G3.4 Transfer Credits

After one semester in residence here, PhD students who have transferred to UW-Madison from other universities may petition the Graduate Studies Committee to transfer graduate credits taken at their previous universities to satisfy requirements here. In the Spanish PhD, a maximum of three courses (nine credits) may be transferred from their previous programs toward their degree requirements, except in the major field, and no more than three credits may be granted in other fields. Transfer credits could be allocated to other requirements in research design, languages, advanced courses, or distributed minors. In the Portuguese & Spanish PhD, a maximum of three courses (nine credits) may be transferred from their previous program toward their degree requirements, except in the major field, and no more than three credits may be transferred per supporting field, totaling six credits. Each petition must be approved by the advisor, validated by a faculty member specializing in that field, and assessed by the Graduate Studies Committee with regard to its level and appropriateness. Only in rare circumstances will exceptions be considered.

The department urges students seeking transfer credits to submit their requests as soon as possible after their first semester in residence, because if the request is denied, the students will need to satisfy the relevant requirements by course work.