Advanced Standing Students

The following section is for transfer, readmit, and second baccalaureate degree students.

Priority Service

Priority service through individualized appointments and course registration is provided for advanced standing students accepted by April 1 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester.

Transfer Students

William Paterson University accepts students for the fall and spring semesters (September and January) for full- or part-time study. When applying, students must present at least 12 college-level credits with a minimum 2.0 grade point average (GPA); nursing majors must have a minimum 2.5 GPA. Special education majors and students in teacher certification programs must have a minimum 2.75 GPA. Note: some majors such as business or nursing have specific course requirements that are examined by committee. There are some limitations on the number of credits accepted, e.g., a maximum of 70 credits from a two-year college or 90 credits from a four-year college; the last 30 credits required for graduation must be earned at William Paterson University; no more than 15 transfer credits required for a major will be accepted; credits earned 10 years prior to the date of admissions are accepted only at the discretion of the University, regardless of achievement. More details on transferring credits may be obtained from our admissions staff.

Please follow these steps when applying for admission:

• 1. You must request that all colleges previously attended forward a transcript of all college work completed to the Admissions Office. The application form must show all courses in progress, which will not appear on a transcript as submitted. To ensure accurate evaluations, applicants from out-of-state colleges should have appropriate catalogs sent to the Admissions Office.
• 2. Please include a copy of credit by examination, either CLEP or USAFI.
• 3. Credit will most likely be transferred in most cases if: a. the college or university from which credits are to be transferred is accredited by a regional accrediting association; b. the courses match the requirements or curriculum selected; c. all post-secondary work carries at least a C average, 2.0 cumulative grade point average on a four-point scale; d. a minimum grade of C is achieved for the course.
• 4. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis. Early application and early submission of all required records are advised, as first-choice courses and housing space may be limited or not available before the application deadline.
• 5. Applicants admitted with 60 credits must declare a major and be accepted by a major department.
• 6. Applicants who have completed fewer than 12 transferable credits must submit SAT scores and an official high school transcript.
• 7. Transcripts received from students after admission to William Paterson University and not listed on the application will not be accepted or reviewed for transfer credit.

Note: Applicants who do not submit required records of all prior college coursework, high school records, standardized test results, or other required documents by the deadline will not have their applications reviewed for that semester.