Transfer Students
The College for Creative Studies supports the ease of transfer for students who have attended a community college and earned an associate degree at that institution. The objective is to aid students toward their goal of earning a bachelors degree from CCS and to provide a smooth transition that minimizes loss of credit and duplication of coursework.
Equivalency Guides
If you are interested in transferring to the College for Creative Studies our equivalency guides may provide you with helpful information on what will transfer from local institutions.
Requirements for Transfer Applicants
- Completed application with $35 application fee or free online application.
- Official high school or GED transcript.
- Official college transcript(s). Applicants must have a minimum 2.0 college grade point average or meet the high school GPA requirements stated for freshmen applicants.
- Portfolio of 5-8 pieces. Depending on the number of college studio art courses completed, you may be required to submit additional pieces. Include pieces reflecting your highest college-level studio work (if applicable). Studio transfer credit will be determined during the departmental portfolio review arranged by the Admissions Office, based on the coursework and skill levels reflected in the overall portfolio. Transfer students should plan on leaving their portfolio with the Admissions Office for one week.
- Letters of recommendation are optional.
- Personal interviews are available.
- The application, transcripts, test scores and portfolio may be submitted separately.
Your file will be evaluated for foundation, liberal arts, studio and elective transfer credit. Acceptance of studio transfer credit and placement within the CCS studio curriculum is based on a review of the portfolio, college transcript(s) and course descriptions. Studio credit evaluations may be conducted by department chairpersons. Transfer credit is not granted for any subject in which less than a grade of "C" (2.0) has been earned. Students may transfer in at freshman, sophomore or junior status. The College also accepts eligible Advanced Placement, CLEP and International Baccalaureate credits when applicable, submit official exam transcripts for consideration. See website for current score requirements.
Information should be mailed to:
College for Creative Studies
Office of Admissions
201 East Kirby
Detroit, MI 48202-4034
The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP) gives students the opportunity to receive college credit for what they already know by earning qualifying scores on any of 33 examinations. CCS uses the credit-granting scores recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE). Attached please find the available CLEP exams (481 KB, PDF). For more information on CLEP you can go to www.collegeboard.com/CLEP. Exams that are not applied directly toward degree requirements may count towards general elective credit. Please speak to your academic advisor in Academic Advising and Registration (313) 664-7672 if you are concerned about the placement of a CLEP course in your academic program.
Undergraduate courses from certain accredited colleges may be considered for transfer credit at CCS, subject to the following conditions:
- A complete transcript must be sent directly to the Admissions Office by the institution(s) you attended.
- Transfer students are required to meet our liberal arts requirements by completing appropriate courses at CCS, or transferring acceptable courses and credits from other institutions.
- Courses and credits earned at other institutions will be recorded in permanent academic records. Grades will not be recorded. Only work completed at CCS will be included in grade point averages.
- Only courses completed with a grade of "C" (2.0) or better will be accepted for transfer credit.
- Art studio credit will be evaluated by department chairs during admission portfolio reviews. Credits will be designated as "studio" or "elective." Art courses taken at another institution after enrollment to CCS will be accepted as elective credit only, unless specific arrangements have been made.
- To obtain a bachelor of fine arts degree, a minimum of one-half (63 credits) of the degree requirements must be completed at CCS. Additionally, no more than 63 credits may be transferred from another institution.
- If an equivalent course is taken at another academic institution for more credit than the course receives at CCS, the additional credit(s) will be included as elective credit.
- Courses taken at an institution on a quarter or term schedule will be converted to semester hours before being applied to CCS course requirements.
- We will accept a variety of liberal arts subjects for transfer to the following categories: Art History, English, History, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Philosophy, Social Sciences. Additionally, subjects not listed – such as business courses – may be applied to the elective category.
- Academic courses may not be repeated for credit. Students who wish to graduate from CCS must be enrolled during the semester in which their degree will be awarded.
