Undergraduate Internal Transfer

Students are admitted to a home school at the time of their admission to the university. After completion of at least one semester at their admitted school, those who wish to change their home school must submit an Internal Transfer Request form to the University Registrar. A university-wide graduation requirement is that students must be registered in the college/school in which their primary major is housed. Some schools may require that certain prerequisite courses have been taken and that minimum grades have been earned before the transfer  is processed. Transfer into a college/school does not guarantee placement in a limited-enrollment major and students will be transferred into an undeclared major. A university-wide graduation requirement is that students must be registered in the college/school in which their primary major is housed.

Requests to transfer schools will not be accepted prior to the second semester of the student’s enrollment at GW nor until all prerequisites for internal transfer are met. Students are encouraged to initiate the transfer request to their preferred school at the earliest opportunity. To avoid potential graduation delays, students should arrange a meeting with an academic advisor at their preferred school to gain a comprehensive understanding of the required courses, including prerequisites and course sequencing, and to develop an academic plan that aligns with their graduation objectives. Waiting until the final year to take these steps may lead to unwanted delays in graduation.

Blackout periods for internal transfers:

Requests for internal transfer will not be processed during the months of April and November. Requests received during blackout periods will be processed at the beginning of the following month. Once processed, the transfer is effective at the start of the following semester. 

Limited-enrollment majors: 

  • CCAS: Communication, Journalism and Mass Communication, Political Communication

Prerequisites for internal transfer:

Prerequisite criteria to transfer to chosen college/school must be met before a request is submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

Elliott School of International Affairs:
Students must have completed:

  • 24 semester hours in residence at GW with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
  • Four of the following five courses: ECON 1011, ECON 1012, HIST 1011, PSC 1001, PSC 1003 (in lieu of IAFF 1005)
  • One year of a modern foreign language. In lieu of coursework, documentation may be submitted of exam scores showing placement beyond the first year of a foreign language.

Milken Institute School of Public Health:
Students requesting transfer into the Exercise Science or Nutrition Science majors must have earned a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Students requesting transfer into the Public Health or Health Data Science majors must have earned a GPA of 2.75 or higher.

School of Business:
Students must have completed UW 1020 and earned a grade of B- or higher at GW in at least two of the following courses:

  • ACCY 2001, 2002             
  • APSC 3115
  • DNSC 1001, 2001
  • ECON 1011, 1012, HONR 2043, 2044
  • MATH 1051, 1221, 1231, 1232, 1252
  • STAT 1111, 1051, 1053, 2112, 2118

School of Engineering and Applied Science:
Students must have completed the following math and science course requirements with a grade of B- or higher:

  • Math requirement - MATH 1220 + 1221, or MATH 1231
  • Science requirement - Complete either the Biology, Chemistry, or Physics option)
                                        Biology: BISC 1111, 1112, 1115 + 1125, or 1116 + 1126
                                        Chemistry: CHEM 1111
                                        Physics: PHYS 1021 or 1025
  • AP credit may be accepted in lieu of the above courses.

** Students who do not meet the prerequisite criteria can petition for exceptions to the office of undergraduate programs at the school to which they would like to transfer.**