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Transfer Credit Details for Undergrads

Transferring to Clayton State University

Once an undergraduate transfer student is fully admitted to Clayton State University, the student’s information is sent from the Office of Admissions to the Registrar's Office for evaluation. Transfer evaluations are completed in the order of students’ acceptance to the University. Upon completion, an email is sent to the Clayton State student email account and a letter is sent via USPS to the student’s address on file. Completed transfer evaluations may be viewed on the DUCK.

Please note that this process only applies to undergraduate transfer students. Students accepted to a graduate program at Clayton State University should contact the School of Graduate Studies to inquire about potential transfer credit.

Transfer credit for undergraduates is evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Clayton State University makes every effort to transfer credits for academic work completed at other institutions. In general, courses will be considered for transfer if completed at a college or university that is accredited by one of the US Department of Education institutional accreditors.
  • Only undergraduate coursework reflected on an official transcript is considered for transfer credit.
  • Post-Baccalaureate and transient students’ transcripts are not evaluated. 
  • Transfer credit is awarded in semester hours. Quarter hours will be converted to semester hours upon evaluation. One quarter hour is the equivalent of 2/3 semester hour. The conversion will be truncated to two decimal places (3.33, 2.67, etc.).
  • If a course is repeated (and is not a course that is repeatable for credit), only the final graded attempt will be eligible for credit.
  • A course taken at the freshman/sophomore level at a previous school may not receive equivalent credit for a course taught at the junior/senior level at Clayton State University.
  • To be eligible for credit, lower-level courses require a grade of D or higher (with the exception of ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1102, which require a C or higher); upper-level courses require a grade of C or higher.
  • Failed courses will not be awarded credit; however, these grades will be included in the transfer GPA. All grades received for college-level coursework completed at an institution from which transfer credit is accepted, including repeated courses and courses not applicable toward the student’s current curriculum, are counted in the transfer GPA. Remedial courses will be excluded from the transfer GPA.
  • Transfer credit routinely will not be awarded for internships; practicums; seminars; workshops; co-ops; experiential learning; directed studies; research courses; project courses; remedial courses; introduction to college/orientation courses; career planning courses; physical education courses; or audited courses. Transfer credit also will not be awarded for credit by exam, competencies, or exemptions granted by another institution.
  • Courses used to meet CPC deficiencies at a previous institution will be used to meet the corresponding deficiencies at Clayton State University.
  • Career/technical courses only are applicable to the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) program at Clayton State University and therefore only will be considered for credit for students admitted to this program. Transfer of technical credit will be regulated by the policies of the BAS program.
  • Test scores (AP, CLEP, IB) must be officially submitted to the Registrar's Office for consideration. Credit for tests will not be awarded based on a high school or college transcript.
  • Courses deemed equivalent to those taught at Clayton State University will be assigned Clayton State University course numbers. For courses deemed transferable for which there is no exact equivalent, elective credit will be granted.
  • Students with transcripts from a college or university outside the United States may be required to submit a foreign credential evaluation in order for the credits to be evaluated by the Registrar's Office. For information regarding foreign credential evaluation requirements, please review the Required Materials for International Transfer Students.
  • A Joint Services Transcript (JST) is not required for acceptance to Clayton State University. However, an official JST must be submitted in order for military experience to be considered for college credit. Upon admission to Clayton State University, students may request a review of a JST by sending an inquiry via their Clayton State University student email account to ClaytonStateRegistrar@clayton.edu. For assistance in obtaining a JST, please visit the Veterans Resource Center page.
  • Regardless of the number of transfer credit hours accepted by the university, students who wish to graduate from Clayton State University must meet the residency requirements of their degree. The requirements are:

    • Associate degree: A minimum of 21 semester hours in residency, of which at least 12 must be in Area F for the A.A. or A.S. or in program requirements other than electives for the A.A.S.
    • Baccalaureate degree: A minimum of 30 semester hours in residency, of which at least 21 must be upper division hours counted toward program requirements other than free electives. Individual programs of the University may specify additional residency requirements. 
    Students who do not meet residency requirements will not be eligible to graduate from the university.


    Transfer credit is not guaranteed. Credit is considered on an individual basis. Each student will meet with an academic advisor who will review the student’s academic history and determine how transfer credit may be applied within the curriculum. For inquiries about a course/courses for which an equivalent or elective credit is thought to be plausible but for which no equivalent or elective credit was granted, please contact the appropriate academic department. Students needing additional assistance with transfer credit policies should contact the Registrar's Office at (678) 466-4145.