Transferring Credit

SUNY Plattsburgh accepts college credit from new transfers and first-year students who have earned college credit in high school. College credit must be earned from accredited institutions of higher education and from recognized candidates for accreditation.

Students who have attended  accredited institutions of higher education may request that their coursework be evaluated for transfer credit. Credit will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and students will be expected to provide course descriptions and/or syllabi to assist in evaluating the coursework.

View Database Of Accredited Colleges & Universities

SUNY Plattsburgh awards transfer credits for those courses that are liberal arts in nature, or are applicable to a non-liberal arts program offered at SUNY Plattsburgh (i.e., business, education, social work, etc.). We do not award credit for those courses that are highly specialized or technical such as secretarial courses, automotive repair, or construction technology.

Courses that are designed to give students the necessary background for college-level work are not accepted for transfer credit. Examples of remedial courses include basic writing skills, pre-algebra, and English as a Second Language (ESL).

SUNY Plattsburgh awards transfer credit for those courses in which a passing grade was earned, which can include deficient grades like ‘C’-, ‘D+’, and ‘D’, provided that the following exceptions are noted:

• ENG 101 – Composition will only be awarded for a grade of ‘C’ or higher.
• Courses transferring into the major must have an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.00.
• Certain academic programs require a ‘C’ grade or higher in major-specific courses. Any such requirements are listed in the notes section following the degree requirements in the university catalog.

• SUNY Plattsburgh will accept up to 67 credits completed at a two-year college.
• The maximum that SUNY Plattsburgh will accept is 84 credits, provided that at least 17 of the credits are completed at a four-year college.
• Up to 30 credits will be accepted for credit earned by examination (AP, CLEP, Dantes and IB). Credits earned by examination are considered lower-division and are counted in the limits listed above.

SUNY Plattsburgh will award transfer credit for courses completed on other credit systems (quarter-hour, unit-based, etc.) as long as the requirements listed above are met.

Courses from other systems will be converted to their semester-hour equivalent during the transfer credit evaluation process.

Four items are taken into consideration when determining if a course is placed as a direct equivalent to a specific course offered by SUNY Plattsburgh:

• Content: A course must sufficiently match the content offered in the SUNY Plattsburgh class. This includes both the content being taught, as well as the desired learning outcomes.
• Level: The course must be approximately the same course level (100, 200, etc.) as the course offered at SUNY Plattsburgh.
• Prerequisites: The course requires students have similar background knowledge entering the class as the class offered at SUNY Plattsburgh requires. For example, if another college's course does not require the same prerequisites, it may not be accepted as a direct equivalent.
• Programmatic Accreditation Requirements: Programs like nursing, social work, and programs within our School of Business and Economics must meet external accreditation requirements, which limits how credit can be placed if the student is transferring from a non-accredited institution.

If a student is transferring from a SUNY college, SUNY Plattsburgh will recognize courses approved at the prior institution to meet the general education requirement. The only exceptions are foreign language and mathematics, as SUNY Plattsburgh has a higher requirement in these areas than the SUNY System.

Students who are transferring from non-SUNY institutions will have courses placed as general education if the content offered in the course matches the learning outcomes of the specific requirement.

View SUNY Plattsburgh’s general education requirements

Should a student feel that a particular course has not been placed properly, we encourage the student to contact the admissions office. Students requesting an appeal should be prepared to provide additional information (including course descriptions and/or syllabi) to assist in re-examining the course.

The SUNY System has also established the SUNY Student Transfer Appeal Process, which is designed for any student in an associate degree program who does not agree with the decision of the college regarding acceptance and/or placement of credit earned elsewhere within SUNY.

Download Student Transfer Appeal Process Form

SUNY Plattsburgh’s Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Policy offers students the opportunity to earn academic credit for validated college-level learning acquired outside traditional academic settings. This includes experiences such as standardized exams (e.g., AP, IB, CLEP), military training, professional certifications and relevant work experience.

For more information, please visit the Credit for Prior Learning Policy page.

Use the university catalog below to locate and review your degree program requirements, as well as any additional requirements by the department or the college for successful degree completion.

View Your Degree Requirements in the University Catalog

Use the form below to see how credit from your previous New York state college or university will transfer to Plattsburgh. Have questions? Connect with a Transfer Advisor to learn more about how your courses will transfer.

Use the table below to see how credit from your previous out-of-state college or university will transfer to Plattsburgh.  Have questions? Connect with a Transfer Advisor to learn more about how your courses will transfer.

Use the table below to see how credit from your previous international institution or international standardized exam will transfer to Plattsburgh. Have questions? Connect with a Transfer Advisor to learn more about how your courses will transfer.

International students (not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident) should contact the Global Education Office at [email protected] with regard to transfer credit questions.

Use the table below to see how your credits by examination will transfer. Have questions? Connect with a Transfer Advisor to learn more about transfer credits.

SUNY Plattsburgh welcomes credit earned through DANTES Subject Standardized Tests. To award credits, students must provide an official score report.