You’re on a unique journey. SIU is here to guide you to your destination.
We welcome transfer students at all stages of their college careers. Students come to us from community college, other Illinois universities, surrounding states, and even from other countries.
Take the next STEP to becoming a Saluki! The Saluki Transfer Estimator Portal (STEP) is a web-based tool that integrates institutional course equivalency and degree audit data to provide an unofficial credit estimation and a more seamless transfer process.
Whether you are transferring from a community college or another university, SIU wants to be a part of your future! Southern Illinois University is a transfer student-friendly institution and transfer students make up a large segment of our student population.
What is the institution’s transfer credit policy? How many credits can I transfer in? Do all credits apply towards my major?
Transfer credit for students admitted to the University is evaluated for acceptance toward University Core Curriculum requirements by Articulation and Evaluation (a division of the Registrar’s Office). Credit from a regionally accredited institution, and those in candidacy status, or from an institution that has its credit accepted by the reporting institution in the state is evaluated at the time of admission. Courses, which are remedial, developmental or pre-college, will not be accepted for transfer. Articulation and Evaluation will determine the acceptance of credit and its applicability toward University Core Curriculum requirements. All credit accepted for transfer, which is not applied to University Core Curriculum requirements or to a specific degree program, will be considered general transfer credit (elective credit). Transfer courses to be considered toward specific program requirements will be authorized by the department directing the program. Information on articulation of individual schools is available at articulation.siu.edu.
Transfer students must have at least 12 transferable semester hours at a 2.0 GPA. Transfer students with fewer than 12 transferable semester hours must submit the necessary credentials for freshman admission and will be reviewed holistically to determine potential admission.
Students who are enrolled in a collegiate program for the first time and wish to transfer upon completion of the first term or first year, may do so if the student meets the University’s admission requirements for beginning freshmen. Admission granted to a student on partial or incomplete records is granted with the condition that the student will have an overall C average and be eligible to continue at the last school attended at the time of matriculation. Students whose final transcripts indicate a grade point average or scholastic standing less than that required for unconditional admission may have their admission and registration withdrawn or their scholastic standing changed. Transfer students admitted on the basis of incomplete transcripts must submit complete transcripts prior to being allowed to register for a second term at SIU.
Transfer students will be admitted directly to the academic unit in which their major field of study is offered if they qualify for that program. Students who are undecided about their major field of study will be admitted and advised by Exploratory Student Advisement or the selected unit with an undecided major.
Each student must complete at least 120 semester hours of credit, which can include credit for work experience, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement Program (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), military credit, and proficiency examination credit. MATH 107 and UNIV 388 cannot be counted in the 120 hours required for graduation. Each student must have at least 42 hours in courses that number 300 or above from a four-year institution.
Each student must complete the residency requirement by taking at least 42 semester hours at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Only credit for those courses for which the student has registered and for which a satisfactory grade has been recorded at Southern Illinois University Carbondale may be applied toward the residence requirement hours. Students enrolled in an approved program delivered off-campus will have completed the residency requirement for the University upon completion of all courses required by the program. Credit for work experience, CLEP, Advanced Placement, military credit or proficiency credit is considered non-resident.
Each student must have a C average for all work taken at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a C average for all major work taken at the University.
Do you accept prior learning exams or experience as academic credit?
AP, IB, CLEP, DSST are examples of standardized exams that can be processed as transfer credit. A maximum of 30 credit hours may be received for any combination of proficiency exams and is considered non-resident credit by SIU.
The College Board's Advanced Placement Program (AP) enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies-with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both while still in high school. High school students who are qualified through registration in advanced placement course(s) in high school may qualify to receive college credit upon transfer. To receive credit, a student must earn at least a grade of three (3). Transfer students who have AP credit transcripted as college courses from their previous institution will receive that course credit at SIU as transfer credit. The maximum credit granted through advanced placement examinations is 30 hours (15 for an associate degree).
Through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) students may apply for credit, which may substitute for one or more SIU courses. The General Examinations cover comprehensive content of a study which would be covered by several introductory-level courses. If prior to taking a CLEP General Examination the student has received a grade (including a W or an audit) or has enrolled in college-level work in any discipline included in the CLEP exam they shall be ineligible for credit. One exception to this rule is made if the course the student took in a discipline from a CLEP exam was taken more than five years prior and no credit was awarded for the course. The Subject Examinations cover more specific content of a single college-level course. These exams allow students who have acquired knowledge outside the traditional classroom setting - through independent study, on-the-job training, or cultural inquiry - to gain recognition of mastering college-level material by receiving introductory course credit.
Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES/DSST) exams are available to anyone who is seeking college credit outside the traditional classroom, including college students, adult learners, high school students and military personnel. SIU awards proficiency credit to students who have passed DSST exams with the ACE recommended score, which is 400 for all exams. Upon receipt of the test scores, the appropriate course articulation will be awarded to the student's record. If test scores for new freshman are received after orientation/registration, the student will need to work with their academic advisor to ensure duplicate courses are not taken. DSST proficiency credit does not carry a grade, and is not used in computing the student's grade point average. SIU policy limits the amount of proficiency credit to 30 hours.
Occupational Education Credit is college level transfer credit awarded to students for their experience in the workforce. Technical programs at SIU are authorized to award a form of non-traditional credit to students based on their past occupational experiences. Credit is established by program evaluation and may be applied only to the technical or career electives requirement of the degree, unless otherwise determined by the program chair. To request credit, speak with your Academic Advisor or Program Coordinator, who will complete the Certificate of Non-Traditional Credit on your behalf.
International Baccalaureate Credit (IB) is proficiency credit awarded to SIU students who have passed the Higher Level (HL) exams with a minimum score of 5 and in some cases a 6 or 7 as indicated in the IB Program Equivalency Credit Chart. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program sponsored by the International Baccalaureate Organization is a comprehensive and challenging two-year course of study for students of senior high school age leading to final examinations in six subject areas. The Higher Level (HL) courses represent a recommended 240 teaching hours. Students who do not satisfy the requirements of the full Diploma Program or who have elected to take fewer than six subjects are awarded a certificate for the examinations completed. Upon receipt of test scores, the appropriate number of credit hours will be entered on the student’s record. If test scores for new freshmen are received after orientation/registration, the student will need to work with their academic advisor to ensure duplicate courses are not taken. Transfer students who have IB credit transcripted as college courses from their previous institution will receive that course credit at SIU as transfer credit. The maximum credit granted through IB examinations is 30 hours (15 for an associate degree). It is nonresident credit, does not carry a grade, and is not used in computing the student’s grade point average. The 30-hour limit includes any college level proficiency credit that has been earned. The credit to be granted at SIU is determined by the appropriate academic department.
How does your institution accept and evaluate repeated courses?
An undergraduate student may, for the purpose of raising a grade, enroll in a course for credit more than once. For students receiving a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F, the course repetition must occur at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. All grades earned for the initial and all subsequent attempts will be clearly identified and noted on the student transcript.
Effective for courses taken Summer 2013 or later, only the most recent (last) grade will be calculated in the overall GPA and count toward hours earned. This policy will be applied to all transferable credit in that only the last grade will be used to calculate grade point average for those courses taken at the same institution. If a course was repeated prior to Summer 2013, the appropriate repeat policy will be applied to the work completed during that period of registration for the purpose of calculating the transfer grade point average. For more information, please refer to the Registrar.
Do I still need to provide transcripts?
STEP is an unofficial credit estimation tool. Transfer students must submit official transcripts from all previous institutions for official evaluation.
Mail official college transcripts to:
Articulation & Evaluation, MC 4725 SIU Carbondale 263 Lincoln Drive Carbondale, IL 62901
Make it easy on yourself, request your college send transcripts electronically through an approved electronic transcript service such as Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse.
I’m thinking about transferring. What courses should I take in preparation?
Completion of an associate degree in a baccalaureate-oriented program of Arts or Science (A.A. or A.S.) from an accredited Illinois public two-year institution; completion of an A.A. from an accredited Missouri public two-year institution participating in the 42-hour block; or completion of an A.A. or A.S. from a Kentucky Community and Technical College System institution. The student will: (a) be admitted to the University with junior standing if enrollment occurs after earning the associate degree and prior to coursework being attempted at another institution and (b) be considered to have completed the University Core Curriculum requirements for general graduation purposes.
SIU offers the Capstone Option, which puts students in the fast lane to a bachelor’s degree in Capstone approved majors if you already hold an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree, Associate in Engineering Science (AES) degree, or equivalent certification. How? We’ll abbreviate your University Core Curriculum requirements. Instead of the 41-credit hour requirement for most students, Capstone students have a 30-credit hour requirement. That means you can earn a bachelor’s degree with just 60 additional credit hours. For a full listing of Capstone majors and additional information, visit articulation.siu.edu/capstone.
Do you have any transfer scholarships or additional funding opportunities for transfer students?
Nearly 90% of our students receive some form of financial aid and some of our top scholarships are reserved just for transfer students! We offer a Dean’s Transfer Scholarship, Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, Transfer Achievement Scholarship and one of our highest and most prestigious scholarships, the Provost’s Scholarship – covering tuition and mandatory fees for two years!
Additionally, Illinois residents have the opportunity to receive the Saluki Scholars Award based on transfer hours, GPA, and household income through the Illinois AIM High initiative!
To receive consideration for SIU competitive scholarships, transfer students must be admitted to SIU by February 1st and complete the Transfer Scholars Program Application by February 16th. There are over 600 additional departmental and college scholarships awarded each year. Visit scholarships.siu.edu to learn more.
Do you have any special programs with local community colleges?
We have strong relationships with partner colleges in the state. In addition to 544 articulation agreements that maximize transferable credit hours for students, we have Guaranteed Admission Partnerships with the College of Lake County and McHenry County College.
Additionally, we have Saluki Step Ahead agreements with many community colleges that allow online students the flexibility they need to complete their degrees.
Do you have any special programs with local high schools?
Southern Illinois University offers the Scaling Education Pathways in Illinois (SEPI) program which provides funding to community schools as part of an initiatives to streamline career paths for prospective teachers.
How is the Saluki Transfer Estimator Portal different from other transfer credit tools?
Saluki Transfer Estimator Portal (STEP) is a student-facing web-based technology that integrates institutional course equivalency and degree audit data to provide an unofficial credit estimation and more seamless transfer process.
When transfer students save their information in the Saluki Transfer Estimator Portal our team can provide early and intentional outreach to support each student in their unique journey into SIU.
Prospective transfer students are able to create an account in the portal which allows them to return at a later time without having to re-enter the transfer courses they provided in an earlier session.
Take the next STEP to becoming a Saluki!