Undergraduate

International Transfer Student Admission Requirements

Female ±«Óătv student doing schoolwork by the water

While the competition to be admitted to ±«Óătv is at an all-time high, the  is simple. Unless otherwise noted, our transfer requirements and deadlines are consistent across all three campuses: Tampa campus, St. Petersburg campus and Sarasota-Manatee campus.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL MAJORS

±«Óătv has set standard requirements for admission that all applicants to our university must meet, outlined below.

Our How to Apply page will guide you through the process of applying to ±«Óătv as a transfer student.

TERMINOLOGY

  • Lower-Level (LL) Transfer = A lower-level transfer student is defined as someone who has completed 12-29 transferable hours as determined by the ±«Óătv Office of Admissions.
    • Must have completed at least 12 hours of post-secondary work after high school graduation. If your college hours were completed during high school, you should apply as a first-time-in-college (FTIC) student.
  • Mid-Level (ML) Transfer = A mid-level transfer student is defined as someone who has 30-59 transferable hours as determined by the ±«Óătv Office of Admissions.
    • If your hours place you in the mid-level category, you’ll need to select the “fewer than 60 hours” option on the ±«Óătv transfer application. ±«Óătv admissions staff will place you in mid-level if they determine you meet the criteria.
  • Upper-Level (UL) Transfer = An upper-level transfer student is defined as someone who has 60+ transferable hours as determined by the ±«Óătv Office of Admissions. 
  • Second Bachelor’s Degree = You have already completed and received a Bachelor's Degree.
  • Former ±«Óătv Student Returning (FSR) = You have previously attempted or completed for-credit courses at the University of South Florida.

Lower-Level (LL) Transfer Applicants

Applicants are required to have successfully completed a minimum of 67% of all credit hours attempted at currently and previously enrolled institutions. In addition, you must meet the . A 2.50 transfer or postsecondary transferrable GPA (3.60 for nursing) is required.

  • Transfer post-secondary GPA ≥ 2.5
  • High school GPA ≥ 2.5
  • High school units: 4 English, 4 math, 3 natural science, 3 social science, 2 foreign language
  • Test score requirements:
    • SAT

      • Evidence-Based Reading & Writing ≥ 490

      • Mathematics ≥ 480
    • ACT
      • ACT Reading ≥ 19, ACT English ≥ 17, ACT Math ≥ 19
    • CLT
      • CLT Verbal Reasoning+Writing ≥38, Quantitative Reasoning ≥16

You will need to submit:

  1. Application to ±«Óătv
  2. Application fee
  3. Official high school transcripts
  4. Official college transcripts
  5. Official SAT, ACT or CLT scores

International students from non-English speaking countries must meet SAT, ACT, CLT minimum scores to satisfy English proficiency requirement. Check Additional Requirements for International Students for full details on English proficiency requirements. 

You can find full details on how to apply to ±«Óătv as a lower-level transfer student on our How to Apply page.

Mid-Level (ML) Transfer Applicants

Applicants are required to have successfully completed a minimum of 67% of all credit hours attempted at currently and previously enrolled institutions. In addition, you must meet the . A 2.50 transfer or postsecondary transferrable GPA (3.60 for nursing) is required.

  • Transfer GPA ≥ 2.5
  • 2 years of foreign language in high school and/or 2 semesters at the collegiate level
  • C or better in college-level English composition course
  • C or better in college-level math course

You will need to submit:

  1. Application to ±«Óătv
  2. Application fee
  3. Official high school transcripts
  4. Official college transcripts

You can find full details on how to apply to ±«Óătv as a mid-level transfer student on our How to Apply page.

Upper Level (UL) Transfer Applicants

If you have graduated from high school and obtained 60+ transferrable credits, ±«Óătv considers you an upper-level transfer student. Applicants are required to have successfully completed a minimum of 67% of all credit hours attempted at currently and previously enrolled institutions.

Please note:

  • For each credit hour beyond 132 (for students in a 120-hour degree program), students will be charged double the tuition rate.
  • For each credit hour exceeding 110% of the credit hours required for their degree program, students will be charged double the tuition rate.
  • Students who have attempted 180 credit hours are no longer eligible for financial aid as an undergraduate (including federal student loans).

GPA requirements:

  • C or better in college-level English composition course
  • C or better in college-level math course
  • With an Associate of Arts (AA) from a Florida College System institution

    • Transfer GPA ≥ 2.0

  • Without an Associate of Arts (AA) from a Florida College System institution

    • Transfer GPA ≥ 2.3

  • If you are from a non-English speaking country, you must also meet the minimum English test score requirements:
     
    • TOEFL > 79
    • IELTS > 6.5
    • Duolingo > 110

You will need to submit:

  1. Application to ±«Óătv
  2. Application fee
  3. Official college transcripts
  4. Official IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo scores (required only for students from a non-English-speaking country)

You can find full details on how to apply to ±«Óătv as an upper-level transfer student on our How to Apply page.

 

Second Bachelor’s Degree Applicants

If you have already completed and been awarded a bachelor’s degree, ±«Óătv considers you a second bachelor’s degree applicant. You are expected to take only those courses necessary to complete a degree within three terms. Applicants are required to have successfully completed a minimum of 67% of all credit hours attempted at currently and previously enrolled institutions.

Please note:

  • For each credit hour beyond 132 (for students in a 120-hour degree program), students will be charged double the tuition rate.
  • For each credit hour exceeding 110% of the credit hours required for their degree program, students will be charged double the tuition rate.
  • Students who have attempted 180 credit hours are no longer eligible for financial aid as an undergraduate (including federal student loans).

 GPA requirements:

  • With a ±«Óătv bachelor’s degree
    • Bachelor’s GPA ≥ 2.0
  • Without a ±«Óătv bachelor’s degree
    • Bachelors GPA ≥ 2.5

You must submit official transcripts showing college or university coursework that you completed at a non-U.S. institution. For any coursework not in English you must also provide an official certified English translation. On a case-by-case bases you might be required to submit an official course-by-course Foreign Credential Evaluation from a NACES member evaluation service. International students whose native language is not English will also need to meet English proficiency standards (e.g., TOEFL or IELTS).

You will need to submit:

  1. Application to ±«Óătv
  2. Application fee
  3. Official college transcripts
  4. Official IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo scores (required only for students from a non-English speaking country)

You can find full details on how to apply to ±«Óătv as a second bachelor's degree-seeking student on our How to Apply page. 

Former ±«Óătv Student Returning (FSR) Applicants

For admission requirements as well as how to apply  as a returning ±«Óătv student please visit our Transfer Admission Requirements page.

Former students returning to ±«Óătv have slightly different deadlines than typical transfer students. If you are a former ±«Óătv student, please review the Transfer Admission Dates and Deadlines page to ensure your application is submitted on time.

Priority Admission Consideration

Transfer applicants who have received an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree from a Florida public institution immediately prior to transferring receive priority consideration for transfer admissions to ±«Óătv, provided the transfer application and all required application materials are received by the Office of Admissions by the transfer deadline. Applicants applying for Selective Majors must meet additional requirements for their intended major.

Note: All high school students, including those earning an A.A. degree through Dual Enrollment, must submit a Freshman (First-Year) application to ±«Óătv by the Freshman deadline. For more information about applying as a Freshman with a Florida A.A. degree, please click here.

Additional Requirements for Selective Majors

Students must meet the minimums based on student type, but also must meet pre-requisites for their intended degree. Therefore, even if you meet the general requirements, your admission to specific academic programs may depend on meeting additional requirements.

Please look at your intended academic college and major to see if there are any additional requirements needed for admission:

By College
By Major

Additional requirements are also outlined in .

Nursing Requirements

Nursing Admissions Schedule
  Spring Summer Fall
Transfer Students No Admission No Admission

Tampa campus Minimum 3.6 Transfer GPA
V-CARE Students (Military medics & corpsmen only) No Admission No Admission Tampa campus Minimum 2.9 Transfer GPA
Second Bachelors Degree Students (students with a first bachelors degree only)

Sarasota-Manatee campus

Minimum 3.0 GPA

 Tampa campus Minimum 3.0 GPA

St. Petersburg campus

Minimum 3.0 Transfer GPA

Nursing programs have limited access. Transfer students meeting minimum criteria will be admitted to ±«Óătv as Pre-Nursing. They must then submit a secondary application to the College of Nursing through NursingCAS. Please visit the website for complete details. 

Please note:

  • Second Bachelor’s Degree students applying for Spring admission must submit an application to the Tampa campus. If admitted to the Nursing program, these students will take their courses at the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
  • Second Bachelor’s Degree students applying for Fall admission must submit an application to the Tampa campus. If admitted to the Nursing program, these students will take their courses at the St Petersburg campus.
Common Admission Deadlines
  Term App Available App Priority Deadline Transcript Submission Priority Deadline App Completion Deadline Admission to ±«Óătv Deadline
Upper Division Fall

September 1

December 1

January 15

February 1

March 1
V-CARE Fall

September 1

December 1

January 15

February 1

March 1
Accelerated Second Degree - Tampa Summer

September 1

December 1

January 15

February 1

March 1
Accelerated Second Degree - St. Petersburg Fall

September 1

February 1

May 15

June 1

July 1
Accelerated Second Degree- Sarasota-Manatee Spring

February 1

July 1

August 15

September 1

October 1

WHen to Apply

Here is a good rule of thumb on when to apply as a transfer student:

  • If you are currently enrolled at another college or university: Apply no more than 90 days before your final grades will be posted for the current semester (e.g., if your final semester grades will be posted on June 1, apply after March 1 for transfer admission to ±«Óătv).
  • If you are not currently enrolled at another college or university: Apply as soon as you have prepared necessary to reach an admissions decision.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS for international students

Academic Credential Requirements

Post-Secondary Credential Requirements

±«Óătv may require a credential evaluation for all college or university transcripts located outside of the US, as well as an official translation for transcripts not issued in English.

All foreign transcripts/documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. We will not accept documents signed by a notary or any other person with no educational affiliation.

You must submit the credential evaluation directly to the Office of Admissions at the following address. All documents issued by the service that performs the evaluation must include a copy of the original document, along with an English translation (if necessary).

±«Óătv 
Office of Admissions
4202 E. Fowler Avenue, SVC 1036
Tampa, FL  33620

For your convenience, we have listed several credential evaluation services. Additional recommended services can be found at .

Note: ±«Óătv does not guarantee that all coursework attempted at the post-secondary level will be transferable. Transferability of courses is determined on a course-by-course basis. 

Secondary credentials (lower-level applicants only) 

If you completed secondary education in any country outside the U.S., ±«Óătv requires you to submit the appropriate documents to confirm that you've completed that country's equivalent of graduation from high school in the U.S. Generally, completion of secondary education will consist of 12-13 years of study and the awarding of a diploma or graduation certificate. Please include academic transcripts and exam results for all secondary work.

If you earned an IB diploma or certificate, you will need to submit an official  transcript directly from the International Baccalaureate Organization.

English Proficiency Requirements

Lower-level applicants

International students from non-English-speaking countries must demonstrate English language proficiency by achieving the following minimum scores on one of the standardized tests listed below:

  • SAT: Reading and Writing ≥ 490
  • ACT: English ≥ 17, Reading ≥ 19
  • CLT: Verbal Reasoning and Writing ≥ 38

Please note that we do not accept English proficiency tests such as TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or other as substitutes for these minimum test score requirements.

Upper-level applicants 

International applicants from non-English speaking countries must provide a minimum score on one of the following tests:

  • TOEFL > 79
  • IELTS > 6.5
  • Duolingo > 110

If you are from one of the English-speaking countries on this list, you are not required to submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores.

Note: Successful completion with a grade of "C" or higher in the equivalents of ENC 1101 Freshman Composition Skills I, as outlined on , at a U.S. regionally accredited institution can be used to waive the TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo requirement. These course equivalencies are established at the discretion of the University of South Florida.


Other important notes you should consider as you submit your application:
  • No Essay Requirement: We do not request an essay or personal statement to be evaluated for admission to ±«Óătv. Any essay or personal statement that you submit will not be opened or reviewed.
  • Dual Enrollment Students: All high school students, including those earning an A.A. degree through Dual Enrollment, must submit a freshman (first-year) application to ±«Óătv by the freshman deadline. They are not considered transfer students. Only students who have earned 12 or more credits post-high school graduation are considered transfer students.

Foreign Language Entrance Requirements (FLENT)

To be considered for admission, students must have completed two academic units of the same foreign language in high school or two semesters of the same foreign language or American Sign Language (ASL) in college. If you have already fulfilled this requirement, submit official transcripts showing the completed foreign language or ASL courses. Refer to the following bullets, which describe the methods to meet the requirement, as well as possible exemptions. Students who have not met FLENT at point of admission may still be admissible, but must meet FLENT before they can graduate from ±«Óătv.

  • Two academic units (years) of the same foreign language or American sign language in high school (9th-12th grades), or one academic unit (year) at level 2.
  • Two passing semesters of the same foreign language (e.g., SPN 1120 and SPN 1121) or sign language in college, earning no less than eight credit hours.
  • Successfully passing the ±«Óătv Language Placement Test by placing into the third course or higher.
  • Passing subject test level 2.
  • One year of an Advanced Placement (AP) foreign language course in high school.
  • for two semesters (AP score = 4).
  • Passing the Brigham Young University (BYU) . 

SAT/ACT/CLT Requirements

±«Óătv requires lower-level transfer applicants to submit official results for at least one college entrance exam (  or ). Currently, ±«Óătv does not require or consider the optional essay section of the SAT or ACT during the admission or scholarship review processes. Similarly, SAT subject tests are not considered for admission or placement.

±«Óătv's code for SAT is 5828 and for ACT is 0761. Please select ±«Óătv from the dropdown on CLT website.

Superscoring

±«Óătv considers your highest submitted section scores across all SAT, ACT or CLT test dates. We make final admission decisions using only your highest cumulative scores. Each time you submit test scores to ±«Óătv, we will update your record with any new high scores. We strongly encourage you to submit your scores each time you take the SAT, ACT or CLT. Sending your scores each time you take a test allows us to consider you for all available enrollment-related opportunities — a huge benefit to you.

Concordance and the Redesigned SAT

The Redesigned SAT was launched by the College Board in March 2016. ±«Óătv will accept both the Original (pre-March 2016) SAT and the Redesigned (March 2016 and later) SAT for admission. For admission and scholarship purposes, we will concord any Original SAT scores to the Redesigned SAT scale. We will also superscore all administrations of the SAT. If you took the Original SAT and want to understand how your scores will concord to the new scale, please refer to the SAT Score Converter. For more information on the Redesigned SAT, visit the . 

English Speaking Countries

  • Antigua
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Barbuda
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Botswana
  • Canada, except Quebec (French)
  • Cayman Islands
  • Commonwealth Caribbean
  • Dominica
  • England (UK)
  • Fiji
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Grenada
  • Guyana
  • Ireland (UK)
  • Irish Republic
  • Jamaica, Republic of
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Malawi
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • Northern Ireland (UK)
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Rwanda (if secondary school completed after 2009)
  • Scotland (UK)
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • South Africa (if Afrikaans is not listed as native language)
  • St. Kitts & Nevis
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
  • Swaziland
  • Tanzania
  • Trinidad
  • Tobago
  • Uganda (UK)
  • United Kingdom
  • United States, except Puerto Rico
  • Virgin Islands
  • Wales (UK)
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe