Transfer Student Admissions Standards

Transfer students are admitted to upper-class status in Journalism when they complete 60 credit hours, fulfill all prerequisites and establish a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in courses taken at MU. Completion of at least one semester at MU is required for transfer students to establish an MU GPA and qualify for admission. Because of that, students who plan to major in journalism are encouraged to transfer to Missouri after taking no more than 45 credit hours elsewhere. If you are planning a campus visit and would like to meet with an academic adviser in the School of Journalism to discuss your transfer credits, please schedule your appointment at least two business day ahead by calling 573-882-1045. Be sure to bring a copy of your transcript and current semester schedule with you.

Transfer students who have completed 60 credit hours and the necessary coursework but who do not have a 3.0 GPA at MU are placed in the same pool of applicants as pre-Journalism students and will be considered using the same process. Criteria used in evaluating these applications are similar to those for pre-Journalism applicants and direct admits who did not maintain 3.0 GPAs. The Admissions Committee will review the student’s MU GPA as well as a student’s stated desire to work in the fields of journalism or strategic communication, demonstrated commitment to journalism or strategic communication (as evidenced by work with student or professional media, high school or junior college activities, or participation in journalism student groups), needs of the profession, etc. A transfer student in this category also must submit a brief letter of application (not to exceed two pages) stating a case for admission.

All students must complete 30 of their last 36 hours in MU coursework. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions, not the School of Journalism, determines transfer equivalencies for the University. Transfer students from other accredited schools and colleges in Missouri should check the MU website to see how coursework will transfer to MU or contact the Office of Admissions. Students also should contact an advisor to see how these courses would apply toward a degree at MU. A course taken on a pass/fail basis is accepted only if the MU grading system also allows pass/fail grading in that course. Some journalism courses from other institutions may not transfer, but the School makes every effort to accept transfer credit from other schools of journalism and from community colleges with which it has working agreements. Some communications courses are similarly rejected and may not be used toward graduation requirements even as electives. Some other courses also may not count toward the degree.