Transfer Credit Processes

As part of the application process, transfer students must submit an official transcript from each institution of higher education at which credit was earned. First-year students who completed college credits while in high school, through dual-credit programs such as Running Start and College in the High School, or through direct enrollment at a college or university, also must submit official transcripts from each institution at which credit was earned.  These college-level transcripts are not required from first-year students until after they have been admitted to SPU. However, official transcripts will be used to award credit for past college-level coursework and to determine placement in some advanced courses, so students are encouraged to submit transcripts as soon as possible.

As a transfer student or first-year student applying for admission to Seattle Pacific University, you must meet the following conditions, regardless of your previous institution, and be aware of the following policies:

• You must present a separate, official transcript from each institution of higher learning at which you completed college-level coursework.
  • Failure to disclose previous coursework taken at an institution with nationally recognized* accreditation is a serious offense.
• You must be in good standing at all prior institutions attended.
• It is your responsibility to ensure that your final, official transcripts reflecting all coursework and degrees completed after your admission to SPU are received by Undergraduate Admissions by the 10th day of your first quarter at SPU.
  • The absence of final coursework will affect your class standing, eligibility for financial aid, and progress toward degree completion.
• If you are a transfer student who has successfully completed 45 college-level quarter credits or 30 college-level semester credits from an institution with nationally recognized accreditation at the time of your application, you are not required to take the American College Test (ACT) or the College Board Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT-I). (Note that SPU is test-optional for the 2023–24 academic year.) 

*To be “nationally recognized” means that the institution’s accreditor has been reviewed and accepted as a national accreditor by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation or the U.S. Department of Education.

If you have earned credit from an institution outside the U.S., see how credit from an international institution transfers.