Transferring Credits for Adult, Military & Veteran Students
Getting Started
We encourage you to contact us about the different ways you can earn credit prior to enrollment, as well as for more information about how any previous college-level work may transfer to Penn State. To help you get started, please review the credit information below.
Transferring Credit from Another College or University
The Undergraduate Admissions Office will evaluate courses from other institutions for possible transfer credit after we receive a complete application, including an official transcript from that institution (view our Requirements for Transfer Students). Only coursework successfully completed at other colleges and universities recognized by the six regional accrediting associations will be considered for transfer credit.*
*College level coursework completed at colleges/universities licensed by state boards of education to award associate degrees or higher but that are not members of one of the six regional accrediting associations may be eligible for credit by validation.
Visit the Transfer Credit portion of our website to learn more about transferring credits from another institution, and to access our convenient Transferring Credits Tool.
Military Credit
Penn State will review any military transcripts provided – they are not required – in order to determine if any credit may be awarded for military experience. For this reason, we highly recommend that you submit your military transcript for credit evaluation. To understand what information you need to send to Penn State, please review the detailed list provided in our section.
Credit by Examination
Penn State awards credit based on the results of many different examinations. If you have taken AP, IB, or CLEP examinations at any point, you may be able to earn credit from your test performance. Additionally, Penn State recognizes DSST exams (formerly DANTES), and awards credit based on test performance in those subjects.
Please visit to find the list of examinations Penn State accepts, as well as a subject-by-subject breakdown of the possible credit available.
Credit by Validation
Current students can request consideration of credit from transcripts not transferable through other means. While the forms can be obtained from the Undergraduate Admissions Office, this process requires a review by the academic college.
Please review our information for details on what needs to accompany a Credit by Validation request.
Credit by Training/Portfolio Assessment
Penn State can also evaluate a student’s experiences outside of the classroom and award credit based on the information provided about that experience and its relationship to the student’s area of study. The American Council on Education (ACE) evaluates training programs for college credit. A student interested in receiving credit for this work should submit an official ACE transcript to the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Course work must be completed in order for the Undergraduate Admissions Office to facilitate a review; preapprovals are not permitted. Disciplinary faculty will then review the ACE course information to determine if and how credit can be awarded. Transfer credit is granted only to enrolled degree-seeking students or those who have been approved to re-enroll in a degree-seeking program.
Current students also have the option of earning college credit through the submission of a portfolio that outlines how college-level learning experiences have been obtained through non-college experiences. Once enrolled, students should contact their academic college for the college’s procedure for participating in this portfolio assessment. The student must identify the specific Penn State course, and then in accordance with the college’s procedure, make the request for a portfolio review by petition.