Transfer Students
Registration
The first opportunity for new Transfer and Post-Bacc student to register for fall quarter is Fall Advising & Registration, which takes place in late July. You will receive an email from Western to sign up for your Fall A&R session. If you cannot attend Fall A&R, you will be able to enroll during Phase II registration, which typically starts at the end of August.
Please contact the Geology Department ahead of time so we assist with transfer course assessment and first quarter planning.
Welcome to Western!
If you are a new transfer or post-bacc student who has been admitted to Western, please review the steps below to ensure you have access to the courses you need for your geology, geophysics or earth science education major.
If you are a prospective transfer student seeking information on how to prepare for our geology programs, such as which classes to take or which associate's degree to complete, please:
-Review Professor Bob Mitchell's prospective transfer student website.
-Review Step 2 below: Determining Geology Transfer Course Equivalencies
-Use Western's Transfer Equivalency Guide to ensure you are taking courses at your current institution that will transfer to Western as equivalent courses
Questions? Please contact the Geology Undergraduate Program Coordinator or Geology Faculty Transfer Advisor.
1. Contact the Department
We encourage Transfer and Post-Baccalaureate students to contact the Department before their first quarter at Western or as soon as they are admitted to Western to review prerequisite courses and transfer equivalencies for their major.
If you email the department, please include your name, your Western ID, what quarter you plan to start at Western, and which geology major you are interested in. Please also include unofficial transcripts from your previous schools.
Take steps to review your transfer equivalencies and prerequisites early to access the courses you need for your major.
Geology Department Contact Information
Email: geology@wwu.edu
Phone: 360-650-3582
2. Determine Geology Transfer Equivalencies
As you prepare to transfer, it is important to understand the transfer equivalences between your current institution and Western.
If you are transferring from a Washington State community college or university, we recommend that you review the Transfer Equivalency Guide (TEG). If you have questions or concerns about geology transfer equivalency, please contact the Geology Department.
If you are transferring from outside of Washington, or your transfer school is not listed on the TEG, you will need to contact the Geology Department to determine any equivalencies on a case-by-case basis. If further review is needed, we will request a syllabi from the course in question. The syllabi will be submitted and reviewed by a faculty member to determine if it meets the course requirements. Once a faculty member has made the determination, the Program Coordinator will add a note to your Degree Works to make the appropriate change to the transferring course.
NOTE: The Geology Department can only evaluate equivalency for geology/earth science courses. For other subjects, such as Math, Chemistry, and Physics, please contact those respective departments for assessment.
In State Transfer Courses
If you are transferring from a Washington State community college or university, please use the Transfer Equivalency Guide to determine which courses from your institution will transfer directly to Western Washington University.
To see a list of equivalent courses, select the Subject& (eg. Geol&).
If you do not see a course on the TEG or it does not show as a direct equivalent, please contact the Geology Department for further review. The Geology Department will assess these courses on a case-by-case basis.
Out of State Transfer Courses
Courses from institutions outside of Washington will need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the Geology Department.
If you are transferring from a college outside of Washington State, please contact the Geology Department as early as possible.
We will need the full course syllabus for the assessment, so please give yourself enough time to request syllabi from previous instructors/institutions.
3. Schedule a Major Declaration Appointment
When you are ready to declare the geology major or minor, schedule a declaration appointment with the Geology Program Coordinator. Students are highly encouraged to declare their geology major as early as possible to get access to faculty advising and the department listserv.
We also encourage you to schedule an advising appointment with the Program Coordinator at any time to review the Geology programs or to ask questions about your geology transfer courses.
