Transferable Courses
Transfer Course Information
Transfer Equivalency Portal
The Transfer Equivalency Portal (TES) is a database of pre-approved transfer courses from external institutions to Saint Mary's. Click on TES below to review more information.
Transfer Credit Approval Form
Transfer Credit Approval Forms is an electronic, web based form submitted for manual transfer equivalency review. Your first step will always be to check TES before submitting. Click on TCAs below to review more information.
Please review information regarding transfer policies in the catalog.
Transfer Equivalencies
Our Transfer Equivalency Portal (TES) is your go-to resource for exploring course-to-course and course-to-core equivalencies with hundreds of colleges across the United States and our Study Abroad partner institutions. This tool is designed to help you understand how your courses align with Saint Mary's curriculum, and it is crucial to review the following information before diving into your search (Additional institutions and courses may be added throughout the academic year). Certain institutions and courses may not appear in our database. This does not mean that the courses will not transfer, but only that they have not previously been presented for evaluation.
Core Designation: At SMC, we strive to simplify the transfer equivalency process for both prospective and current students. Our CORE Curriculum is aligned with the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) worksheet across all 115 community colleges in California. For courses meeting our Arts and Humanities requirement, you’ll find a public note indicating that the equivalent course earns credit toward the four-unit Arts and Humanities requirement. To fully meet this requirement, you must either complete one four-unit course or multiple courses adding up to at least four units courses that align with this field.
Current SMC Students: This portal is a valuable tool for determining which courses may fulfill specific requirements at SMC. However, it’s essential to consult with your advisor to ensure that these courses will count towards your graduation requirements. Relying solely on the portal without advisor confirmation could result in the course not meeting your major or graduation needs.
Please review information regarding transfer policies in the catalog.
Transfer Credit Approval Forms is an electronic, web based form for transfer equivalency review. Your first step will always be to check TES. If you do NOT see your institution and/or course listed on the transfer equivalency portal, please submit a TCA for manual review. If your course IS included in the transfer equivalency portal, DO NOT submit a Transfer Credit Approval form.
Please have the institution name, course information, course document(s), and proposed Saint Mary's equivalent(s) ready to submit.
Please review information regarding transfer policies in the catalog.
Transfer Credit Conversions
| Transfer Credits Awarded from Semester System Schools | |
| Credits from Outside School | 1.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 |
| Saint Mary's Course Credits | 1.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 |
| Transfer Credits Awarded from Quarter System Schools | |
| Credits from Outside School | 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 |
| Saint Mary's Course Credits | .67 1.33 2.00 2.67 3.33 4.00 |
Transfer Requirements Information
California Community Colleges
Transfer courses completed at a California Community College must be designated UC (University of California) transferable. Visit Assist.org for the complete list of California community college UC (University of California) transferable courses.
All community college courses will be awarded lower division transfer credit regardless of course content.
How Transfer Work Gets Processed:
An official transcript is one sent directly from the institution of record to Saint Mary’s College of California in a sealed envelope or submitted electronically to Saint Mary’s College of California from the institution of record. A transcript issued to a student may ONLY be accepted if it is delivered in the official unopened and sealed envelope from the institution of record. Once received, the Transcript Analyst will review your transcript for requirements met, preapproved coursework, and if a TCA is approved, and on your record. After review and processing, the Transcript Analyst will send an email to the student for notification of completion.
Grade Minimum & Credit Minimum
All transferable courses must have a grade of C- or higher in order to receive Saint Mary’s College transfer credit. All transferable coursework meeting a specific degree requirement must transfer as 0.77 credits or higher with the exception of laboratory credit.