Arts and Letters Transfer Advising Guide

Transfer Advising Guides are for planning purposes only. This Advising Guide does not replace the need for regular and timely meetings with your assigned Pathway Advisor.

Visit the Arts & Letters Undergraduate Program web page for detailed program information, PSU 4-year Degree Map, and PSU offered courses.

Course Equivalencies

The following courses will transfer towards PSU requirements within the Arts and Letters major. This is a shortened list for general reference. For more information on how other courses may transfer, visit Transferology, a web-based advising system.

PSU Course	PCC Course	Clackamas CC Course	Mt Hood CC Course	Chemeketa CC Course
Up to 20 credits of lower division credits from the Art and Letters distribution can be taken at the community college and used toward the major. Students interested in transferring to PSU for Arts and Letters should also take courses to satisfy the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science requirements (see below).

Notes and Benchmarks

Students interested in transferring to PSU for Arts and Letters should also take courses to satisfy the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science requirements (see below).

Degree Snapshot

180 total credits are required for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Social Science. Of the 102 credits needed for your major, 60 are from courses within the major and 42 are electives. A minimum of 62 credits are required to be upper-division (300/400-level).

Courses taken to meet BA or BS requirements are great options for courses to be taken at community colleges in advance of transfer!

The majority of your major course work, as well as your General Education requirements, will be completed at PSU. Learn more about General Education below.

Pie chart showing breakdown of total credits required for a bachelor degree in four areas: Major Requirements, General Education Requirements, Degree Option: BA/BS, and elevtives — Pie chart showing general proportion of credits required to earn a Bachelor Degree from each of four areas: Major Requirements (~30% of total credits), General Education (~25% of total credits), BA or BS Degree Option (~20% of total credits), and electives (~25% of total credits).

Choose to complete a BA or BS

Bachelor of Arts Requirements

A minimum of 23 credits (may be more depending on foreign language placement), as follows:

Minimum Credits Required	Additional Information
Two years college-level language proficiency (completion of a minimum of 3 credits in 203 or a more advanced level course OR language waiver¹)	Students with no prior experience in a certain language will complete 101-103 and 201-203 in that language.
10 credits minimum in arts & letters	A minimum of 3 of the 10 credits must be in fine & performing arts
10 credits minimum in sciences and/or social sciences	A minimum of 3 of the 10 credits must be in science or mathematics, excluding Math 100 or lower

1) Students who are proficient in another language may waive these language credits through a non-credit exam or TOEFL score; in that case, 4 additional credits must be earned in arts & letters (i.e., student will need 16 credits in arts & letters, of which 4 must be in fine & performing arts) in order to earn the 28 total credits required.

More information on the B.A. language requirement can be found on the World Languages & Literatures website.

Bachelor of Science Requirements

A minimum of 23 total credits is required, as follows:

Minimum Credits Required	Additional Information
One year of science courses (10 credits minimum)	Two courses (6 credits minimum) must include a lab or field work component. Courses may, but do not need to, be taken from the same science department.
3 credits minimum in college-level mathematics/statistics	Excluding remedial math (100 or lower)
10 credits minimum in arts & letters and/or social sciences

To find courses that fulfill each of the categories for your BA or BS requirements, use the current PSU Bulletin. The information can be found in the Undergraduate Studies section, specifically part 4 of the Undergraduate Degree and Credential Requirements

Other Academic Requirements

Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement

Beginning with the 2022-23 catalog, all Portland State undergraduate students must fulfill the Race and Ethnic Studies requirement (RESR) to earn their bachelor's degrees. The new requirement, approved by Faculty Senate in Spring 2021, ensures students are equipped with an understanding of how historically rooted and ongoing racism affects institutions in Oregon, the U.S. and the world. Students who entered PSU prior to Fall 2022 should check with their academic advisor if they are using an older catalog that does not include this requirement.

Students entering PSU with fewer than 90 college credits:

Students will satisfy the requirement by completing two RESR-designated courses (a minimum of 3 credits each) with a central focus on race, ethnicity and systemic oppression.
One course must focus on the U.S. experience; the second course must center the experiences of groups under European and U.S. colonialism and imperialism beyond the United States.
One of the courses taken must be taken within the School of Gender, Race and Nations or be cross-listed with one of the SGRN units: Black Studies (BSt), Chicano/Latino Studies (ChLa), Indigenous Nations Studies (NAS), or Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WS).

Students entering PSU with 90 or more college credits:

Students will satisfy the requirement by completing one RESR-designated course (a minimum of 3 credits each) with a central focus on race, ethnicity and systemic oppression.
The course taken by transfer students does not need to be offered within SGRN or cross-listed within one of its units.

The courses taken to fulfill the requirement may also fulfill major, minor, University Studies, Honors and/or elective requirements.

RESR Designated Course List

University Writing Requirement

2 Composition courses, starting with College Writing 121 (or equivalent)

Second Language Proficiency for Admission

Students who graduated, or would have graduated, from high school in Oregon in 1997 or later must have two years of second language at the high school level, or two terms at the college level, to meet admission requirements, even if they choose to pursue a Bachelor of Science.

PSU Bulletin

General Education Requirements

All universities have a general education curriculum included as part of the baccalaureate degree requirements. The goal of general education curricula is to assure that all graduates have a common set of coursework designed around the university's educational goals. Students have the option of University Studies or University Honors for completing their general education requirements at PSU.

Did you know you can transfer to PSU at any time? Your general education requirements will depend on how many credits you transfer to PSU before your first term of classes.

University Studies

The University Studies option involves taking courses outside of your major that are linked by a common theme, as well as a Capstone project in your senior year which addresses a current challenge in the Portland area. Seeing complex issues such as sustainability or immigration from multiple angles better prepares you to solve problems in work and life. You will learn how to think critically, communicate clearly, adapt to new situations and work with people unlike yourself — all highly valued skills in the workplace.

https://www.pdx.edu/university-studies/transfer-students

Credits Transferred	University Studies Requirements to complete
0 - 29	Freshman Inquiry: UNST 1X1, 1X2, 1X3
30 - 74	Two Sophomore Inquiry Courses: UNST 211 - 299
75 - 89	One Sophomore Inquiry Courses: UNST 211 - 299
90- 134	Three Upper-Division Cluster Courses (12 credits) and Senior Capstone
135+	One Senior Capstone (6 credits)

University Honors College

Honors serves high-achieving, academically motivated students from diverse ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds. Students will take coursework that prepares them for a final thesis project, which takes the place of a senior Capstone course.

The thesis is a substantial creative or research project and represents a valuable opportunity for Honors students to work closely with a faculty advisor from their major department and explore a topic of great interest. All Honors students enjoy priority registration, 24-hour access to a dedicated student lounge and computer lab, personalized guidance from an Honors adviser, support from Honors writing tutors, student-led community events, and career and graduate-school focused enrichment workshops.

Transfer Students must apply to the Honors College and are expected to have a cumulative college GPA of 3.25. Application information is available on the Undergraduate Admissions website.

Recommended 4-year Degree Map

We recognize that many students are not pursuing a degree plan that will be completed in 4 years. The 4-year degree maps (BA and BS) on the Academic Programs page for each major provide suggested PSU course sequencing that allows for an efficient path towards graduation. We recommend that students meet with their academic advisor to plan their term-by-term degree.

Courses listed in the 4-year degree maps are listed by PSU course number. Students should use the course equivalencies table provided above, or Transferology, to determine the appropriate equivalent course at their current institution.

The 4-year Degree Maps are available on the Social Science Academic Program website.

Social Science Program

Transfer Process

1) Explore PSU programs

Look at Degree Maps online
Review department websites
Visit a Transfer Event and ask questions

2) Plan your transfer

Connect with Transfer Admissions to review the admissions process
Check out Transferology to see how your credits transfer
Meet with a PSU Transfer Advisor or Pathway Advisor

3) Apply for admission

Application is available Aug 1
Apply up to one year in advance
Complete your FAFSA and ORSSA (available starting Oct 1)
Apply for PSU scholarships (deadline is Feb 1 for upcoming academic year)
Consider on-campus housing (deadline is May 1 for fall term)

4) Prepare for your first term

Confirm your enrollment
Review New Student Checklist and sign up for myNextSteps
Sign up for Orientation - this is where you will register for your first term classes
Request updated official transcripts from current college