Frequently Asked Questions

If I have my Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degree will I be admitted to CWU?

Yes. If you have a DTA degree you will be given priority admission to CWU. If you continue to earn credits at a college or university after you earn your DTA degree you need to maintain at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA for those credits.

Do I need an associate degree to transfer to CWU?

No. You can still be admitted to CWU without an associate degree. However, if you have the opportunity to obtain a Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degree, it will be to your benefit when you transfer to CWU. One of the biggest benefits of having a DTA degree is that it will automatically satisfy the General Education Requirements at CWU and allow you to focus on your major.

If you only need a few courses to receive your DTA degree you may want to consider finishing it at CWU. For instance, if you only needed two courses to complete your DTA degree, you may be able to complete those courses at CWU and then transfer those credits back to your community college. Then you could have an official transcript sent from your community college to CWU that shows your DTA degree. Depending on your situation you may or may not be able to finish your DTA degree this way. You should contact an academic advisor at your community college to see if you can finish your DTA degree this way.

I do not have a Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degree. How will I know how my credits will transfer to CWU?

You will receive an official credit evaluation after the following conditions have been met:

• You have been formally admitted to CWU.
• You have paid your $55 Confirmation of Admissions fee (not required for students starting in the summer.
• You have submitted final transcripts from all schools attended.

Your credit evaluation is normally completed within eight weeks after we receive your final transcript(s).

If you cannot wait for the official evaluation you can request an unofficial credit evaluation by contacting the CWU Academic Advising Center. Call toll free 1-866-CWU-4YOU or e-mail aac@cwu.edu to contact an advisor.

You can also get a rough estimate of how your courses will transfer to meet the CWU General Education Requirements by comparing the titles of the courses you have completed to the titles of our General Education courses. Courses with the same or very similar titles will generally transfer directly. College-level courses that do not match similar CWU courses might only transfer as elective credits.

If you have questions about upper division transfer courses that would apply to your major you should contact an advisor in your intended major about the transferability of those courses. You may call toll free 1-866-CWU-4YOU and be connected to any department on campus.

Does my DTA degree satisfy the CWU foreign language requirement?

It depends. Transfer students who have completed a Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degree and are pursuing a degree other than a Bachelor of Arts (such as a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts in Education, Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Fine Arts) do not have to meet the CWU foreign language requirement.

CWU requires that all other students, including those with DTA degrees pursuing Bachelor of Arts degrees, complete at least one year of a foreign language prior to graduation. This is only a graduation requirement, not an admissions requirement. You will automatically satisfy this requirement if you completed two years of a foreign language in high school or one year in college. If you satisfied this requirement in high school, please send an official high school transcript to CWU.

Does the Associate of Science degree transfer the same way as the Associate of Arts degree?

The Associate of Science Transfer (AS-T) degree, offered at many Washington community colleges, does not automatically satisfy all of the CWU General Education Requirements unless you also complete the following four courses:

• English 102 at CWU or the equivalent course at your community college.
• Three additional General Education courses beyond the 15 credits in Humanities and Social Science required for the Associate of Science Transfer degree.
• One of the three courses needs to be from the Arts and Humanities area.
• One of the three courses needs to be from the Social and Behavioral Sciences area.
• The third course can be from either the Arts and Humanities area or the Social and Behavioral Sciences area.

How many credits can I transfer toward my CWU degree?

Students may transfer no more than 135 credits to CWU, including a maximum of 105 credits of lower division (100-200 level) coursework. The CWU Office of the Registrar evaluates all transfer credits based upon official transcripts. To be eligible for graduation you must complete 75 credits (at least 45 from CWU) at a baccalaureate-granting institution. Extension credit including correspondence courses earned at other schools or the military may not exceed 45 credits. At least 60 credits of upper division (300-400 level) course work is required for graduation.

I have taken more than 105 credits from a two-year college (or more than 135 credits from a four-year college). What will happen to my other credits?

The CWU credit transfer limits mainly relate to our graduation requirements. You need at least 180 credits to graduate from CWU. This means that a community college transfer student must take at least 75 credits at CWU to graduate. Transfer students from four-year schools must take at least 45 credits at CWU to graduate.

Regardless of how many excess transfer credits you may have, you will not have to retake any CWU courses if you have already completed the equivalent courses at other institutions. However, you will still have to complete the minimum number of credits at CWU required for graduation.

As a Running Start student, will I still be classified as a freshman when I apply for CWU admission?

Yes. You will need to provide high school transcripts and SAT/ACT scores in addition to your college transcripts. However, you are eligible for both freshman and transfer scholarships.

Does my financial aid automatically transfer with me from my previous school to CWU?

No, you will need to apply for financial aid through CWU by adding the CWU school code (003771) to your FAFSA

Who will my advisor be?

Once you have decided on a major and have been accepted into that department, you will be assigned an advisor who will help you plan your degree. Prior to being accepted into your major, you can go to the CWU Academic Advising Center for assistance.

After I am admitted to CWU how do I register for classes?

If you are planning to transfer to CWU in the fall you should make every effort to attend the Transfer Orientation and Registration Day held near the end of July. During this event you can speak to advising staff members and academic department representatives, receive your student ID card, review housing and financial aid options, and register for fall classes. If you are planning to transfer to CWU in the winter or spring quarter there is usually an abbreviated version of the Transfer Orientation and Registration Day held during the winter or spring break.

If you are unable to attend a Transfer Orientation and Registration Day you should contact the Academic Advising Center at 1-866-CWU-4YOU extension 3523 or e-mail aac@cwu.edu for specific information regarding class registration.