Admissions

Transfer Students

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There is no separate process for applying as a transfer student. Students who have attended another college should complete the standard application process as described under Admissions.

As part of the application process, the Admissions Committee will evaluate your credits, and in the case of studio classes, your portfolio, to make sure that your classes are not repetitive of work you have done at another college.

We also want to make sure you take many of the crucial classes that make an ArtCenter education unique. For this reason, a maximum of 60 units of studio and academic credits may be transferred in total from another accredited institutions.

ArtCenter does not require specific courses to be completed prior to applying or transferring.

More detailed information regarding transfer credits can be found in this handbook and on our website. 

Transfer Credit Policy

Time to Degree

ArtCenter recognizes two types of transfer credits: credit for studio art classes, and credit for Humanities and Sciences (H&S) classes. Studio transfer credit, not Humanities and Sciences credit, determines the number of terms required for you to complete your degree. Advanced standing is awarded only if a student receives sufficient studio art credit to shorten the number of terms required for degree completion. Term level placement will be listed on your transfer credit evaluation and your acceptance letter.

Maximum Transfer Credits

A maximum of 60 units of studio and academic credits may be transferred in total from other accredited institutions.

Grade to Transfer

Studio art/design classes are eligible to transfer with a grade of “B” or better from an accredited college if the course content closely resembles the requirements offered at ArtCenter and equivalent skills are demonstrated in the application portfolio. Program-specific H&S Courses are eligible to transfer with a grade of “B” or better from an accredited college if the course content closely resembles the requirements offered at ArtCenter. Elective H&S Courses may transfer based on the general categories below with a grade of “C” or better from an accredited college.

Accreditation

Transfer credit can be accepted from colleges or universities that are accredited by one of the six U.S. regional associations of schools and colleges— Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)—or by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). International programs will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Credit System

ArtCenter uses a semester credit system. Transfer credit hours from institutions using other credit systems (quarter, ECTS, etc.) will be evaluated and recalculated for semester credit equivalency.

Final Official Transcripts

If accepted, it is the student’s responsibility to provide final official transcripts from all colleges attended and AP/IB/A Levels exams taken. Credit will not be awarded based on unofficial transcripts that were submitted to apply, courses in progress, or transcripts from colleges not previously disclosed on the application for admission. Please make sure they are sent in a sealed official envelope from each institution you have attended, or electronically via secure electronic transcript service prior to the start of Orientation.

Finalization of Transfer Credits

All transfer credit must be finalized by the end of a student's entering term at ArtCenter. If a student has in-process credits prior to their enrollment at ArtCenter, then those credits are eligible for transfer. If a student attends another college after enrolling at ArtCenter, those classes will not be eligible for transfer. Students matriculated in ArtCenter’s degree program cannot use ArtCenter Extension courses to meet their degree requirements after enrollment.

Transferring Studio Art/Design Courses

View the specific studio requirements per major on the Course of Study page for the major you are interested in. More information is listed in the major section below.

Grade requirement

Studio art/design classes are eligible to transfer with a grade of “B” or better from an accredited college if the course content closely resembles the requirements offered at ArtCenter and equivalent skills are demonstrated in the application portfolio.

Portfolio Requirement

Studio art credit is awarded based on a combination of portfolio work and prior college credit. It is never awarded solely on a listing of courses on a transcript. The Admissions Committee will determine whether similar content was covered in a comparable class based on the portfolio work. Portfolios and transcripts are evaluated for studio credit at the time of admission. A transfer student's overall length of program will be shortened only if one or more semesters of studio art transfer credit is awarded.

ArtCenter Extension Courses

Studio courses taken through ArtCenter Extension, ArtCenter's non-degree continuing education program, are considered for transfer if the course is listed as transferable at the time of entry, is applicable to the major, and if a grade of “B” or better is achieved. Exceptions to the policy can be made only by the Admissions Committee based on the portfolio review. The transfer of these courses will depend on the admissions policy in effect at the time of entry to the degree program. Please contact an Admissions Counselor with questions regarding transfer eligibility of ArtCenter Extension courses.

Additional Studio Art Credit for Professional Work Experience

In addition to credit for prior college courses, students may also be granted a maximum of 12 studio art credits based on professional work experience verified through a submitted portfolio (combined credits not to exceed 60 credits in total). Contact transfer@artcenter.edu for details on the formal submission process.

Transferring Humanities and Sciences (General Education) Courses

Depending on your major, a minimum of 45 Humanities and Sciences (H&S) credits are required for graduation. H&S classes are made up of Required H&S courses and Elective H&S courses.

Grade Requirement

  • Required H&S Program Courses are eligible to transfer with a grade of “B” or better from an accredited college if the course content closely resembles the requirements offered at ArtCenter.
  • Elective H&S courses may transfer based on the general categories below with a grade of “C” from an accredited college.

Credits accepted for transfer must fall into these categories:

  • Humanities
  • Social Sciences
  • Science & Technology
  • Business & Professional Practices

The number of classes required in each category varies by major (see your major section for more information), and a full description of types of classes is available from the Admissions Office. The number of H&S credits transferred typically does not affect the length of the program but will lighten the course load from term to term.

Writing Studio

ArtCenter requires all students to take Writing Studio, an English composition course, as part of degree completion. Apart from the First Year Immersion program, students can receive transfer credit for Writing Studio by completing one of the following :

  • A college-level English composition class from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university in which the primary language of instruction is in English with a grade of “B” or better; or
  • A score of 4 or 5 in the Advanced Placement (AP) English Language/Composition or English Literature/Composition exam and had their scores sent to and verified by ArtCenter; or
  • A score of 6 or 7 on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level English A exams and had their scores sent to and verified by ArtCenter.

English for Multi-lingual Speakers, Creative Writing, and Literature courses are not eligible for Writing Studio credit. English courses taken at universities with a primary teaching language other than English are eligible for Humanities & Sciences elective credit only. ESL courses are not eligible for transfer credit. Classes taken at non-U.S. colleges in which the language of instruction is English will be evaluated on an individual basis. Any exception will be made on a case-by-case basis by the chair of Humanities and Sciences.

Limitations on Transfer Credits

Due to the specialized topics covered, some required liberal arts and sciences courses can be taken only at ArtCenter. These vary by major. Requirements by major can be viewed below.

Transfer Credit by Exam (AP, IB, A-Levels)

ArtCenter also accepts credit by exam for Humanities and Sciences subjects in these cases:

  • Advanced Placement (AP) credit is awarded for Humanities and Sciences classes with an official score of 4 or 5. Official exam reports must be sent directly from CollegeBoard.org.
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) credit is offered for Higher Level Humanities and Sciences courses with a score of 5, 6, or 7. Official IB exam results must be sent directly from IBO.org or from the awarding institution.
  • Advanced Level (A Level) credit is offered for relevant Humanities and Sciences classes with a grade of “C” or better. A Level Subsidiary (AS Level) courses are not eligible for credit. Final A Levels certificates can be sent from the testing agency or secondary school. Provisional results cannot be awarded as official transfer credit.

Please see the attached Transfer Equivalents for Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and A-Level Exams document for a list of exams that are accepted for credit.

ArtCenter does not offer studio credit for any AP, IB, or A Level studio art or design classes. Official score reports should be sent to the Admissions office from the examination body.

Graduate Programs Transfer Credit

Transfer credit for graduate classes is limited in nature and is offered at the discretion of the individual graduate program. Studio transfer credit is evaluated based on portfolio equivalency to ArtCenter classes and a transcript demonstrating eligible classes.

Only graduate-level classes with a B grade or better on an official transcript are eligible for consideration. In order to be considered, any prospective transfer credits must be from colleges or universities that are accredited by one of the six regional associations of schools and colleges. International transcripts will be evaluated on an individual basis.

A maximum of 15 credits may be transferred. Notification of any prematriculation transfer credit will be provided at the time of admission.

For a detailed description of eligible transfer credit by category, visit www.artcenter.edu/transfer.

Transfer Credit by Major

Guidelines of what types of courses may transfer for ArtCenter’s various majors can be found on our website.