University of Wisconson: Office of Admissions and Recruitment | Enrolled

About the Course Equivalency Service

The Course Equivalency Service (CES) will equate one course for students that wish to complete course work at another U.S. institution during the winter recess and up to four courses for summer term study. The CES will be available from March 1 - May 15 for summer term evaluation and from November 1 – December 1 for winter term evaluation.

Important Notes

Credit limit

Students are limited to summer course enrollment equal to one credit per week of summer session with the exception of an eight week session which allows for 9 credits to be earned over the eight week period. Twelve credits is the maximum number of credits that will be awarded for summer study. Students must have approval from their academic dean's office for a credit overload for summer. Students may take no more than one course off-campus during the winter term provided the winter term does not conflict with the UW–Madison fall or spring terms. Students will not be granted credit for courses that exceed these limits.

Engineering majors

Students in the College of Engineering must achieve a final grade of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better for the transfer credits to fulfill degree requirements. See Section 5 in the College of Engineering Official Regulations.

Non-CES Situations

There are some UW–Madison students for whom the CES is not the appropriate course of action. This includes:

Students taking a course at a UW System school or at a Wisconsin Technical College

Obtain course equivalencies from the Transfer Information System (TIS). TIS equates first- and second-year courses for all UW System schools and Wisconsin Technical Colleges. Make an appointment to review the course work with your academic advisor to ensure it is applicable to your degree.

Students taking a course listed on the UW–Madison Transfer Equivalency Database (TED)

Obtain course equivalencies from the Transfer Equivalency Database (TED), which includes courses frequently transferred from two-year schools in Illinois and Minnesota. Make an appointment to review the course work with your academic advisor to ensure it is applicable to your degree.

Students taking an internship, independent study, or field study course

Internship, independent study, or field study courses will not be equated. These courses are subject to the approval of both the Office of Admissions and the academic department. To receive transfer credit, submit a detailed description to the appropriate academic department. The department will notify the admissions office if transfer credit is recommended; final credit values will be determined by the Office of Admissions.

Nursing Majors

Generally, nursing professional course work taken away from UW-Madison does not transfer in to satisfy nursing degree requirements. The School of Nursing directly evaluates all equivalency requests for summer professional nursing course work. For more information, contact the Nursing Academic Dean, Cooper Hall 1100, 608-263-5166. Pre-nursing students and/or nursing students planning to take non-nursing course work (e.g., non-nursing degree requirements, prerequisites, general education requirements), can use the CES to evaluate that course work.

Pharmacy majors

The School of Pharmacy will need to approve and equate your course work. For more information, contact Student Services (2220 Rennebohm Hall, 608-262-6234).

Students taking a course outside of the U.S.

Obtain course equivalencies from International Academic Programs (IAP). IAP equates courses taken at all international institutions. Make an appointment to review the course work with your academic advisor to ensure it is applicable to your degree.