Undergraduate

International Transfer Student Admission Requirements

Female USF student doing schoolwork by the water

Admission to USF is more competitive than ever, but the process of applying is not difficult. Unless otherwise noted, our transfer requirements and deadlines are consistent across all three campuses: Tampa campus, St. Petersburg campus and Sarasota-Manatee campus.

Please review the information below, but also be sure to review your specific major requirements found here

TERMINOLOGY

  • Lower-Level (LL) Transfer = 12-29 hours of transferable credit including in-progress
    • Must have some completed post-secondary work
  • Upper-Level (UL) Transfer = 60+ hours of transferable credit including in-progress
  • Second Bachelor’s Degree = you have already completed and been awarded a Bachelor's Degree
  • Former USF 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 Florida Board of Governors minimums. A 2.50 transfer or postsecondary transferrable GPA (3.20 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 overall: 1100
      • SAT Reading ≥ 24, SAT Writing  ≥ 25, SAT Math ≥ 24, OR
    • ACT overall: 22
      • ACT Reading ≥ 19, ACT English ≥ 17, ACT Math ≥ 19
    • CLT: to be determined

You will need to submit:

  1. Application to USF
  2. Application fee
  3. Official high school transcripts
  4. Official college transcripts
  5. Official SAT, ACT or CLT scores
  6. 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 USF as a lower-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 USF considers you an upper-level transfer student. It is important to note that students will be charged double the tuition rate for each credit hour beyond 132 (for students in a 120-hour degree program) or 110 percent in excess of the hours required. Students who have attempted 180 credit hours are no longer eligible for financial aid as an undergraduate (including federal student loans).

Applicants are required to have successfully completed a minimum of 67% of all credit hours attempted at currently and previously enrolled institutions. A minimum transferrable GPA of 2.30 is required (except applicants with an AA degree from a Florida College System institution and a minimum transferrable GPA of 2.00).

  • 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 USF
  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 USF as an upper-level transfer student on our How to Apply page.

 

Second Bachelor’s Degree Applicants

Applicants are required to have successfully completed a minimum of 67% of all credit hours attempted at currently and previously enrolled institutions.

  • With a USF bachelor’s degree
    • Bachelor’s GPA ≥ 2.0
  • Without a USF bachelor’s degree
    • Bachelors GPA ≥ 2.5

Any college or university work that was completed at a non-U.S. institution must be submitted along with a 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).

It is important to note that second bachelor’s degree applicants are expected to take only those courses necessary to complete a degree within three terms. Students will be charged double the tuition rate for each credit hour beyond 132 (for students in a 120-hour degree program) or 110 percent in excess of the hours required. In addition, students who have attempted 180 credit hours are no longer eligible for financial aid as an undergraduate (including federal student loans).

You will need to submit:

  1. Application to USF
  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 USF as a second bachelor's degree seeking student on our How to Apply page.

Former USF Student Returning (FSR) Applicants

  • USF GPA ≥ 2.0
  • Overall GPA ≥ 2.0
  • In good standing and eligible to return to the last institution attended
  • Minimum GPA for the declared major, prerequisites met, if applicable 

You will need to submit:

  1. Application to USF
  2. Application fee
  3. Official college transcripts
  4. Academic Regulation Committee (ARC) Petition
  5. 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 as a returning USF student on our How to Apply page.


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 USF.)
  • If you are not currently enrolled at another college or university: apply as soon as you are ready with all required documents needed for an admissions decision.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Academic Credential Requirements

Post-Secondary Credential Requirements

USF now requires 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. Documents signed by a notary or other person with no educational affiliation will not be accepted. 

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

University of South Florida 
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 www.naces.org.

Please note that USF 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) 

USF requires that you submit the appropriate documents that are the equivalent of graduation from high school in the US. As a general rule, 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 of all secondary work. If you earned an IB diploma or certificate, you will need to submit an official International Baccalaureate transcript directly from the International Baccalaureate Organization.

SAT/ACT/CLT Requirements

USF requires lower-level transfer applicants to submit official results of at least one college entrance exam (SAT, ACT, or CLT). SAT Subject Tests are not considered for admission or placement.

USF's code for SAT is 5828 and for ACT is 0761. If you are submitting scores for the CLT, you will need to select University of South Florida on the school dropdown when using their website.

Superscoring

USF considers your highest submitted section scores across all SAT, ACT or CLT test dates. Final admission decisions will be made using only your highest cumulative scores. Each time you submit test scores to USF, 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 an exam can benefit you by allowing us to consider you for all available enrollment-related opportunities.

Concordance and the Redesigned SAT

The Redesigned SAT was launched by the College Board in March 2016. USF will accept both the Original (Pre-March 2016) SAT and the Redesigned (March 2016 and later) SAT for admission for the Spring 2017 semester and later. 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 College Board website

Foreign Language Entrance Requirements (FLENT)

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 to be considered for admission.  If you already have fulfilled this requirement, submit official transcripts showing the foreign language or ASL courses completed. Refer to the following bullets for methods to meet the requirement and possible exemptions. Students who have not met FLENT at point of admission are still admissible but must meet FLENT before graduating from USF.

English Proficiency Requirements

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 listed below, you are not required to submit TOEFL, IELTS or PTEA scores.

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

English Speaking Countries

  • Check back later for full listing!

No Essay Requirement

No essay or personal statement is requested to be evaluated for admission to USF.  Any submission of an essay or personal statement will not be opened or reviewed.