Gonzaga University participates in transfer articulation agreements with the Washington State Community and Technical Colleges and with North Idaho College. Articulation agreements often reduce the risk of repeated coursework and minimize the loss of credit in transfer. Students enrolling at the University with an earned associate degree as identified below, are generally given junior credit standing (a minimum of 60 semester credits) and will have fulfilled many of the requirements within the lower division University Core curriculum.
University Core requirements to be completed upon matriculation with an approved transfer degree include: First-Year Seminar, Christianity & Catholic Traditions, and the Core Integration Seminar. Students will also take a major-appropriate college Mathematics, Reasoning, Human Nature, and Ethics, unless they have already fulfilled these requirements with approved transfer credit. Communication & Speech is recommended, but not required, for students who have not completed a course in public speaking.
Acceptance of the associate degrees below does not guarantee admission to the University and students should refer to first-year and transfer admission criteria for requirements. Prospective students are encouraged to contact the Office of Admission with any questions regarding the acceptance and applicability of transfer credit toward a Gonzaga degree. Appointments by phone, virtual meeting, or in-person interview may be requested at https://www.gonzaga.edu/admission/visit.
Please note: Science, Engineering, and Teacher Education students enrolling at Gonzaga with a transferrable AA or AS degree defined below should anticipate major requirements that exceed two years of study at the University.
Degrees that transfer directly to Gonzaga University are as follows:
Washington State Community and Technical Colleges
- Associate of/in Arts – Direct Transfer Agreement (AA-DTA), including DTA’s for Major-Related Programs in Business and Computer Science.
- Associate of Science Transfer (AS-T), Engineering – Track 2.
Gonzaga’s acceptance of the DTA is part of an interinstitutional transfer agreement upheld by the Intercollege Relations Commission (ICRC) for Washington State. A full description of the statewide agreement can be found in the Intercollege Relations Commission (ICRC) Handbook. Explore additional academic transfer resources and policies for Washington State at www.wsac.wa.gov/transfers.
North Idaho College
- Associate of Arts (AA)
- Associate of Science (AS)
Oregon State Community Colleges
- Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT)
California State Community Colleges
- Associate in Arts with Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (AA with IGETC)
Arizona State Community Colleges
- Associate in Arts with Arizona General Education Curriculum A (AA with AGEC-A)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Approved Associate degree holders will satisfy the following University Core Requirements upon enrollment at Gonzaga:
- Writing (3 semester credits)
- Literature (3 semester credits)
- Social/Behavioral Science (3 semester credits)
- History (3 semester credits)
- Fine Arts & Design (3 semester credits)
- Communication & Speech (3 semester credits) – recommended, but not required
- Scientific Inquiry (3 semester credits)
- World/Comparative Religion (3 semester credits)
- Foreign Language (8 semester credits, Arts & Science majors only)
- Social Justice Designation (3 semester credits)
- Global Studies Designation (6 semester credits)
- Writing Enrichment Designation (9 semester credits)
As a private Jesuit institution, Gonzaga University’s core curriculum incorporates coursework that reflects our mission to educate persons for a more just and humane global community. Students transferring with an Associate degree, as defined in the articulation agreements above, will also be responsible for completing the following core requirements, in addition to their major coursework:
- College Level Mathematics (3 semester credits)*
- Philosophy – Reasoning (3 semester credits)*
- Philosophy – Human Nature (3 semester credits)*
- Philosophy – Ethics (3 semester credits)*
- Religious Studies – Christian and Catholic Traditions (3 semester credits)
- First-Year Seminar (3 semester credits, an interdisciplinary approach to your Gonzaga education)
- Core Integration Seminar (3 semester credits, unites Jesuit principles and academic discipline)
* Course may be completed as part of the AA degree, and may fulfill Gonzaga requirements.
Reverse Transfer Degrees:
Gonzaga does not currently participate in Reverse Transfer partnerships and will not recognize an approved transfer degree that is obtained using Gonzaga coursework. Therefore, former Gonzaga students who re-enter the University from a two-year college to complete their undergraduate degree will not benefit from the core waiver privileges offered to an approved associate degree holder from a community college in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, or North Idaho College. All readmitted Gonzaga students must fulfill the University’s core requirements in its entirety. Eligible transfer credit completed by a reapplying student, however, will be evaluated and accepted on a course-by-course basis.
Associate of Applied Science Degrees:
Gonzaga does not currently accept the associate of applied science degrees from the community and technical colleges. Eligible transfer credit completed by a student matriculating with an earned applied science degree will be evaluated on a course by course basis.
Special Programmatic Agreements:
In cooperation with community college partners, Gonzaga University also offers articulation agreements designed to create pathways for students pursuing majors in the Fine Arts. Each agreement outlines recommended coursework that maximizes fulfillment of Gonzaga’s core curriculum and major requirements. For more information about these agreements, please contact Lindsey Spencer, Transfer Counselor.
Spokane Falls Community College:
- Associate of Fine Arts in Drama
Gonzaga Major: Bachelor of Art in Theatre Arts - Associate of Fine Arts in Art
Gonzaga Major: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art
Green River College:
- Associate of Fine Arts in Art
Gonzaga Major: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art
Post Baccalaureate Students:
Post-baccalaureate students matriculating to Gonzaga University for a second bachelor degree may benefit from the same policy that Gonzaga affords a transfer student with an approved DTA or AS-T degree from a Washington State community college. Post-baccalaureate students will be required to complete a minimum of thirty semester credits in residence to earn a second bachelor degree from Gonzaga along with completion of any outstanding major, minor, or concentration courses required for the degree.
Washington State Running Start and transfer students who do not intend to complete an Associate degree prior to enrollment at Gonzaga are encouraged to follow the Washington 45 recommendations. The coursework endorsed by the Washington 45 provides students with a preferred list of courses that may satisfy Gonzaga University Core Requirements. Students are advised to contact their Admission Counselor with questions related to college credit transfer.
University Core Waivers
Students transferring college credit on a course-by-course basis may qualify for core waivers based on the number of semester credits accepted:
- Students transferring to Gonzaga with 30 or more earned semester credits are permitted to waive the College of Arts and Sciences language requirement. Please note that only majors within the College of Arts and Sciences require a language proficiency. Business, Education, Engineering and Human Physiology majors do not require completion of a foreign language.
- Students transferring to Gonzaga with 45 to 59 earned semester credits are permitted to waive the following University core requirements: World or Comparative Religion and its corresponding Global Studies designation, one Writing-Enriched designation, and one of the additional three designation requirements (either Writing Enriched, Global Studies or Social Justice).
- Students transferring to Gonzaga with 60 or more earned semester credits are permitted to waive World/Comparative Religion and all core designation requirements.
Credit for Prior-Learning
At this time, the only experiential learning that is eligible for transfer credit at Gonzaga University is service member education earned while in the Armed Forces. This training is ungraded coursework, so Gonzaga University may offer up to 25 general elective credits for successfully completed educational training received during military service. Courses considered for credit will be similar to a GU course offering in content, depth, and rigor. Up to 8 of these 25 elective credits may be granted for physical fitness courses and training. To receive credit, submission of an official Joint Service Transcript is required. Credit for prior learning will not be included in a students evaluation for admission purposes.
Graded college-level coursework that is academic in nature and earned at an accredited institution such as the Community College of the Air Force or the Defense Language Institute, will be evaluated in the same manner as credit from regionally accredited institutions. Vocational and technical level coursework is non-transferable.
Credit by Exam
Gonzaga University does not currently accept CLEP or DANTES credit by exam for undergraduate transfer credit. Exam credit used to fulfill coursework at prior institutions may need to be completed at Gonzaga if the coursework is required for a GU degree.
Test Credits
Gonzaga currently accepts Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International, and German Abitur exam scores meeting the level and minimum scores outlined in the policies found here.
For more information regarding transfer credit criteria, please refer to the Academic Policies of Gonzaga’s Undergraduate Catalog.