How to transfer your credits

Before a concentration advisor can approve a course as meeting a concentration requirement it must be officially transferred to the University of Michigan and be listed on a student's transcript. To have a course officially transferred (and to have it noted on a U-M transcript), a student must have the institution send an official transcript to:

Credit Evaluations
1220 Student Activities Building
Office of Admissions
University of Michigan
515 E. Jefferson St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1316

If you would like to confirm that the University of Michigan has received your official transcript, please contact the Credit Evaluations Office. Last names that begin with:

A–E: call 734-763-1060
F–Laz: call 734-763-1064
Le–Riz: call 734-763-1069
Ro–Z: call 734-763-1065

Please note that if a student has attended more than one school, transcripts from each school must be sent directly from each institution.

From Another School

Please note that students transferring to the Psychology program at the University of Michigan must first be admitted to the University and then to the College of Literature, Science and the Arts (LS&A). Please see the Admission section for more information.

For more information about transfer admissions, visit the Admissions website transfer section.

Once a student has been accepted into LS&A and has met the required prerequisites to the Psychology or Brain, Behavior & Cognitive Science concentrations, they should declare one of these as their concentration (also known as a major).

Once you have been admitted to the University of Michigan, it is wise to meet with a concentration advisor to see how any courses taken in Psychology at other institutions will meet the concentration requirements. It is also wise to check to see if these courses have already been evaluated. To check, please view the page Transfer Credit (Course Equivalencies).

If your courses are not listed in the Transfer Credit Course Equivalencies webpage, you will need to bring detailed information about the courses that you need evaluated to a concentration advisor. A course syllabus, course description, the name and author of the textbook that was used and examples of your coursework are all helpful to have. With this information the advisor can decide if and what the course will be equivalent to in the University of Michigan Psychology Department.

It is also important to know that the Psychology Department at the University of Michigan requires that a minimum of 20 credits of the required concentration credits be completed directly through the Department and not at another institution. Of these 20 credits, four of the classes must be upper division (300 or above). Please keep this in mind when planning on transferring to the University of Michigan Psychology Department. Many students believe that the more Psychology courses that they have completed before applying to the U of M the better. This is not always the case. Although it is helpful if you have completed an Introductory Psychology course so that you are familiar with the field of Psychology, it is better to save the majority of your Psychology coursework for when you are a student at the University of Michigan.

From Another University of Michigan College (Cross-Campus Transfer)

It is a common occurrence for students to change academic focus during their undergraduate years. Exploring different disciplines is an important part of a liberal education. Many students, after declaring a concentration in one area, decide later that Psychology is something that they are more interested in. Although all students are welcome to declare a concentration in Psychology or in Brain, Behavior & Cognitive Science, they must first take the appropriate steps to become a student in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. View more detailed information on how to complete a cross-campus transfer.

Once a student has transferred to LS&A, they must also declare their concentration and meet with a concentration advisor.

Current UM student taking a Psychology course at a different institution

Occasionally, a current University of Michigan Psychology student may wish to complete a course at another institution. It is recommended that before registering for the course a student have a concentration advisor review the course and verify that it is academically equivalent to courses in the Department and will have the possibility of meeting concentration requirements once officially transferred to the U of M. Concentration advisors may request a copy of the syllabus, a course description, and the textbook to evaluate the course.

Once a course is completed with a minimum letter grade of C and is officially transferred to U-M, the student must again meet with a concentration advisor to have it officially approved to meet the concentration requirements. Again, Concentration advisors may request a copy of the syllabus, a course description, the textbook and class assignments to evaluate the course. If the course is approved it must be recorded in the students academic record by the advisor.

It is also important to know that the Psychology Department at the University of Michigan requires that a minimum of 20 credits of the required concentration credits be completed directly through the Department and not at another institution. Of these 20 credits, four of the classes must be upper division (300 or above). Please keep this in mind when planning on transferring to the University of Michigan Psychology Department. Many students believe that the more Psychology courses that they have completed before applying to the U of M the better. This is not always the case. Although it is helpful if you have completed an Introductory Psychology course so that you are familiar with the field of Psychology, it is better to save the majority of your Psychology coursework for when you are a student at the University of Michigan.