Mar 28, 2026  
2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

University General Education Requirements and Transfer Students or Students with Prior Undergraduate Degrees


An admitted transfer student should confer with the Registrar’s Office or their college advising center about applicable General Education transfer credit and course substitutions.

Students who received an Associate of Arts, Associate of Business, or Associate of Science degree from any NSHE community college are exempt from all UNLV General Education Requirements. They must still complete the UNLV Milestone or Culminating Experience requirements in their baccalaureate majors.

Students previously awarded a bachelor’s degree from any NSHE institution are exempt from all UNLV General Education Requirements, except for major course requirements for their second major that are also designated as part of Milestone and Culminating Experiences.

Students awarded a bachelor’s degree from any regionally accredited institution outside of Nevada, provided their previously completed general education curriculum consisted of a minimum of 30 semester credit hours of for-credit, non-developmental courses, are exempt from nearly all UNLV General Education requirements, except for U.S and Nevada Constitutions (if not previously completed) and major course requirements for their second major that are also designated as part of Milestone and Culminating Experiences.

Transfer students or students with a prior degree(s) who have already successfully completed a satisfactory three-semester credit U.S. Constitutions course from a regionally accredited institution must successfully complete a satisfactory Nevada Constitution course. For Constitutions courses offered prior to 2000, please refer to the appropriate catalog course descriptions to determine which ones satisfied the Constitutions requirement.

Lower-division general education courses successfully completed at a regionally accredited U.S. institution that may possibly count towards UNLV General Education Requirements will be evaluated for transfer credit no matter the year in which the courses were completed.

Upper-division courses and/or courses designed for the major may not be applicable for transfer if they are over 10 years old, depending on the field of study as determined by the University College, School, or Department offering coursework in that field.

If a student transfers from a regionally accredited U.S. institution where the incoming transfer credits do not match the University’s semester credits required, the University will first identify (if it exists) the matching general education requirement and/or the equivalent University course, and then compare the number of transfer credits earned to the number of credits required. Then, whether the course is equivalent to a University course or simply meets a general education requirement, the following determinations will be made:

If 66% or more of the required credits for a particular University requirement have been earned in the transfer course, then the requirement has been met.

If less than 66% of the required credits have been earned in the transfer course, then the student must successfully complete additional course(s) to make up for the credit shortage within that general education requirement. Students must still satisfy the minimum general education credits in every category to graduate.

Transfer students from NSHE institutions who have previously been awarded Associate of Arts, Associate of Business, or Associate of Science degrees are exempt from the FYS and SYS but are not exempt from the Milestone and Culminating Experience requirements in their majors, unless they have satisfactorily completed a class at another NSHE institution that has a common course number with a Milestone class designated as part of a Milestone Experience in their UNLV major.

Second baccalaureate students who have been awarded a recognized bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution (including UNLV degrees) are exempt from the FYS and SYS but are not exempt from the Milestone and Culminating Experience requirements in their second majors.

For transfer students without a previously awarded degree:

i) an exemption for FYS is usually granted for satisfactory completion (passing grades) at a regionally accredited U.S. institution other than UNLV of 30 or more semester credit hours;
ii) exemptions for both FYS and SYS are usually granted for satisfactory completion (passing grades) at a regionally accredited U.S. institution other than UNLV of 60 or more semester credit hours.

Transfer General Education Waiver for California IGETC & General Education Breadth Certifications Policy

Students transferring from a California community college, with completion of the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or California State University General Education (GE) Breadth requirements, certified on an official transcript on or after August 23, 2017, will have all UNLV General Education Core Requirements waived, with the exception of the Nevada Constitution requirement and the ENG 102 requirement.

Transfer General Education Waiver for Arizona General Education Curriculum Policy

Students transferring from an Arizona community college, with completion of the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC), certified on an official transcript, will have all UNLV General Education Core Requirements waived, with the exception of the Nevada Constitution requirement. 

Transfer General Education Waiver for Washington Direct Transfer Agreement Associate Degree and Washington 45

The Washington Direct Transfer Agreement Associate Degree (WaDTA) includes coursework intended to satisfy lower-division general education requirements for students seeking to transfer to four-year colleges and universities in Washington state. Students who transfer to UNLV with a WaDTA will have all UNLV General Education Core Requirements waived, with the exception of the Nevada Constitution requirement.

Washington 45 (Wa45) consists of a set of courses designed to satisfy the completion of the first 45 quarter hours which equal to 30 semester credits of lower division general education requirements. A student must earn a minimum grade of C or better to earn the Wa45. Students who transfer to UNLV after earning the Wa45 will receive a First-Year Seminar waiver as well as additional credits toward general education requirements.

Note: Transfer students are strongly encouraged to review major program requirements in the UNLV Undergraduate Catalog and to consult with an academic advisor to understand how coursework completed for the out-of-state transfer general agreements listed above will satisfy major-specific requirements.

All transfer students must complete the Milestone and Culminating experiences designated for their majors.

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