How do transfer credits work after acceptance to the University of Hawaii?

At the University of Hawaiʻi, transfer credits are usually reviewed after you’re admitted and your official transcripts are received. In general, UH looks first at whether the course came from a regionally accredited college, whether you earned a transferable grade, and whether the course is comparable in level and content to a UH course. A class can transfer as a direct equivalent, as general elective credit, or sometimes not at all if it is too remedial, vocational, or otherwise outside transfer policy.

For most students, the process starts when official transcripts are sent to the campus you will attend, such as UH Mānoa, UH Hilo, or UH West Oʻahu. The admissions or records office posts an initial transfer evaluation, and then your college or major department may do a second review to decide how those credits fit specific degree requirements. That distinction matters because a course can transfer to UH but still not satisfy a major requirement.

Whether a class counts toward a requirement usually depends on course match and department approval. If UH finds your class is essentially the same as one of its own courses, it may fulfill a general education, prerequisite, or major requirement. If the course is college-level but not an exact match, it often comes in as elective credit, which still helps toward total credits for graduation but may not reduce the number of required courses in your program.

Grades and credit type also matter. Labs, quarter-system courses, repeated courses, and technical or applied classes can be evaluated differently, so those often need closer review.

If a course does not automatically come in the way you expected, UH departments may ask for a syllabus, catalog description, or sample coursework to decide on equivalency.