College Transfer FAQs: Will All of My Units Transfer to Another School?

About this article
An important question for those who are transferring schools is: Will all of my units transfer to another school? This article answers that question and suggests what classes you should be taking before transferring.
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The short answer to this question is 'No.' Unless you know or have a good idea that you will transfer early on in your college career, the odds are some of the classes you take will not transfer. This is because you will probably take some 'specialized' courses at your current school. These are classes that are either unique to that school or are upper division major classes.

For example, about.com gives the example of a class known as 'history of rock and roll.' You might have taken this course (and passed) at your current school, but there is no guarantee that this class is even offered at the school you intend to transfer to. Furthermore, you may have taken some upper division classes in your major, yet the school of your choice won't accept them because the curriculum for the class is slightly different.

The key here is to take as many classes that transfer as possible, right? Therefore, take general classes that most schools require for a lower division degree such as:

  • Biology
  • College Algebra Class
  • English 101

These are known as 'core' classes and you should focus on taking them before transferring. How do you know what courses will transfer? The first thing you should do according to those at about.com is talk to people in the admission's offices of the schools that you're interested in. They can give you a good idea or even specific advice about which courses you'll be able to transfer.

Popular Schools

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Featured Schools

Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

  • Masters in Psychology
  • Masters in Dispute Resolution
  • Masters in Legal Studies

What is your highest level of education completed?

Bryant & Stratton College

  • BA - General Management
  • Criminal Justice Studies - AAS
  • Business Assistant Diploma

What is your high school graduation status?

Grand Canyon University

  • Ed.D in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning - Qualitative Research
  • M.S. Psychology with an Emphasis in Gerontology
  • BS in Psychology

What is your highest level of education?

Full Sail University

  • Master of Science - Film Production
  • Sportscasting Bachelors - Campus
  • Computer Science Bachelors with AI Concentration - Online

What is your highest level of education?

Liberty University

  • DME: Doctor of Music Education
  • Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
  • CTG: Communication

What is your highest level of education?

Penn Foster High School

  • HS Diploma

What is your highest level of education?

Penn Foster

  • Career Diploma - Dental Assistant
  • Career Diploma - Motorcycle Repair Technician
  • Career Diploma - Payroll Clerk

What is your highest level of education?

Fordham University

  • Master of Studies in Law in Corporate Compliance
  • Masters in Social Work

What is your highest level of education completed?