Credit Transfer

Already have a head start on college credit?

Good for you! Maybe you've taken Advanced Placement (AP) exams, been dually enrolled while in high school, or have taken courses at another college. NMU has very favorable credit transfer policies, and transfer tools (below) that are easy to use.

• See how your credits transfer on your own:
  The transfer equivalency site allows you to view a full list of courses from your school that NMU has evaluated for transfer credit. In each case, start by picking the college you are transferring credit from to find the coordinating NMU course name.
• Our course-by-course equivalencies website will allow you to look up five classes at a time from your transfer school  to see how they transfer to NMU.
• Transfer guides and Articulation Agreements are available and are organized by your current school and your intended NMU major.
  Articulation Agreements are formal contracts between community colleges and NMU provide students with an easy to follow plan for their first two years at the community college, and for their final two years at NMU.
• If your school is not listed on the sites above, you can request a customized transfer guide.

  Note:  The transfer credit information provided reflects the current evaluation of courses from this college.  Changes will occasionally take place at NMU and your college, so the information provided in these guides is subject to change.  Students should contact an NMU transfer admissions counselor to keep informed of these changes.  Final responsibility for verifying all transfer information lies with the student; a transfer guide is not intended to be a contract with NMU.

• When a transfer course equivalent cannot be determined, a more general interpretation may be awarded. The transfer credit key lists the definitions of these interpretations.

• Click here for a listing of how NMU accepts AP (advance placement) and IB (international baccalaureate) and CLEP (College Level Examination Program) scores. You can also review the Advanced Placement policies in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

How are courses evaluated for transfer to NMU? When the content of a transfer course is determined to be equivalent to a Northern course and the credits for the course are at least half that of the Northern course, the Northern course is awarded. If the transferable course has fewer credit hours than Northern's course, the lower amount is awarded.

Within a few weeks of being admitted to NMU, transfer applicants will receive an evaluation of their submitted transcripts detailing their transfer credit. Generally, college level courses with grades of a C- or better from regionally accredited institutions will transfer. Courses with grades of D+, D, D-, E or F will not be considered for transfer credit, nor will doctrinal religion courses.  Some departments require a minimum grade of C or better to count towards meeting degree requirements.  Students majoring in education who are completing the equivalent of NMU's EN 111, College Composition I, must earn a grade of C or better. Transfer students do not carry in their previous grade point average and will earn an NMU grade point average after the first semester of attendance.

Students transferring credit from two-year colleges may transfer a maximum of 64 semester credit hours and an additional 4 semester credit hours of physical education. In situations where more than 64 semester credit hours are completed at a two-year college level, the most applicable courses to a student's intended major are transferred. There is no maximum credit limit for four-year colleges or universities*

    *If the number of credits you will transfer exceeds the number of credits required to earn your NMU degree, please contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss any potential impact on your scholarship and/or financial aid eligibility.  

In situations where students are seeking transfer credit for courses where there has not been an equivalency established, or where there has been a significant lapse of time since Northern last evaluated the course, the student may be asked to provide additional information for use in determining the appropriate course equivalency.

If you have specific questions, a transfer admissions counselor can also assist you. Feel free to e-mail us at transfer@nmu.edu.