Transfer Students

We know that many schools and colleges at the University of Michigan promote a minimum transfer credit recommendation. Things are different at Stamps. A year of community college—or even a semester—is enough for you to start the process of your transfer application.

Bottom line: don’t worry about not having “enough” credits to transfer. We’re more interested in your portfolio and your college grades than anything else.

Stamps maintains the following guidelines about transferring credits from other institutions:

• Up to 64 credits can be transferred from another institution.
• BFA students may transfer up to 15 credits of studio work (9 at an introductory level and 6 at a higher level)
• BA students may transfer up to 9 credits of studio work (6 at an introductory level and 3 at a higher level)

We know it can be tough to figure out which courses at your community college or university satisfy our prerequisites. Hang in there! You’ve got this, and we’re here to help.

• The U-M Transfer Credit Equivalency Search database is a useful tool for searching for most classes.

• Does your studio class say “Not Transferable”? This most likely means we just haven’t reviewed it yet! Get in touch with the Stamps Admissions Team to learn more about transferring studio credits: [email protected].

• Admitted transfer students will work with our Advising Team to plan coursework. Learn more about the credit transfer process for admitted students in our Student Handbook.

On average, it takes transfer students three years to complete the Stamps program. To get the most out of the Stamps experience and to get full access to all the professional and creative development you'll need, we don't want you to miss out on Sophomore Review, our International Experience requirement, or meaningful senior thesis work: learn more about these items here.

Keep in mind: at Stamps, there are no media-specific majors. Instead, students work with their academic advisors to create a customized educational path specific to their unique creative vision. The Stamps Curriculum Designer is a great place to start your course explorations.

Your future is an investment, and we are here to help. 2 out of 3 first year students receive financial aid, and all Stamps students—including transfers—are considered for Stamps merit and need-based scholarships at the time of application.

Learn more about financial aid information for transfer students, including:

• U-M Go Blue Guarantee, which offers free tuition to in-state students with family incomes up to $75,000 and assets below $75,000.

• The Michigan Community College Scholarship and Michigan Community College Scholar Award.

Note: If you're applying to start in the Winter semester, you'll want to submit the current FAFSA as soon as possible: ideally, by October 1. If you’re applying for Fall admission, we recommend submitting the new FAFSA when it becomes available in December.

Make sure you submit your application and portfolio by the deadline: October 1 for Winter 2025 admission, or February 1 for Fall 2025 admission. See full details on the application process here.