How to Credit Transfer from Bangladesh to the USA - A Definitive Guide

So, you want to get admission to a US university to complete your undergraduate course. But you already enrolled in a bachelor's program at a Bangladeshi university and completed some semesters. And you don't want to start the bachelor's program at an American educational institute from scratch. How can you naturally pick up your education at a US university where you left it off in Bangladesh? That's where credit transfer comes to the rescue. But do you know how to credit transfer from Bangladesh to the USA? If you don't, this article, put together by US admission experts at UniSearch, will guide you through.

First Things First - What is Credit Transfer?

In simple terms, credit transfer is like receiving a transfer certificate. If you have switched schools before as a Bangladeshi student, you may have had to get a TC while transferring from one school to another.

But when you transfer from one university to another to complete bachelor's or master's courses, the term "transfer certificate (TC)" changes into credit transfer. Credit transfer refers to carrying over the credits you acquired while studying your bachelor's or master's course to a program at a different university.

Suppose you have completed your bachelor's program's first two years (4/6 semesters). Now, you are considering getting admission to a US university and don't want to begin the bachelor's program from scratch. Specifically, you want to start the course in the 3rd year (Junior Year) at a US university.

In this case, you must transfer your already-earned credits to that university to get admission. This way, you can pick up your studies at your chosen US university, having already completed part of the completion requirements at home.

What Are the Requirements to Transfer Credit to US Universities?

Universities in the USA require prospective candidates who want to transfer their credits into bachelor's programs to complete at least one year of undergraduate-level study from accredited higher educational institutes in the USA or other countries.

After receiving credit transfer applications from cohorts, American universities will evaluate students' transcripts to determine how many credits are transferable. You can expect credit transfer approval for courses for which you acquired at least a grade of C. Some US universities won't allow you to transfer credit for courses for which you obtained less than a grade of B. Lastly, you typically can't transfer all acquired credits to your preferred university.

Alongside these, you must also exhibit your English Language Proficiency test score. Some universities may additionally ask you to submit SAT or ACT scores.

Things to Know Before Transferring Credits

This section will walk you through everything you need to know about credit transfer, from what you need to consider when choosing a US university to what type of documents you need.

Non-transferable Credits

You can't transfer credits of specific courses to a US university - US universities won't accept credits for courses taught in Bengali or languages other than English. Additionally, some subjects taught in many Bangladeshi universities fall under the non-transferable credit category:

• Subjects related to Bangladesh

• Geography

• Public Health

• History

Facts to Consider Before Transferring Credits

The first thing you must consider while thinking about credit transfer is to check the US university requirements you are about to apply for admission. FYI, the credit transfer requirement differs from university to university. For example, how many credits you can transfer toward a US university depends solely on the university.

But hardly any university in the USA will allow you to transfer more than 50% of the credits of your chosen course. Here is some advice with from our UniSearch experts on how to credit transfer from Bangladesh to the USA:

• Select a US university or college that has direct affiliation with your university

• Find out how the university prefers to receive documents. For instance, some American universities will let you transfer essential documents electronically, while others will require you to send documents by post

• Inquire if you can send transcripts evaluated by a third-party organization to your preferred university (We will briefly describe this later in this article)

• Stay in touch with the university's academic advisor if you want to get admission

Documents Required for Credit Transfer

Of course, without the appropriate documents, you can’t transfer credit from Bangladesh to a US university. Below we have shared a general outline of the essential documents that most US universities will ask for the credit transfer. 

• Credit transfer application

• A valid passport

• All official transcripts from high school, college, and university

• Course outlines (showing course modules, course credits, completed credits, and more)

• Personal Statement 

• Letter of recommendation

• CV/Resume

• College report

• IELTS or TOEFL score

• SAT or ACT score

How to Credit Transfer from Bangladesh to the USA

When deciding to transfer credits to an American university from Bangladesh, the first step is to begin the process at least six months before your course starts. The credit transfer process is time-consuming, and you want to have enough time on hand to make sure you’re not violating deadlines. So, give yourself enough time to deal with any additional steps or requirements if they come up.

If you are a private university student enrolled in a bachelor's course, here's what you need to know about how to credit transfer from Bangladesh to the USA.

How to Transfer Credit from a Private University

Transferring Credits to US Universities Affiliated with Your University

First, we recommend choosing an American university affiliated with your university, if this option is available. As a result, you won't face hurdles while planning to transfer credits from Bangladesh. 

Suppose you choose a US educational institute featuring direct affiliation with your institute. In that case, you must contact your Bangladeshi university's registration office to begin the credit transfer process. The authority will charge an application fee and submit all your authorized documents to your preferred US university to transfer credits and help you get admission. Some renowned private universities in Bangladesh that offer exceptional support during the credit transfer are: 

• North South University

• BRAC University

• IUBAT

• American International University

• Independent University

and more.

Transferring Credits to US Universities Not Affiliated with Your University

Now, we will disclose the steps to follow if you want to transfer credit to a US university with no affiliation to your university in Bangladesh. First, check the credit transfer policy on the website of your desired American university. Ensure you meet the requirements, and then contact the academic advisor and ask if you can send pre-assessed documents for admission.

Suppose the advisor informs you to send original documents without any assessment. In that case, you can start collecting authorized documents (transcripts, outlines, syllabi, and more) from your school, college, and university and then prepare for the credit transfer. To begin the transfer process, you must apply as a transfer student on your chosen university's website.

Based on the university, you must create a prospective student profile on the website providing your personal information. Then, choose the course, and select how many credits you acquired in your current educational institution.

Then, you need to send the essential documents electronically or by post, depending on the university’s preference. Lastly, you must pay the credit transfer application fee and wait for the assessment of your documents. After successfully evaluating your documents, the university authority will let you know how many credits you can transfer to their institute and send you an offer letter to get admission.

How to Transfer Credit from a Public University

The credit transfer process for public university students is the same as for private university cohorts. Unfortunately, all public university students can't transfer credits to American educational institutes as many subjects in bachelor's programs in Bangladeshi public universities are in Bengali. Besides, some public universities don't follow the semester-wise curriculum, creating a barrier for students who want to transfer credits.

However, if you are a student of business courses, including finance, marketing, accounting, management, etc., and your public university follows a semester-wise education system and chooses English to conduct classes, you can qualify to transfer credits to a US university.

You may need to submit additional documents such as an authorization letter from your head of department, get your documents evaluated for international equivalency, and more to complete the credit transfer. Our best advice is to contact the registrar's office of your university to learn more about the credit transfer.

Credential Evaluation: Everything You Must Know

Different countries have different frameworks for assessing academic qualifications. Bangladesh is the same, with certain standards unique to the country. This means that to qualify for US programs, you need to prove that your qualifications are equivalent to the qualifications US universities are accepting.

Though most American universities evaluate transcripts themselves when you apply for credit transfer, you can find some universities that don't assess your transcripts. In this case, you need support from third-party organizations offering credit evaluation services.

Usually, these agencies/organizations provide two types of credit assessment services: document and course report. Below we will uncover everything you need to know about these two credit evaluation service types.

You need to take the document report service if intending to pursue a master's program at a US university. This report will indicate that the degree you received from your university in your country is equivalent to one obtained at an accredited university in the USA.

The second report type, a course report, comes into play when transferring credit to a bachelor's course at a US university. If you take the course report service, admissions officers at your chosen institutions will evaluate each course you have studied in your previous educational institutes and make a report that matches the US university standard.

We recommend choosing AACRAO or WES to assess your academic transcripts before applying for credit transfer to different American universities.

Benefits of Transferring Credits to a US University

Transferring credits from Bangladesh to a US university has some compelling advantages. You can save massive loads of money and time by transferring credits you wouldn't have if you enrolled in a US university course and started it from scratch. 

American universities charge a lot of money. This is especially the case because as an international student,  you will be paying non-resident tuition fees (which are always higher than domestic fees) along with visa application fees, living costs, etc. 

If you can secure placement into the 3rd year of a bachelor's program at a US educational institute, you won't have to pay tuition fees for the first two years to complete your undergrad course. On top of that, you won't have to retake the credits you have already completed, either! Hence, you are saving time and money by transferring credits. 

Another advantage you will get by transferring credits to an American university is that you will have more freedom while selecting your classes. You can choose a wide range of courses your university offers and enjoy the ultimate flexibility!

Disadvantages of Transferring Credits to a US University

While credit transfer has some advantages, it has some drawbacks too. For example, all American universities don't accept credit transfers equally. Some have specific criteria concerning credit transfer. Some only accept credits from particular institutions. Hence, if your chosen university does not match US university requirements, you may face many challenges in transferring your credits. 

Besides this, you won't have any control over how many credits you can transfer. Your selected educational institution will sort this matter and may add extra semesters for you to earn your degree. Lastly, credit transfer can sometimes result in course duplication - meaning you will pay for two classes instead of one!

A Couple of Extra Tips to Keep in Mind

Many students have misconceptions regarding credit transfer, so we are here to myth-bust these with proper explanations below. 

• Credit transfer and course waiver are entirely different things. Credit transfer carrying over the credits of courses you already completed. In contrast, a waiver means the faculty accepts students' previous work related to the course and allows them to take another course instead of the studied one. However, the faculty won't lessen the credits you need to complete for the entire degree program

• Students can transfer credits for courses for which they have completed and achieved satisfactory and acceptable grades

• Although credit transfer is time-consuming, it won't take years to complete. If students follow all the steps correctly, they can expect to get their credits transferred to US universities within a few months!

Glance at the table containing us universities accepting transfer students:-

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Many Credits Can You Transfer to a US University?

It entirely depends on the university. Some American educational institutes will allow you to transfer up to 50% of credits, while others won't let you transfer more than 20% of credits of your study program.

What is the Acceptable GPA for Transferring Credits from a Bangladesh to US University?

Though some educational institutes in the USA will accept credits of courses for students having a current GPA of 2.0 on a scale of 4.0, we recommend scoring at least a GPA of 2.5 from your university before applying for a credit transfer to a particular university in the United States.

Which Universities in Bangladesh Allow Credit Transfer?

A few universities in Bangladesh allow students to transfer credits to different American educational institutes. For instance, BRAC University, North South University, Daffodil International, and other renowned private universities let students transfer credits to US universities.

What Are the Best Courses to Study in USA?

Numerous American universities run many study programs. Among all these programs, there are some specific courses that can give your academic career a new height and let you enjoy a better future after graduation.  Engineering, Business & Management Studies, Computer Science, Medicine, Dentistry, and Physics are the best courses to study in the USA since they ensure you will appear more hirable to employers’ eyes once you earn a degree majoring in any of these study programs.

Our Concluding Thoughts

Credit transfer to different US educational institutions may seem simple in theory. But you must understand that it can be a time-consuming process. So, Bangladeshi students who want to enroll in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year of a bachelor's program at an American university must learn all the ins and outs regarding how to credit transfer from Bangladesh to the USA. Also, learn to be patient and highly conscientious while applying for credit transfers, to minimize room for error.