Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Basic Composition (BC) and Intermediate Composition (IC) transfer policy?
I have completed or will soon complete the requirements for an Associate's Degree from a Michigan community college. Tell me about the General Education Transfer Policy for which I may qualify.
When will I receive my transfer credit evaluation?
I would like to apply or have applied to Wayne State University and would like to determine how credits from another institution will transfer. Where is this information vailable?
What does 1XXX or 2XXX mean?
What do abbreviations such as"1/2" or "2/3" in the name of a course mean?
Where should I have transcripts from another institution sent to have credit transferred to Wayne State University?
I have taken or would like to take AP or CLEP tests. How do these transfer to Wayne State University?
Do I receive any transfer credit for my military coursework or DD-214?
What is the Basic Composition (BC) and Intermediate Composition (IC) transfer policy?
Effective Fall 2008, all students are required to fulfill the Basic Composition (BC) and Intermediate Composition (IC) competency requirements by completing designated courses or equivalent transfer courses with a grade of "C" or better or by earning advanced placement (AP) credit. Basic and/or Intermediate Composition courses successfully completed at Wayne State University or transferred from another institution prior to the Fall 2008 semester are exempt from this new grade requirement.
I have completed or will soon complete the requirements for an Associate's Degree from a Michigan community college. Tell me about the General Education Transfer Policy for which I may qualify.
Please visit the General Education Transfer Policy section of our website.
When will I receive my transfer credit evaluation?
Transfer credit evaluations are normally completed two to three weeks (10 to 15 business days) after you receive your admission letter. Evaluation of transcripts from out-of-state or foreign institutions may require additional time.
If you have not received your admission letter, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at
(313) 577-3577 to check the status of your application.
Beginning November 1, 2008, paper evaluations will no longer be mailed. The Office of Transfer Credit Evaluation will send notification to your Wayne State University email account following completion of your evaluation. Follow these steps to view your evaluation online:
1. Sign into WSU Pipeline using your Access ID and password.
2. Click on the "Student" tab at the top of the page.
3. Click on the link for "STARS for Degree Audit" in the menu on the left hand side of the screen.
(this will launch a new browser window in which the STARS website will load)
4. In the menu bar at the top of the screen, click on "Transfer/PvEd."
If you experience difficulty accessing WSU Pipeline or WebMail, please contact the Wayne State University C&IT Help Desk.
I would like to apply or have applied to Wayne State University and would like to determine how credits from another institution will transfer. Where is this information available?
The official evaluation of a transcript from another institution will not be completed until after the student has been admitted to Wayne State University. However, you may at any time view our online equivalency tables, which indicate how classes from many other institutions will be equated on a Wayne State University transcript.
What does 1XXX or 2XXX mean?
A course that does not precisely match any course offered at Wayne State University may be given elective credit. A course numbered 1XXX means credit is granted for a 1000-level elective in the given subject. 2XXX indicates that 2000-level elective credit is granted, and so forth. For example, if a course transfers to Wayne State as ENG 3XXX, it means that credit is given for a 3000-level English course.
What do abbreviations such as"1/2" or"2/3" in the name of a course mean?
In some circumstances, multiple courses from another institution are required to cover the material presented in a single Wayne State University course. In other words, there are cases where a group of two or more courses from another institution may be equivalent to just one Wayne State University course. In such cases, the student must successfully complete all of the required courses in the sequence in order to be awarded transfer credit for the single Wayne State University equivalent.
If multiple courses from another institution together equate to one course at Wayne State University, an abbreviation such as “1/2” or “2/3” will appear in the course name. The first number indicates the position of the course in the sequence of required courses; the second number indicates the total number of required courses in the sequence. Upon evaluation of a transcript indicating successful completion of all required courses in a sequence, the last course will show as equivalent to the Wayne State University course.
For example, MATH 1410 and MATH 1430 at Macomb Community College are listed in our equivalency table as “College Algebra 1/2 1800” and “PRE-CALCULUS 2/2 1800,” respectively. Each course is individually listed as being equivalent to MAT 1XXX at Wayne State University. This means that it is possible to earn credit for MAT 1800 at Wayne State by successfully completing both MATH 1410 (the first course in a sequence of two) and MATH 1430 (the second course in a sequence of two) at Macomb. A transcript showing successfully completion of both courses would indicate the last course in the sequence (MATH 1430 in this case) as equivalent to MAT 1800 at Wayne State.
If not all of the courses in a sequence are completed successfully, each completed course will individually be awarded elective credit. Please note that if the final course of a sequence is completed without successful completion of the previous course or courses in the sequence, it will only receive elective credit.
If an abbreviation such as “1/2” or “2/2” appears in an equivalency table but the course number is not given, please feel free to contact us for clarification.
If you have completed all of the courses in a sequence but the final course on your Wayne State University transcript still shows elective credit granted, please contact your evaluator to have the equivalency changed.
Where should I have transcripts from another institution sent to have credit transferred to Wayne State University?
Please have official copies of your transcript(s) sent to:
Wayne State University
Undergraduate Admissions
P.O. Box 02759
Detroit, MI 48202-0759
The Transfer Credit Department will not accept unofficial copies of transcripts for the purpose of transferring credit to Wayne State University. Furthermore, any transcripts brought to us by students, whether stamped official or otherwise, will not be accepted. Official transcripts must be sent directly from the institution at which they originate to Wayne State University at the above address.
I have taken or would like to take AP or CLEP tests. How do these transfer to Wayne State University?
Information regarding credit granted for Advanced Placement and CLEP tests is available on our website.
Please visit the Testing, Evaluation, and Research Services website to schedule an exam.
Do I receive any transfer credit for my military coursework or DD-214?
Yes, you can receive 4 general elective credits for your DD-214 and up to a maximum of 12 general elective credits for ACE (American Council of Education) approved military coursework.
What happened to the Cultural Diversity (CD), Ethical Inquiry (EI), and Science, Technology, and Society (ST) requirements?
A change in Wayne State's General Education program that eliminated these three requirements, collectively known as the Exposure Area requirement, was approved by Wayne State's Board of Governors in August of 2009, effective starting with the Fall 2009 semester. A student that has not met any of the requirements for Cultural Diversity (CD), Science, Technology, and Society (ST), and/or Ethical Inquiry (EI) will no longer be required to do so. All other General Education requirements are unchanged.