Transferring credit from approved high school exams and eligible college courses is a cost-effective way to reduce both tuition and time to graduation. DigiPen welcomes applicants from all educational backgrounds to apply, and we’re here to guide you through the transfer process by helping you shorten your degree completion requirements where possible.
Our options for transferring credits have expanded! Applicants who have finished a guided course sequence, such as the Washington 45, and have a larger number of credits to transfer can save up to one year of time and tuition. See our Community College Credit Transfer section for more information.
Applicants who have officially documented college-level, AP, IB, or CLEP-related studies are automatically considered for transfer credit during the application process. Running Start or College in the High School credits can be transferred on an individual course-by-course basis or as a group for up to one year of DigiPen credit.
High school students enrolled in the Washington Running Start program who transfer at least 45 quarter credits (30 semester credits) toward a DigiPen degree can potentially earn a traditional four-year DigiPen degree in only three years. However, applicants must still meet DigiPen’s admission requirements and have those transfer credits approved by the Office of the Registrar.
Additional information will be added as it becomes available, along with new resources and tools to help prospective students anticipate the number of credits that could be transferred to DigiPen.
Community College Credit Transfer
DigiPen partners with several community and technical colleges in our region to support students who want to apply previously earned credits toward a DigiPen degree. Our college transfer breakdown helps you determine whether credits from Washington state community colleges may shorten the time needed to complete one of our four-year programs. Additional transfer details for other DigiPen degrees will be added in the coming months.
Choose your college from the list to review which of your completed courses may apply toward a DigiPen degree. You can also start with our two Transfer Course Equivalency Guides to see whether a specific course may transfer to DigiPen. For an overview of all current program offerings, visit our Academics page where you can view detailed academic requirements for each degree.
Transfer Course Equivalency Guides
Washington state community and technical colleges have adopted a common course numbering (CCN) system for selected courses, indicated by the “&” symbol in the course code. CCN courses represent equivalent courses offered at multiple institutions across Washington state. Please see the CCN Course Equivalency Guide below for information about CCN courses that are eligible for transfer to DigiPen.
Transfer equivalency is subject to change. Please review our transfer credit policy for more details.
List of Colleges Offering CCN Courses
The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges lists the following institutions which may offer CCN courses. After selecting your college, review the available courses for transfer and the sample course sequence with respect to your desired degree program at DigiPen.
Special Types of Credit
Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate
Transfer credit may be granted for a score of 4 or higher on the Advanced Placement (AP) of the College Board and 5 or higher on the International Baccalaureate (IB) Exams of the International Baccalaureate Organization according to the equivalency chart below. AP and IB Exams must have been taken within the last 10 years and must have been taken prior to the applicant’s graduation from high school. Applicants must request to have official score reports sent to DigiPen from the College Board and/or the International Baccalaureate Organization.
| AP Exam | Minimum Score | DigiPen Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| AP Research | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| AP Seminar | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| 2D Art and Design | 4 | ART-105 | 3 |
| Art History | 4 | ART-1000 | 3 |
| Music Theory | 4 | MUS-120 & MUS-120L | 2 and 1 |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | ENG-110 | 3 |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | ENG-110 | 3 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| European History | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| Human Geography | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | ECN-100 | 3 |
| Microeconomics | 4 | ECN-100 | 3 |
| Psychology | 4 | PSY-101 | 3 |
| US Government and Politics | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| US History | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| World History: Modern | 4 | HIS-100 | 3 |
| Biology | 4 | NS-ELEC | 3 |
| Chemistry | 4 | NS-ELEC | 3 |
| Environmental Science | 4 | NS-ELEC | 3 |
| Physics 1: Algebra-based | 4 | PHY-115 | 3 |
| Physics 2: Algebra-based | 4 | PHY-199 | 3 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | PHY-270 & PHY-270L | 3 and 1 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | PHY-200 & PHY-200L | 4 and 1 |
| Calculus AB | 4 | MAT-150 | 4 |
| Calculus BC | 4 | MAT-200 | 4 |
| Computer Science A | 4 | CS-115 | 3 |
| Precalculus | 4 | MAT-106 | 3 |
| Statistics | 4 | MAT-105 | 3 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | JPN-101 | 3 |
| Latin | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| IB EXAM | MINIMUM SCORE | DIGIPEN COURSE | CREDITS |
|---|---|---|---|
| English A: Literature | 5 | ENG-110 | 3 |
| English A: Language and Literature | 5 | ENG-110 | 3 |
| Language B (Multiple languages, including classical languages) | 5 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| Economics | 5 | ECN-100 | 3 |
| Geography | 5 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| Global Politics | 5 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| History SL | 5 | HIS-100 | 3 |
| History HL | 5 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| Philosophy | 5 | PHL-150 | 3 |
| Psychology | 5 | PSY-101 | 3 |
| Social and Cultural Anthropology | 5 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| World Religions | 5 | HSS-ELEC | 3 |
| Biology | 5 | NS-ELEC | 3 |
| Chemistry | 5 | NS-ELEC | 3 |
| Physics | 5 | PHY-115 | 3 |
| Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation HL | 5 | MAT-106 | 3 |
| Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL | 5 | MAT-106 | 3 |
| Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL | 6 | MAT-150 | 4 |
| Music | 5 | MUS-161 | 3 |
| Film | 5 | FLM-115 | 3 |
| Visual Arts | 5 | ART-1000 | 3 |
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Transfer credit may be granted for CLEP Subject Examinations with a B-level score or higher only according to the equivalency chart below. Exams must have been taken within the last 10 years and must have been taken prior to the applicant’s completion of a total of 40 hours of college credit. Applicants must request to have an official score report sent to DigiPen from the College Board.
| CLEP Subject Test | Minimum Score | DigiPen Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| College Composition | 59 | ENG 110 | 3 |
| Introductory Psychology | 55 | PSY 101 | 3 |
| Precalculus | 61 | MAT 106 | 3 |
Transfer Credit Policy
Transfer credit evaluations are completed on a course-by-course basis based on official transcripts and test scores. The Office of the Registrar will evaluate college-level credit earned at other accredited institutions with respect to a student’s degree program at DigiPen. To be considered for transfer credit, a course must:
- have been taken within the last 10 years
- appear on an official transcript from an accredited institution of higher education
- with a grade of C or better
DigiPen reserves the right to accept or reject credit earned at other institutions. Transfer credit is counted towards a student’s total credits for their degree, but transfer credit does not include a transfer grade and does not impact a student’s GPA.
Transfer credit typically serves to help lighten a student’s credit load in a given semester rather than reduce the number of required semesters. Most undergraduate applicants entering with transfer credit graduate from our programs in three or four years.
Individual Degree Requirements
For transfer credit to be accepted, it must satisfy a course requirement for your degree program. To understand how your transfer credit might apply, it is important to become familiar with your program’s degree requirements:
Semester Calendar
DigiPen operates on a semester calendar system. When considering transfer credit from institutions that operate on a quarter calendar system, credits must be converted. In most cases, a transferable five quarter-credit course may transfer to satisfy a three semester-credit requirement.
Additional Transfer Credit Considerations
- Developmental courses, orientation courses, or courses that receive a “pass” or “credit” grade are not eligible for transfer credit.
- Courses considered for transfer to a student’s major, including international credits, require a separate review process. Applicants or current students should contact the Office of the Registrar to begin the process.
- In general, designated project and performance courses may not be satisfied with transfer credit.
- Undergraduate Students: A minimum of 50% of undergraduate degree program requirements must be completed at DigiPen.
- Graduate Students: Graduate programs may accept up to 15 credits in transfer from other colleges and DigiPen programs.
Students transferring to DigiPen under an established articulation agreement may be subject to policies that vary from those stated here.
For Transfer, Current, Graduate, and International Transfer Students
Transfer Students
Students transferring from another school who are confirmed to attend DigiPen should meet with a Student Success Advisor prior to starting their first semester at DigiPen to learn how their transfer credit may impact their recommended course sequence and plan a program of study.
Transferring schools may affect the amount and type of financial aid available to you. We encourage you to contact the Office of Financial Aid if you have questions about financial aid as a transfer student.
Current Students
Current students who wish to complete courses at another institution for transfer to DigiPen should seek advisement from their Student Success Advisor to identify which courses may be good candidates for transfer.
For approval, current students should reach out to the Office of the Registrar prior to enrolling in any course for which transfer approval might be sought. To have your completed credit evaluated for transfer, please request to have an official transcript sent to DigiPen. Please note that there is a transfer fee of $25 per credit for courses completed at another institution after a student has matriculated at DigiPen.
Graduate Students
If you have graduate-level college credits, please reach out directly to your program director after admission to discuss possible transfers.
International Transfer Students
If you have studied college-level courses outside of the United States, you can request a transfer evaluation after admission by providing course descriptions for review with your official transcripts. If the course descriptions are not in English, please provide official translations in addition to the original documents. See our International Applicants page for more details on translating application materials.