Frequently Asked Questions:
Transfer Credits
GENERAL TRANSFER CREDIT INFORMATION
Any Penn State students that take classes at different institutions while enrolled at Penn State should send the official transcript directly from the institution in order for the course work to be evaluated for transfer credit. Please note that:
- A quality grade of a “C” or better must be earned for the course to transfer.
- Credits are transferred; grades are not.
- Credits transferred from another school do not affect a student’s grade-point average.
- Transfer credits are part of a student’s academic history and the college in which the student is enrolled will determine how transfer credits will be used to meet graduation requirements.
- All transfer credits (from examinations or other institutions) placed on the Penn State transcript will count towards the total number of credits a student has accumulated.
Q: How do I know if A transfer course will count at penn state?
Search for the course using the Transfer Credit Tool. Once you’ve found a direct equivalent, go to the institution’s website to see if they have open seats of the course you want to take. Finally, look for visiting student or guest student information on how to register for the course. Double check with your academic advisor, then sign up!
Q: I can’t find the course I want to take in the Transfer Tool.
If the course is not yet evaluated, or if it is listed as pending review (TRN XFRPEN), visit the Course Substitutions and Reviews web portal and click on “New Transfer Review”. If no course evaluation is found, you will be prompted to upload a course syllabus.
Please do not submit brief course descriptions instead of syllabi. Course descriptions are only accepted in extenuating circumstances (e.g. school no longer exists). Be sure that the institution and state is located on the course syllabus.
Once you have submitted a course syllabus for review, the Undergraduate Admissions Office will send your syllabus to the appropriate faculty review committee. It can take up to 3-5 weeks from the date a syllabus is received to the time you are notified via the CSRS Student Portal about how the course will transfer to Penn State, or if more information is needed to evaluate the course.
If not available electronically, please mail course syllabi to:
Undergraduate Admissions, The Pennsylvania State University
201 Shields Building
University Park, PA 16802-1294
You may also fax syllabi to 814-863-7590.
Q: How do I transfer in transfer credits?
Send Official Transcripts to Admissions Office
Request to have the school to send an official transcript of the courses you’ve taken directly to our Admissions Office for it to be reviewed:
An official transcript must be received by the Undergraduate Admissions Office from any postsecondary school attended. Please send to the following address:
Undergraduate Admissions Office
The Pennsylvania State University
201 Shields Building
University Park, PA 16802-1294
Transcripts must be sent through mail, fax, Parchment, eScrip-Safe, the National Student Clearinghouse or SCOIR directly to Penn State from the university where course work was attempted. If your school requires an email address to send a transcript electronically, please use admissions@psu.edu.
For more info, visit: https://admissions.psu.edu/info/future/transfer/credit/
Transcripts
Q: How do I get a copy of my transcript?
To order an official transcript online, follow these steps if you are currently or were recently enrolled and if your Penn State Access Account is still active.
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- Log in to LionPATH.
- Go to “Academic Records.”
- Select “Request Official Transcript.”
- You will be taken to the Parchment Exchange ordering service. Complete each step of the order form.
- If you have a form or document that must be attached to your transcript, you must upload the document in the order process.
Unofficial transcripts may be obtained in LionPATH by selecting “Academic Records” on the Student Home Base, and then selecting “View Unofficial Transcript” from the left-side menu. They are printed on plain white paper in portrait view.
Tutorial: https://tutorials.lionpath.psu.edu/public/S_UnofficialTranscript/
Q: when does my official transcript say i graduated?
Your transcript will not show that your degree has been awarded until June 16, 2020. For more information visit: http://www.registrar.psu.edu/transcripts/end-semester-transcripts.cfm
Entrance to Major
Work Experience Forms
Q: I Need to submit my work experience (SECED and SPLED students)
SPLED: https://forms.office.com/r/ZZTMAEawyr
SECED: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=RY30fNs9iUOpwcEVUm61LsrgkOOBkHZClrXUbWlMqPNUQTZLVDlDRjZLN0pIQ01GNFNWRDlOUDc2QyQlQCN0PWcu
Declaring Majors/Minors
Q: How do I declare my major?
On LionPath: Find “Update Academics” by logging into:
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- Log in to LionPATH.
- Go to “Degree Planning and Progress”
- Go to “Update Academics”
- Continue
- Program/Major – Change
- Continue
- Select Program/Major
Tutorial: https://tutorials.lionpath.psu.edu/public/S_UpdateAcademics/
Course Registration
Q: Can I take a class that is offered through World Campus?
Since you are a University Park student, you are not able to enroll in World Campus courses during regular enrollment. A week before classes start, students can call the World campus registrar (814-863-4922) and ask to be manually enrolled in the class if there are remaining seats open.
For now, you should schedule another University Park class, and check back on that course before the semester begins.
Q: I cannot find my ALEKS score, how do I access this?
Go to LionPATH, select Academic Records, then select Academic Background
Certification Verification Forms
Q: Who can I contact about receiving a certification verification letter?
Alyssa Adams, ara10@psu.edu to be added to the list.
Tiffany Benner, tjb31@psu.edu if there’s specific questions
Q: I have an out of state verification form. Who can I send this to?
Tiffany Benner, tjb31@psu.edu
Substitute Teaching Forms
Q: Who can I contact about receiving an Act 86 Substitute letter?
Tiffany Benner, tjb31@psu.edu