FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT TRANSFERRING to UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MADISON

1. How can I get basic information about UW-Madison and the College of Letters and Science?

  • Web Resources
  • Campus Visit: Campus visits and tours can be arranged through the Office of Admissions web site.

2. How do I know how my courses will transfer to UW-Madison?

  • Official “transfer credit evaluations” will be done by the Office of Admissions;
    Students transferring from a UW System campus or a Wisconsin technical college can find course equivalency information on the Transfer Information System (TIS) web site.

70 Bascom Hall does not oversee credit transfer or equivalencies for transfer courses.

3. What are the graduation requirements for a degree from L&S?

Please see our BA/BS worksheet for a table of this information.

 A student must complete a minimum of 120 credits, including a minimum of 108 liberal arts and sciences credit.

All students at graduating from UW-Madison must complete the same general education requirements:  Communications A and Communications; Quantitative Reasoning A and Quantitative Reasoning B; and an ethnic studies course.
           

The L&S web site describes the rationale behind a liberal arts education.

4. What kinds of courses should I take prior to transfer?

Students should take courses that meet general education and breadth requirements if possible.  While introductory courses in an intended major may be a good idea, transfer students should be careful not to take too many “upper division” courses in their intended majors.
              It is also a good idea to complete the foreign language requirement prior to transfer.
            Caution: Transfer students should be careful of the “60 credit rule” that stipulates that at a student must complete a minimum of 60 intermediate and/or advanced credits in order to graduate. 

5.  Once I decide to transfer to UW-Madison, how will I know what courses I should take?

            All new students are required to attend a Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) session prior to their first semester on campus.  At SOAR, transfer students will receive official transfer credit evaluations that will describe how their previous coursework will transfer to UW-Madison.  Students will work closely with campus advisors who will assist in course selection and enrollment for that first semester.  Students will also learn where to go for future academic advising needs: http://www.lssaa.wisc.edu/70bascom/

6.  If I already know what courses I want to take when I get to UW-Madison, do I have to attend SOAR?

Yes. Surveys of transfer students in the past indicated that those who felt “most lost” were those who had not attended a SOAR session.

 

7. How do I “declare a major” in L&S?

            Admission to the University does not guarantee admission to a particular major.  A student’s “intention” does not translate as declaring a major.  Each department has its own requirements. Students should check the university catalog to determine the requirements and process for declaring a major in any single department.

8.  If I have a quick question, what are my best resources?

            Students should email their questions

Other web resources for Transfer Students:

 The Department of Political Science has a great page for transfer students.