Using the TIS Credit Transfer Wizards

1. Do the TIS Credit Transfer Wizards only work for schools in Wisconsin?  How do I find out how my courses will transfer from a school outside of Wisconsin or from Wisconsin schools not listed in TIS?

Answer: Yes, the TIS Credit Transfer Wizards currently only report information for public colleges and universities in Wisconsin. This includes the 26 campuses in the University of Wisconsin System, UW-Extension’s Independent Learning courses, and the 16 districts within the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS).   

To find out how your credits will transfer from a college outside of Wisconsin or from a private college or university within Wisconsin, you will need to contact the campus to which you wish to transfer.  In some cases, you may need to apply or be admitted to the college or university before receiving an evaluation of your transfer courses.  You can learn more through these TIS websites:

(a)  TIS Campus Resources - Find links to the homepages of all UW campuses and lists of people or offices you can contact for help.

(b)  Apply On-line – Apply to any UW campus using this website.

(c)  TIS Wisconsin Technical College Resources - Find links to the homepages of all WTC campuses and lists of people or offices you can contact for help.

2. What transfer course information is included in the Credit Transfer Wizards?

Answer: The Credit Transfer Wizards include information about several transfer options, including:

(a)  How courses transfer to UW campuses from:

- All 13 UW Colleges campuses and UWC Online. The entire UW Colleges institution shares a common catalog, so all UW Colleges courses transfer in the same way.

- All 13 UW “four-year” campuses.  (In some cases, only freshman/sophomore transfer course information has been provided to TIS.)

- UW-Extension’s Independent Learning program.

- The 4 Wisconsin Technical Colleges ( Chippewa Valley, MATC-Madison, MATC-Milwaukee and Nicolet ) that offer Liberal Studies ( "college transfer" ) courses and programs.

- The 16 Wisconsin Technical Colleges that offer applied associate degree programs.  In most cases, you will find transfer information for general education (communication skills, behavioral/social sciences, math and natural science) courses. In some cases, information is also included for WTCS occupational/technical courses that transfer either as part of a transfer agreement between the WTCS district and the UW campus or for all students transferring between the 2 campuses.

(b) How courses transfer to selected Wisconsin Technical Colleges from:

- UW campuses and UW-Extension’s Independent Learning program (Only selected courses are included.)

- Other Wisconsin Technical Colleges (Often, you will find only transfer information for general education communication skills, behavioral/social sciences, math, and natural science courses.)

For any course transfer information not in TIS, see Question 3.

3. Why can't I find information about all courses on TIS? How can I find transfer information about a course not listed on TIS?

Answer: There are several reasons why course information may be missing from TIS. They include:

(a) The course is new to the campus.  There may be a delay between the time a new course is added at a campus and when the transfer information appears in TIS.

(b) The course is no longer offered at the campus.

(c) The course is an upper level course. In some cases, UW campuses have provided only freshman/sophomore transfer course information to TIS.

(d) TIS includes limited transfer information for occupational or technical courses offered at Wisconsin Technical College System campuses.   Check the WTCS Transfer Agreements section to see if these courses transfer as part of a WTCS transfer agreement.  

To find out transfer information about a course not listed on TIS, you need to contact a specific UW or WTCS campus. Check the following TIS resources for help:  UW Campus Resources, Wisconsin Technical College Resources, UW Campus Transfer Contacts, or WTCS Transfer Contacts.

4. What campuses are included in the University of Wisconsin System? What campuses are included in the Wisconsin Technical College System?

Answer:

The University of Wisconsin (UW) System includes:

• 13 freshman-sophomore campuses and UWC Online known collectively as the UW Colleges. The campuses include UW-Baraboo, UW-Barron, UW-Fond du Lac, UW-Fox Valley, UW-Manitowoc, UW-Marathon, UW-Marinette, UW-Marshfield, UW-Richland, UW-Rock, UW-Sheboygan, UW-Washington, and UW-Waukesha. Additionally the entire UW Colleges associates degree is available totally online at UW Colleges Online.
• 2 doctoral universities - UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee
• 11 comprehensive universities - UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-Superior, and UW-Whitewater
• UW-Extension.
  

The Wisconsin Technical College System includes 16 technical colleges:

Blackhawk Technical College, Chippewa Valley Technical College, Fox Valley Technical College, Gateway Technical College, Lakeshore Technical College, Madison Area Technical College, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Mid-State Technical College, Moraine Park Technical College, Nicolet Area Technical College, Northcentral Technical College, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Waukesha County Technical College, Western Technical College, and Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College.

5. In the past, I used the QuickSearch option in TIS?  Where did it go?

Answer: The QuickSearch option from the old website is incorporated into the Credit Transfer Wizards section in the new website.  If you used QuickSearch in the past, you can now use the Course Wizard in the same way.

6. What is General Education? Why is General Education important in transfer planning? Why should I use the TIS General Education Wizard?

Answer: Every UW campus requires students to satisfy a set of general requirements (in addition to requirements in their major) in order to graduate.  General Education requirements (also known as Gen Ed, General Degree Requirements, GE and GER ) may include basic student competency or proficiency requirements, such as English composition, mathematics, and foreign language.  They also include distribution or breadth requirements in the arts, humanities, natural and social sciences as a foundation for specialization.

Different UW campuses have different general education requirements.  The Gen Ed column on the TIS Transfer Report tells you how the transfer course may be used to satisfy general education requirements at the "Transfer To" campus. You can also use the General Education Wizard to find out what courses at your current campus transfer for general education credit at another campus.

7. Where can I find information about how UW Independent Learning courses will transfer to a UW campus?

Answer: The Credit Transfer Wizards include information on how the Independent Learning courses offered through UW-Extension transfer to UW campuses.  Select “UW Extension Indp Learn”  as the “From Campus” to find this course transfer information. 

8. Why does the department list for some campuses show department numbers (e.g. 804 – Mathematics) while the list for other campuses shows department abbreviations (e.g. MAT – Mathematics)?

Answer: Different campuses have different formats for identifying departments.  TIS matches the primary format used by a campus in publications, such as transcripts and grade reports. 

9. Why don’t the buttons and drop-down menus work in the Wizard Tutorial section?

Answer: The Credit Transfer Wizard Tutorial is intended as a demonstration only. It uses “fixed graphics" to walk users through examples of Transfer Wizards requests.  The tutorials are not actual searches, so the buttons and menus do not function.  It may be helpful to print out a tutorial section and use it to follow the steps in the “live” Wizard. (Note: You may need to set up the pages to print in "landscape" orientation to capture the full width of the page.)

Understanding the Transfer Wizard Results

10. What is the basis for the transfer course information in TIS?  Who decides how courses will transfer?

Answer: Each UW campus has different programs, program requirements and courses.  Since the level of the coursework and the course content are different, each campus makes its own determination as to how transfer courses fit into its requirements.  Campus faculty members are responsible for deciding how a course transfers.

11. Why do some courses not transfer or transfer as “no degree credit”?

Answer: Each UW campus has different programs, program requirements and courses.  Since the level of the coursework and the course content are different, each campus makes its own determination as to how transfer courses fit into its requirements.  A campus may determine that a transfer course is below its required level of coursework and thus grant no credit or remedial (non-degree) credit in transfer.  In addition, a campus may choose to not accept a transfer course if the coursework has no relationship to its courses and/or programs.

12. Where can I find descriptions for courses offered by UW campuses? 

Answer: TIS Campus Resources includes links to the undergraduate catalogs at each UW campus.  These catalogs include descriptions of currently available courses. 

13. What does it mean when the Transfer Report shows that a course transfers for elective credit, such as Math elective or General elective?

Answer: If a course transfers as either a department elective or as a general elective (with no department specified), it usually means that the “Transfer To” campus does not offer a course that is exactly the same as the course at the “From Campus”.  The good news is that many elective credits also meet general education requirements and many also apply toward requirements in majors. 

14. What should I do if my credits don’t transfer to a UW campus as I expected?

Answer: If you have a problem with transferring your credits, you should first contact the campus to which you are planning to transfer. The staff there should be able to answer questions about individual courses and inform you of the process for appealing a course transfer. If you need additional information about a course, contact an advisor or staff member at the campus where you took the course. For unresolved transfer concerns, contact:

Larry Rubin, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs UW System Administration	608-262-6717 lrubin@uwsa.edu
Janice Sheppard, Academic Planner UW System Administration	608-262-5563 jsheppard@uwsa.edu

15. If Course A transfers to UW-X as Course B and Course B transfers to UW-Y as Course C, will Course A always transfer to UW-Y as Course C?

Answer: A course transfer relationship does not mean that the courses are equal.  While Course A may transfer to UW-X as Course B, Course A may be missing an integral part of and may not transfer as Course C at UW-Y.  For example, this may happen when Course A is offered for fewer credits than Courses B and/or C. 

16. If Course A transfers from UW-X to UW-Y as Course B, will Course B always transfer to UW-X as Course A?

Answer: A course transfer relationship does not mean that the courses are equal.  While Course A may transfer to UW-X as Course B, Course B may be missing an integral part of and may not transfer as Course A at UW-X.  For example, this may happen when Course B is offered for fewer credits than Course A.

17. Is the information in TIS official?

Answer: The Transfer Information System (TIS) is an official information and transfer guide for students and staff in the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Technical College Systems. TIS contains official UW undergraduate transfer information which UW campuses have provided to show how they will award credit for transferable courses. However, courses may change over time and the way a course transfers may vary based upon specific majors or programs. The best policy is to stay in close contact with advisors and other staff - at both your initial campus and your transfer campus.

18. If I use TIS to see how a course transfers today, for how long can I "count on" the course transferring as shown on the TIS report?

Answer: The transfer course information listed on the TIS Transfer Report is guaranteed for courses taken during the current or immediately succeeding semester and, when students choose to transfer, will "count" as indicated on the report. The transfer equivalencies listed in TIS are accurate but may satisfy different degree requirements depending upon the specific major or program. In addition, course revisions or changes in requirements may cause equivalencies to change. Therefore, it is the student's responsibility to (1) discuss specific circumstances with an advisor, (2) check TIS for periodic updates and (3) retain printed copies of dated TIS reports for the semester the course is taken to ensure documentation if questions arise upon transfer.

Understanding the Transfer Process

19. How do I transfer to a UW campus? 

Answer: UW campuses have specific admission requirements for transfer students.  Check the UW HELP On-line’s Transfer Student Admission Requirements to ensure that you qualify for admission at your desired transfer campus.

To apply to a UW campus, connect to Apply On-line.

20. Where can I find more information about the campus and the programs it offers?

Answer:

(a)  Connect to: TIS Campus Resources - Find links to the homepages of all UW campuses and to lists of people or offices you can contact for help; or

(b)  Do some Major Exploration at MajorMania, the searchable Web site of UW System undergraduate and graduate programs.

21. How do I get an official credit evaluation of my transfer courses?  When can I expect to receive this evaluation? 

Answer: You will receive an official evaluation of your transfer courses from the UW campus to which you have applied after you have been admitted.  Campuses need an official transcript from all colleges or universities that you have attended before they can produce an official transfer credit evaluation.  When you receive your evaluation depends on the UW campus. Some may send your evaluation with your admission acceptance letter; others may send it later but before orientation or registration.

22. Do just credits transfer or do grades transfer too?

Answer: UW campuses have different policies regarding transfer of grades. Some campuses include transfer grades in a student's overall grade point average (GPA). Other campuses use transfer grades primarily in making admission decisions. In addition, transfer grade policies may differ depending on your major or your school/college at a particular UW campus. Check the Contact & Support section for information on contacting a UW campus or UW HELP, which provides a toll-free number and advising service, for questions about transfer credit and grade policies.

23. Will my credits from a technical or community college transfer to a UW campus?

Answer:

(a) If you are transferring from a Wisconsin Technical College:

• Students transferring from the Wisconsin Technical College System Liberal Studies ("college transfer") program at Madison Area, Milwaukee Area, Nicolet Area, or Chippewa Valley Technical College may generally transfer up to 72 credits to any UW campus.  Some UW campuses may accept additional credits.
  
  
• Courses from WTCS Associate Degree occupational programs may be accepted by UW campuses in three ways:

- A maximum of 30 credits from approved WTCS general education courses in communications, social sciences, behavioral sciences, mathematics, and natural science may transfer. Use the Transfer Course Wizard to learn how specific courses transfer.

- In some cases, UW campuses will accept in transfer occupational/ technical courses from WTCS applied associate degree programs. You may find this information using the Transfer Course Wizard.

- UW and WTCS campuses have over 500 transfer, or articulation, agreements that permit WTCS students enrolled in specific associate degree programs to transfer additional occupational credit. The list of agreements can be found at WTCS Transfer Agreements.  These credits may transfer to other University of Wisconsin campuses only if a similar credit transfer or articulation agreement exists.

• You are encouraged to use the advising resources available on all UW and WTCS campuses as well as the information in TIS to plan your transfer. If you encounter unexpected issues, you can contact a "transfer advocate" or "ombudsperson" for help in resolving transfer concerns.

(b) If you are transferring from a community or technical college located outside of Wisconsin, you will need to contact the UW campus to which you wish to transfer to find out how our credits will transfer.  In some cases, you may need to apply or be admitted to the UW campus before receiving an official evaluation of your transfer courses.  TIS Campus Resources includes links to the homepages of all UW campuses and lists of people or offices you can contact for help.

24. I want to take a summer (or winter) session class at a UW campus and transfer it back to my home campus.  Do I need to apply to the other campus?  How do I find out what courses are offered and when?

Answer: In order to attend summer school classes at a UW campus, you need to apply or register as a “special student”.  See “Special Student Applications” for more information.  

You also need to check with the individual UW campus to see what courses are offered and when.  Depending on the campus, this information may be titled “Schedule of Classes” or “Timetable”.  UW HELP On-line maintains links to UW Campus “Schedule of Classes” information.

In some cases, your home campus requires you to get prior approval for the transfer course.  This ensures that the transfer course is a good fit for your degree program. Check with your advisor or the Registrar’s Office at your home campus for more information.

You can search for courses offered via Distance Education at http://distancelearning.wisconsin.edu.

25. How can I get a transcript from one of the UW campuses?

Answer: You need to contact the UW campus(es) you attended.  Check UW HELP On-line for transcript request information. 

26. As a transfer student, do I need to pay the UW application fee?

Answer: Effective September 2003, unless a student is transferring directly from a UW Colleges campus, an application fee is required.

27. How many credits must I earn before I can transfer to one of the UW campuses?

Answer: Some UW campuses require that you earn a minimum number of credits prior to transferring.  Check the UW HELP On-line’s Transfer Student Admission Requirements for information about the specific campus admission requirements.

28. How do I apply to a school or college at a UW campus, such as the College of Education, School of Business or School of Nursing?

Answer: The first step is to apply and be admitted to the UW campus.  On your application, be sure to list your intended major and the degree that you are seeking.  To apply to a UW campus, connect to Apply On-line.

Application procedures and admission requirements for individual schools and colleges differ.  Check UW HELP On-line’s Transfer Student Admission Requirements for more information. 

If you plan to attend or are attending a UW Colleges' campus, the UW Colleges Transfer Guides include information about applying to and transferring into specific majors at the UW "four-year" campuses.

If you did not find the answer to your question, check the Contact & Support section for information about contacting a particular UW or WTCS campus, an advisor at UW Help, or the TIS staff.

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