Articulation of Transfer Courses

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Initial Articulation of Transfer Courses

Transfer coursework is initially evaluated in the Office of Admissions and Records (A&R).  As transcripts are received, the coursework is loaded to student records and equated to University of Nevada, Reno course offerings based on existing transfer articulation rules. If no transfer articulation rule exists and a transfer course is currently offered at a regionally accredited institution, A&R routes an evaluation request to university faculty. Based on faculty response to these evaluation requests, A&R adds and updates transfer articulation rules daily. 

Search the Transferology database to determine whether coursework at the institutions you have attended previously has been evaluated for equivalency at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

In the initial evaluation, elective credit is granted for individual courses that are either not offered in the university program or have not been previously evaluated by faculty at the University, provided the courses are clearly baccalaureate-level. Elective courses receive either a lower-division elective (LELC) or an upper division elective (UELC) designation on the Transfer Credit and Academic Requirements Reports available in the Student Center in MyNEVADA.

Applicants from regionally accredited institutions ordinarily are granted credit for all college-level work completed at their previous institution(s).

Allow three weeks for completion of the evaluation process. The results of the initial evaluation are made available to students in the Transfer Credit Report in student self-service, MyNEVADA. 

A summary of acceptable, transfer credits earned at each of the institutions the student has attended previously, and the student’s transfer grade-point averages (computed relative to the university grading system), are noted on the University transcript. The credit and grade-point totals earned at the University of Nevada, Reno are recorded separately.

Evaluation of Transfer Courses to Meet Core Curriculum Requirements

The Core Director and disciplinary faculty committees advisory to the Director determine whether specific Core Objectives were achieved in transfer courses based on an examination of course descriptions and course syllabi. 

Evaluation of Transfer Courses to Meet College/Major/Minor Requirements

Equivalencies for transfer courses that may be applied toward satisfying:

• college-level degree requirements are determined by the advisor and/or dean of the college, 
• major and/or minor requirements are determined by the advisor and/or appropriate academic department chair.

Students must meet with their advisor to complete either a Core Curriculum or College/Major Course Review Request form if they wish to use courses initially evaluated as elective credit (LELC or UELC) to satisfy specific course and/or Core Objective requirements on the Academic Requirements Report.

Notes:

1. The College of Business at the University of Nevada, Reno will accept credit for upper-division courses from business schools that are fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Other courses will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
2. With the exception of certain commonly numbered courses within NSHE, transfer courses may be used to meet Core Objectives 9-12 only with prior approval by the Core Board.  Transfer courses may articulate as direct equivalents to University of Nevada, Reno courses but not carry the same Core Objective designations as the University of Nevada, Reno course.
3. College or departmental advisors may substitute lower-division courses from other four-year institutions for comparable upper-division courses at the University of Nevada, Reno to meet college and major requirements. Such credit may be applied toward the individual college’s upper-division credit requirement if approved by the dean of the college concerned. Only courses completed at the upper-division level may apply to the University’s upper-division course requirement for graduation.
4. Only Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory credit is awarded for physical education activity courses completed at regionally accredited institutions.

Request for Review of Initial Transfer Course Articulation

Students may request a review of the initial evaluation of their transfer work using either the Core Curriculum or College/Major Course Review Request form. 

Core Curriculum Requirements

Requests for review of coursework to meet Core Curriculum requirements must be routed to the Core Curriculum Office. All requests must include the Core Curriculum Course Review Request form and a course syllabus. If the student disagrees with the Core Director’s decision on a proposed Core substitution, the student may request a second review. Second reviews are considered by disciplinary committees made up of academic faculty, who make recommendations on the proposed equivalency. Based on this recommendation, the Core Director will render a final decision.

College/Major/Minor Requirements

Requests for review of college and/or major and/or minor coursework must be routed to faculty within the university department that offers comparable coursework. All requests for review must include a course description and a course syllabus. If the student disagrees with the faculty reviewer’s evaluation of a non-Core course, the student may request a review by the chair of the department in which the faculty member resides. The chair’s decision is final.

Transfer Students who disagree with the Core Director’s or the department chair’s review decision may submit a request for review by completing the Concierge Service online form.

Transfer students who disagree with the outcome of the campus review process may request a review by the NSHE Articulation Coordinating Committee by completing the NSHE Transfer Credit Request for Review form.​

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