Transfer Applicants

A transfer student is an applicant who has graduated from high school and was enrolled in another regionally accredited college or university for at least one course during the fall semester following high school graduation. This classification includes post-baccalaureate applicants from other institutions seeking additional undergraduate coursework.

A former and transfer student is an applicant who attended YSU after graduating from high school, left and attended another regionally accredited college or university, and intends to return to YSU to pursue a degree. 

Transfer applicants can find additional information about the application, credit transfer, and financial aid processes here.

CREDENTIALS FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS

Official transcripts may be sent directly from the issuing institution by mail to the YSU Office of Admissions or can be delivered in person in the original sealed and stamped envelope. Official transcripts may be sent electronically through a secured provider (e.g. Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, etc.) directly to YSU.

PRE-BACCALAUREATE

All transfer applicants are required to submit all undergraduate transcripts from regionally accredited colleges and universities attended. Official high school transcripts are also required to be submitted, unless a student has earned an associate or Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. All transcripts must be sent to YSU's Office of Admissions.

POST-BACCALAUREATE

Post-baccalaureate applicants are required to submit all undergraduate transcripts from regionally accredited colleges and universities attended. High school transcripts are not required, unless specifically requested by YSU.

ADMISSION GUIDELINES

Transfer students with a minimum cumulative transfer GPA of 2.0 (out of 4.00) who attended regionally accredited colleges/universities, will be accepted to Youngstown State University for either an associate or bachelor’s degree.  Admission to the University does not guarantee admission to a specific degree program, major, minor, or field of concentration.  Some programs have additional requirements beyond those for general admission to the institution (e.g., background check, GPA higher than a 2.0, or GPA higher than the average required for admission to the institution). In such cases, admission for transfer students will be the same as those for native students.

CONDITIONAL ADMISSION GUIDELINES

In certain situations, students who do not meet the requirements for regular admission to YSU may be offered conditional admission with restrictions. For more details regarding transfer student conditional admission, please review the detailed information below. 

Transfer students with a cumulative transfer GPA below 2.00 (out of 4.00) are not eligible for regular admission to a bachelor's degree program, but may be admitted conditionally with restrictions to an associate degree program after review by the Admissions Committee.

Former YSU students who have attended another regionally accredited college or university after leaving YSU and were suspended from YSU, will need to reapply and complete the Reinstatement Form.  See the reinstatement policy for YSU students in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Transfer Students conditionally admitted with restrictions must meet the following requirements:

1. They are required to attend a Transfer Student Orientation (TSO); failure to do so will defer admittance to a subsequent semester. Transfer students may meet this requirement by attending a transfer orientation or by completing the online orientation module for transfer students.

2. During their first semester, they must meet weekly with an academic coach in the Resch Academic Success Center.

3. Transfer students must meet with their academic advisor two times during the first term.

   1. They are to be advised by their college’s professional advisors and not by faculty or departmental advisors.
   2. Students placing into ENGL 1541: Introduction to College Writing or ENGL 1549: Writing 1 with Support must take the course in their first semester.
   3. They must receive approval or their course schedule by a college academic advisor and may not make further changes without approval from the advisor.

   4. Students may not withdraw from these courses unless they make a complete withdrawal from the University.

4. Failure to fulfill the first semester guidelines and achieve good academic standing (i.e., a GPA of 2.00 or above) shall result in the conditionally admitted with restriction transfer student being suspended from the University. The student may not be admitted to any other YSU college until the suspension period has expired and would need to complete a Reinstatement Form to return to any YSU academic college. 
5. Earn 24 YSU credits and be in good academic standing or meet the GPA requirement in order to transition into a bachelor's degree. 

ACCEPTANCE OF TRANSFER CREDIT

To recognize courses appropriately and provide equity in the treatment of incoming transfer students and students native to the receiving institution, transfer credit will be accepted for all successfully completed college-level courses from regionally accredited colleges and universities. Students who successfully complete AA or AS degrees with a 2.0 or better overall grade point average would also receive credit for all college-level courses they have passed. (See Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy, Definition of Passing Grade, Appendix E on the ODHE website.) While this reflects the baseline policy requirement, individual institutions may set equitable institutional policies that are more accepting. Pass/fail courses, credit by examination courses, experiential learning courses, and other nontraditional credit courses that meet these conditions will also be accepted and posted to the student record.

See information for Transfer Students for related documents

TRANSFER CREDIT

Transfer credit is given for all coursework taken at a regionally accredited institution, provided that the student has a cumulative grade point average equivalent to 2.0 (on a 4.0 system). A cumulative GPA includes work from all previous institutions. Earned credits transferring into YSU will apply to one of three areas, including general education, major coursework, or elective credit. Developmental/remedial courses do not apply toward any degree at YSU. YSU accepts a "D" grade on the same basis as the rules governing native students. For example, a "D" grade might not satisfy a prerequisite for which a higher grade is needed.

Courses from non-regionally accredited institutions may be accepted on a case-by-case basis due to ODHE policy. Credit will not be blanketly posted to the student’s file, but a student may request that courses earned at such institutions be reviewed and evaluated to determine if the course can be accepted and applied to the student’s program of study. Courses may not be evaluated from certain non-regionally accredited institutions if a student applied for loan forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education. Any courses reviewed will go through the same process as those from regionally accredited institutions, which may require the student to provide additional information on each reviewed course (e.g. course description, syllabus, etc). All approved courses must be a minimum of 1 credit and cannot be developmental. Please refer to the full Ohio Department of Higher Education policy.

Conditions for transfer admission to the University are in line with ODHE rules and regulations (see above). Per ODHE policy, the University recognizes the associate degree as preliminary to the baccalaureate and admits advanced-standing students possessing the associate degree from a regionally accredited institution. Transfer credit is granted for all work successfully completed from the associate degree. Admission to the University does not guarantee that a transfer student will be automatically admitted to all majors, minors, or fields of concentration. Some programs within the University have separate admission standards that must be met before a student may enroll in that particular program. Please consult the appropriate college or department for information on restricted program admissions. Once admitted, transfer students shall be subject to the same regulations governing applicability of catalog requirements, class standing, and other privileges as all other native students.

Transfer applicants who are in good standing at the last institution they attended, and who have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher (on a 4.0 system) for all previous college-level courses, are admitted in good standing. Transfer applicants with a cumulative grade point average of less than 2.0 or who are on probation, may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants suspended or dismissed from their most recent institutions are not eligible for admission until at least one semester (excluding summer) has passed, following the term in which the suspension/dismissal occurred. Transfer students with multiple suspensions or dismissals may not be eligible for admission.  Consistent with undergraduate academic policy, failure to maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher (on a 4.0 system) during the probationary semester will result in academic suspension.

The university is continuing the process of examining all courses from surrounding collegiate institutions. The Office of Degree Audit along with the department chairs and the coordinator of General Education work with the Office of Admissions to identify courses that equate or courses that could count toward a major or general education credit. In accordance with policies governing the fulfillment of degree requirements, the appropriate school or college and/or department and/or coordinator of General Education will determine distribution of any accepted course work.

TRANSFER FROM A REGIONALLY ACCREDITED INSTITUTION-ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS

YSU also has a number of articulation agreements with colleges in Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Through these agreements a maximum number of credits from the associate-degree-granting institution will be applied toward a bachelor's degree program at YSU. Associate-degree holders meeting that criterion will, in most cases, be admitted with junior standing at Youngstown State and entitled to all the rights and privileges of native junior students, including eligibility for financial aid and priority in registration. Please refer to the Degree Audit website for more information and for a current list of articulation agreements.

The University also has articulation agreements with many career and technical centers to award college credit for various courses. For a complete list of these agreements, refer to the Degree Audit website under Partnership Program Information 2- and 4-Year Agreements with other Institutions.

Articulation agreements are pending with several other institutions in the region. Applicants who have not completed an associate program are considered on the same basis as other transfer applicants.

CREDIT FROM PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS

Students at YSU wishing to enter professional schools with the option of completing their baccalaureate degree in absentia may do so with the completion of at least 90 semester hours of coursework, which must include the following:

• All general University requirements
• Completion of major
• Completion of minor (if required)
• 39 s.h. of upper-division coursework (3700-4800-Level)

The University will accept the completion of not more than 30 semester hours from any professional school, provided that the student has been accepted for further study at the professional school, and granting any of the degrees approved by the accrediting agency of that profession (examples of degrees are listed below).  The student may thus secure the baccalaureate degree after three to three-and-a-half years in the University, followed by approximately a year in the professional school. The relevant professional degrees are:

• Doctor of Dental Surgery or equivalent
• Doctor of Medicine
• Doctor of Osteopathy
• Doctor of Pharmacy
• Doctor of Podiatry
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
• Doctor of Jurisprudence or equivalent
• Doctor of Ministry or equivalent
• Bachelor of Divinity or equivalent

ALTERNATIVE CREDIT (AP, CLEP, CTAG, DSST, etc.)

Students may be awarded credit towards their academic program through methods other than completing courses at Youngstown State University. Various alternative credit options are available to current students who meet the requirements and submit official documentation directly from the awarding body (i.e., College Board, JST, etc.) to YSU. Examples of alternative credit options include, but are not limited to, Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), AP, CLEP or DSST exams, Department Challenge Exams, etc.  Notations on high school transcripts or unofficial score reports are not sufficient. See the Alternative Credit page for further information.

APPEALS

A student who disagrees with the award of transfer credit by the receiving institution has the right to appeal the decision and should contact the Office of Degree Audit to begin the process. The institution will make the student aware of the entire appeal process at the time of contact. You can also visit the Appeal website for an explanation of the process.

The Ohio Department of Higher Education in 1990, following a directive of the 118th Ohio General Assembly, developed the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy to facilitate students' ability to transfer credits from one Ohio public college or university to another in order to avoid duplication of course requirements. A subsequent policy review and recommendations produced by the Articulation and Transfer Advisory Council in 2004, together with mandates from the 125th Ohio General Assembly in the form of Amended Substitute House Bill 95, have prompted improvements of the original policy. While all state-assisted colleges and universities are required to follow the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy, independent colleges and universities in Ohio may or may not participate in the transfer policy. Therefore, students interested in transferring to independent institutions are encouraged to check with the college or university of their choice regarding transfer agreements.

Conditions for Transfer Admission

1. Graduates who are considered transfer students under the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) definition with associate degrees from Ohio’s public institutions of higher education and a completed, approved Ohio Transfer 36 shall be admitted to a public institution of higher education in Ohio, provided their cumulative grade-point average is at least 2.0 for all previous college-level courses and other institutional admission criteria, such as space availability, adherence to deadlines, payment of fees, and grade-point average that are fairly and equally applied to all undergraduate students, have also been satisfied. Further, these students shall have admission priority over graduates with an out-of-state associate degree and other transfer students with transferable and/or articulated college credit.
2. Associate degree holders who are considered transfer students under the IPEDS definition and have not completed the Ohio Transfer 36 from an Ohio public institution of higher education will be eligible for preferential consideration for admission as transfer students as long as the institution’s admission criteria, such as the minimum academic standards, space availability, adherence to deadlines, and payment of fees, are fairly and equally applied to all undergraduate students.
3. In order to encourage completion of the baccalaureate degree, students who are not enrolled in or who have not earned an degree but have earned 60 semester/90 quarter hours or more of credit toward a baccalaureate degree with a cumulative grade-point average of at least a 2.0 for all previous college-level courses will be eligible for preferential consideration for admission as transfer students as long as the institution’s admission criteria, such as the minimum academic standards, space availability, adherence to deadlines, and payment of fees, are fairly and equally applied to all undergraduate students.
4. Students who have not earned an associate degree or who have not earned 60 semester/90 quarter hours of credit with a grade-point average of at least a 2.0 for all previous college-level courses will be eligible for admission as transfer students on a competitive basis.
5. Incoming transfer students admitted to a college or university shall compete for admission to selective programs, majors, and units on an equal basis with students native to the receiving institution.

The admission of transfer students by an institution, however, does not guarantee admission to any majors, minors, or fields of concentration at the institution. Some programs have additional academic and non-academic requirements beyond those for general admission to the institution (e.g., background check, a grade-point average higher than a 2.0, or a grade-point average higher than the average required for admission to the institution). Once admitted, transfer students shall be subject to the same regulations governing applicability of catalog requirements as native students. Furthermore, transfer students shall be accorded the same class standing and other privileges as native students on the basis of the number of credits earned. All residency requirements must be completed at the receiving institution.

Ohio Transfer 36 (OT36)

The Ohio Department of Higher Education's Transfer and Articulation Policy established the Ohio Transfer 36, which is a subset or entire set of a college or university’s general education curriculum in AA, AS, and baccalaureate degree programs. Students in applied associate degree programs may complete some individual general education courses within their degree program or continue beyond the degree program to complete the entire Ohio Transfer 36. The Ohio Transfer 36 contains 36-40 semester or 54-60 quarter hours of course credit in English, mathematics, arts/humanities, social and behavioral science, natural/physical sciences, and optional interdisciplinary coursework.  More detailed information can be found on the ODHE website.

Courses for the Ohio Transfer 36 should be lower-division level general education courses commonly completed in the first two years of a student’s course of study. Each state-assisted university, technical, and community college is required to establish and maintain an approved Ohio Transfer 36.

Ohio Transfer 36 course(s) or the full Ohio Transfer 36 completed at one college or university will automatically meet the requirements of individual general education course(s) or the full Ohio Transfer 36 at another college or university once the student is admitted. Students may be required, however, to meet additional general education requirements at the institution to which they transfer. For example, a student who completes the Ohio Transfer 36 at Institution S (sending institution) and then transfers to Institution R (receiving institution) is said to have completed the Ohio Transfer 36 portion of Institution R's general education program. Institution R, however, may have general education courses that go beyond its Ohio Transfer 36 that may be specific to an academic major. State policy initially required that all courses in the Ohio Transfer 36 be completed to receive its benefit in transfer. However, subsequent policy revisions have extended this benefit to the completion of individual Ohio Transfer 36 courses on a course-by-course basis.

Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs)

Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs) comprise of Ohio Transfer 36 courses and additional courses required for an academic major. A TAG is an advising tool to assist Ohio university and community and technical college students planning specific majors to make course selections that will ensure comparable, compatible, and equivalent learning experiences across the state's higher-education system. A number of area-specific TAG pathways in the arts, humanities, business, communication, education, health, mathematics, science, engineering, engineering technologies, and the social sciences have been developed by faculty teams. TAGs empower students to make informed course selection decisions and plans for their future transfer. Advisors at the institution to which a student wishes to transfer should also be consulted during the transfer process. Students may elect to complete the full TAG or any subset of courses from the TAG. Because of specific major requirements, early identification of a student's intended major is encouraged. TAG courses count toward the major without adding to the overall total of credits in the particular major.

Students should also check with their department about which courses have received approval from ODHE as part of the Transfer Assurance Guide program. Only those courses that have received such approval can be guaranteed transfer credit as part of the major. Students may also check with the ODHE TAG website.

Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs)

Collaboration among the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Department of Education and Workforce, and other key stakeholders led to the development of policies and procedures to create statewide career-technical discipline specific articulation agreements and further ensure that students completing coursework at an adult or secondary career-technical institution can articulate and transfer agreed-upon technical courses/programs to any Ohio public institution of higher education and among Ohio public institutions of higher education "without unnecessary duplication or institutional barriers." 

Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs) are statewide articulation agreements that guarantee the recognition of learning which occurs at public adult and secondary career-technical institutions and have the opportunity for the award of college credit toward technical courses/programs at any public higher education institution. CTAGs serve as advising tools, identifying the statewide content guarantee and describing other conditions or obligations (e.g., program accreditation or industry credential) associated with the guarantee.

Military Transfer Assurance Guides (MTAGs)

In response to the legislative requirement (Ohio Revised Code 3333.164) to create a military articulation and transfer assurance guide for college-level learning that took place through military training, experience, and coursework, college credit will be granted to students with military training, experience, and/or coursework that is recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE) or a institutional accreditor that was formerly a regional accreditor military institution, such as Community College of the Air Force

In order to streamline the awarding, transferability, and applicability of college credit, service members and veterans are guaranteed to earn certain types of credit(s) or course(s) as specified in the Military Transfer Assurance Guides (MTAGs), which are based on the endorsed baseline standards and procedures by the Chancellor. Equivalent course(s), credits for courses, or block of credit is to be awarded and applied towards general education and/or major course requirements at the receiving institution in accordance with the MTAG guarantee. There is some training, experience, and coursework that the receiving institution may be able to award college credit only toward general or free electives.

In addition, public institutions of higher education shall ensure that appropriate equivalent credit is awarded for military training, experience, and coursework that meet the baseline standards and procedures according to the Ohio Revised Code 3333.164. This requirement goes beyond credit/course awarded based on the MTAG alignment process.

Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways (OGTP)

The Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways (OGTPs) are designed to provide a clear path for students pursuing an associate degree at Ohio community colleges who plan to transfer to an Ohio public university to complete a bachelor's degree in an equivalent field. The OGTPs constitute an agreement between public community colleges and universities confirming that community college courses meet major preparation requirements and will be counted and applied toward the bachelor's degree. Students still must meet all university program admission requirements. 

A student who complete all of the coursework within a major-specific Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathway (OGTP) will be eligible to earn an associate degree from an Ohio public community college. Successful completion of the OGTP will be recorded on the student's transcript, and upon transfer to an Ohio public university, the student should receive junior standing and all coursework taken as part of the pathway will transfer to the university toward the completion of a bachelor's degree in an equivalent field. OGTP builds upon the existing statewide credit transfer guarantees including the Ohio Transfer 36, Transfer Assurance Guides, Military Transfer Assurance Guides, and Career-Technical Assurance Guides. OGTPs can be found on the Ohio Department of Higher Education's website.

Apprenticeship Pathway Programs

The Apprenticeship Pathways initiative advocates for individuals completing apprenticeships by incorporating their learning into academic credit, thereby saving them time and money and encouraging them to advance their academic credentials to contribute to a strong, educated workforce.

Ohio apprenticeship programs partner with public two-year institutions to provide technology-specific statewide articulation agreements that recognize non-traditional prior learning. College credit is awarded toward a technical associate degree. Each agreement simplifies student advising by outlining how apprenticeship training in a certain pathway applies to an applied associate degree and lists remaining courses required to complete the degree. The application of the credit toward a technical associate degree in these agreements is guaranteed at the participating receiving institutions.

Responsibilities of Students

To maximize transfer credit application, prospective transfer students must take responsibility for planning their course of study to meet both the academic and non-academic requirements of the institution to which they desire to articulate or transfer credit as early as possible. The student is responsible to investigate and use the information, advising, and other available resources to develop such a plan. Students should actively seek program, degree, and transfer information; meet with an advisor from both the current and receiving institutions to assist them in preparing a course of study that meets the academic requirements for the program/degree to which they plan to transfer; use the various electronic course/program transfer and applicability database systems, including Ohio Transfer to Degree Guarantee web resources; and select courses/programs at their current institution that satisfy requirements at the receiving institution to maximize the application of transfer credit. Specifically, students should identify early in their collegiate studies an institution and major to which they desire to transfer. Furthermore, students should determine if there are foreign language requirements or any special course requirements that can be met during the freshman or sophomore year. This will enable students to plan and pursue a course of study that will better articulate with the receiving institution's major.