If you’re an international student in Australia thinking about transferring to another university, you might wonder: Am I eligible for credit transfer? How many credits can I transfer?
This article will answer some of the most commonly asked questions about credit transfer. Hope this helps you gain a better understanding of credit transfers.
What is Credit Transfer?
In this article, credit transfer refers to transferring to an equivalent-level course, such as moving from one undergraduate program to another or from one master’s degree to another. We are not talking about the credit transfer from undergrad to postgrad program.
For most Australian universities, you will need to apply for credit transfers to make a request, they are not automatically assessed in the university application process.
Credit transfer can help students to save time and tuition fees. However, not all students know about credit transfer. Generally speaking, if you’re transferring to a program in the same field as your current studies, it is very likely that you can transfer some of the credits. But if you’re changing both schools and fields of study, such as moving from a business program to a nursing course, you may not be eligible for any credit transfer since there are no common courses.
When Can You Apply for a Credit Transfer?
If you apply to universities through AAS, we will assess whether you need to apply for credit transfer as part of the university application process.
Different schools have different procedures when it comes to credit transfer, but it can be categorised as follows:
- Some schools may issue a conditional offer and evaluate your credit transfer request at the same time. All you need to do is make sure your grades for the current semester meet the entry requirements.
- Some schools may issue a conditional offer first and evaluate your credit transfer request only if your current semester grades at your current school meet their entry requirements.
- Based on the second scenario, if there’s little time between semesters (e.g., your current school finishes in late June, and your new school starts in late July), the school might recommend enrolling first and then applying for credit transfer. However, not every student would choose to take this risk.
How Do You Apply for Credit Transfer?
As an education agent, we assist students in processing their credit transfer applications. We help students compile a list of courses they have completed or are currently taking, and we submit the request to the new school. Some schools, such as the University of Sydney, may require a course-by-course match with the credits in the new program, and we’ll handle that too.
How Long Does it Take to Get the Results?
University applications are usually processed by admission offices, but credit transfers involve faculty assessment on a case-by-case basis. The handoff between these departments can be time-consuming, typically taking 4-6 weeks to receive credit transfer results. This timeline can be tight if you’re completing your first semester (Sem 1) and intend to transfer to another school for your second semester (Sem 2), as there’s only a three-week gap between receiving Sem 1 results and Sem 2 starting, making it unlikely to finalise credit transfers and school transfers by then.
Can You Estimate How Many Credits Can be Transferred?
Officially, credit transfers are assessed on a case-by-case basis, but based on our experience, certain patterns can help determine potential credit transfers. By considering a student’s background alongside the target university’s policies, we can often make reasonable predictions regarding how many credits can be transferred.
Free Consultation & Application Services For International Students
If you are considering transferring universities, please don't hesitate to contact AAS for help. We offer free consultation and university application services for international students.
At AAS, we are dedicated to helping our clients make informed decisions about studying in Australia.
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