transfer (up to 40% of your required coursework). You will need to provide a justification for how each course is comparable to a University of Minnesota course.
2. The DGS may request course syllabi and/or additional information to complete the review.
3. Once courses are approved, complete the GPAS worksheet form with your advisor's approval, listing only the approved transfer credits, and submit it to the Graduate Program Manager. The form is due after one full-time academic semester or after completing 10 thesis credits (Plan A).
4. Once the GPAS worksheet form is approved, submit your GPAS Planner through One Stop.

Note: ME 8794 (MSME Directed Research) and master's thesis credits (ME 8777) may not be applied toward a PhD degree.