Transfer Students - U of M System

Transfer admission is competitive and based on a holistic review of the applicant’s academic record, writing skills, experiences beyond the classroom, and personal essay. Admission consideration factors include but are not limited to:

Academic Factors

Because academic preparation is key to student success in college, the strongest consideration in the decision is given to a student’s academic preparation. The following academic factors are considered:

• Coursework in preparation for Impact Course (microeconomics and financial accounting)
• Grades in academic coursework
• Grade Point Average
• Rigor of academic curriculum

Context Factors

Individual circumstances are also considered as part of the overall assessment of each application. Enrolling a diverse student body—with students bringing differing experiences, talents, and perspectives to their scholarly community—is essential to achieving the development outcomes of a University of Minnesota education.

Our holistic review takes into consideration the individual circumstances that make each individual student unique. While we do not consider an applicant's race and ethnicity, we consider the following context factors in our decision review:

• Evidence of exceptional achievement, aptitude, or personal accomplishment not reflected in the academic record
• Participation in extracurricular activities related to your intended major
• Strong commitment to community service, leadership, and educational involvement
• Evidence of having overcome social, economic, or physical barriers to educational achievement
• First-generation college student
• Significant responsibility in a family, community, job, or activity
• Contribution to the cultural, gender, age, economic, or geographic diversity of the student body
• Personal or extenuating circumstances
• Military service
• Information received in the open-ended questions

No. In order to maintain a fair and equitable review process, we hold all prospective transfer students to the same standard to complete the prerequisite classes as stated above. 

Impact Core (I-Core) is a signature experience of the undergraduate program. I-Core includes foundational courses in business taken together as a 24-credit cohort experience across two semesters. It is during the I-core semesters in which students will declare their major.

After completing the prerequisites, students should continue to complete the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, or any remaining liberal education courses not met by the Carlson School curriculum: 

• Biological Science
• Physical Science
• Historical Perspectives
• Arts/Humanities
• Literature
• Environment Theme
• Technology and Society Theme

Students can also take some of the required Impact Core classes that may be found at other places via Transferology.com (HRIR 3021, IDSC 3001, SCO 3001, MKTG 3001).

Plan registration as if you have not been admitted. Rest assured, seats are reserved in Carlson classes for all newly admitted transfer students. If admitted, you will register during orientation in the summer.

We assume it will take successful applicants 3 years to complete their Carlson degree once admitted into Carlson. This can be demonstrated by the attached Transfer Planning Guide.

The first page is the classes all Carlson students must take, the second page is the Liberal Education Requirements, and the final page is a transfer sample plan. 

We encourage students to use Transferology.com to see what classes will transfer to our University from their current or previous institutions. You can create a free account, and then input all of the classes they've taken and see how they will match. 

Within Transferology, students can use the "Find a Replacement Course" function to see what classes they can take that will transfer to us before taking them. In that function, they will list the school they currently attend as University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and input specific UMN courses for equivalency, or use the "Requirement Categories" section to match Liberal Education courses and Writing Intensive courses. 

If there are questions, please complete the Contact Us form at the bottom of this webpage to connect with staff in the Office of Admissions, or they can contact Jacob Osterman, Enrollment and Transition Advisor for the Carlson School at CarlsonUG@umn.edu.

Students should work with their current academic advisor to create a parallel plan as a backup. Admissions is competitive and not a guarantee. Prerequisites can be used towards additional programs at the University. Visit majors.umn.edu to explore business-related majors.