Unlock your creative potential

Moore has more to offer.

  • A dedicated transfer admissions counselor to assist you through every step of the way
  • 100% of accepted transfer students receive merit scholarships up to $25k
  • Events and information sessions designed specifically for transfer students
  • Our location in Philadelphia is perfect for students in the tristate area who prefer to commute
  • Optional transfer credit evaluations - before you even apply

All students have their own path. When you transfer to Moore, you are given full attention from pre-application to the start of class to make sure Moore is the right fit for you.

Have questions or want to learn more?

Check out one of our transfer specific events.

Schedule a one-on-one with an Admission Counselor to talk about your academic plan.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Transfer Students Application Checklist 

Students who have attended another college or university should apply as transfer students. The checklist below shows the items necessary for admissions consideration. You may submit them together, or separately as they become available.

  1. Completed application 
  2. Official transcripts from each college or post-secondary school attended
  3. Portfolio of 8-12 pieces of original artwork.
  4. Proof of English language proficiency, if English is not your first language (view International Applicants for details)  

Articulation Agreements 

Moore College of Art & Design has a series of articulation agreements with two-year colleges in order to facilitate the maximum transfer of credits when students transfer to Moore. Students who successfully meet the requirements set by the agreement with their current college will earn the option to transfer to Moore College of Art & Design at an advanced level upon enrollment. Scroll down to see the available Articulation Agreements. 

Spring/Summer

This is an accelerated option for either first-year students or transfer students that need to begin complete with the Basics Foundation Program. It allows students to start in January (spring semester), and complete the two Basics Foundation semesters by the end of July. 

Adult Students 

The Moore community welcomes non-traditional college-age students to complete their education or establish second careers. Returning adult students are strongly advised to make early contact with the Admissions Office for academic planning and counseling. 

Re-Admission

Re-entry defines students of nontraditional college age (over 21 years old.) Full-time or part-time course work to fit your schedule, financial aid, and adult support groups are available to help make your educational pursuits feasible here at Moore. Leadership training, professional networking, and career support are also offered to facilitate taking charge of your life, your art and your new career. As a returning adult student, you are strongly advised to make early contact with the Admissions Office for academic planning and counseling.

If you are a former Moore student and it has been less than three years since you were enrolled, you must apply for reinstatement through the Registrar’s Office. The phone number for the Registrar is 215.965.4028. If more than three years have elapsed, you must apply through the Admissions Office.  

The Academic Standards Committee will review all applications for re-admission by former students who withdrew in poor academic standing. After dismissal, a student may apply for re-admission after one semester by writing to the Chair of the Academic Standards Committee. As a returning adult student, you are strongly advised to make early contact with the Admissions Office for academic planning and counseling.

  • If you have studied at the college level, you should follow transfer admissions requirements.
  • If you do not have college-level experience, you should follow first-year requirements.

Typical courses that transfer to the undergraduate program include:

FN101: Foundation Design I (4.5 credits) 
FN102: Foundation Design II (3 credits) 
FN111: Foundation Drawing I (3 credits) 
FN112: Foundation Drawing II (4.5 credits) 
FN123: Color (3 credits) 
AH111: Convention, Canon, Sign (3 credits) 

AH112: Becoming Modern (3 credits) 
AH215: Critical Issues in Modern & Contemporary Art (3 credits) 
AH217: Art and Ethics: 1900-present (3 credits) 
HIST211: Interpreting History (3 credits) 
HIST212: Cultural Collisions and Transformations (3 credits) 
WRIT101: Writing Workshop I: Writer and Audience* (3 credits) 
WRIT102: Writing Workshop II: Critical Inquiries* (3 credits) 

Major courses are transferred in with the approval of the department chair. Major classes that are typically transferred in tend to be sophomore, introductory courses such as: 

PH201: Photography I (3 credits) 
PT201: Painting I (3 credits) 
3D201: Sculpture I (3 credits) 
GD211: Typography I (3 credits) 

Transfer Student Additional Information

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 

In order to graduate from Moore College of Art & Design, a student must earn 126-133.5 credits, depending on the major area of study.  Of these credits, no more than 76 credits may be transferred in and all transfer credits must have been earned with a grade of C or its equivalent or better; however, only the credits transfer in – not the grade or GPA. 

All credits to be transferred are subject to credit evaluation by the College. The number of credits transferred will be determined by transcript review, and for studio courses, a portfolio review. Official transcripts from each college or university attended must be submitted for transfer credit consideration.  Transfer credits are only accepted from accredited institutions. 

Prior to enrollment at Moore, transfer credit from appropriate courses is accepted for academic work completed with a grade of C or higher at an accredited institution before the student’s initial enrollment.  Transfer credit evaluations for entering students are completed by the Admissions Office, the department chairs and the Academic Advisor. The Admissions Office determines course equivalencies for the transfer of Foundation requirements and studio and Liberal Arts electives by reviewing the transcript and if necessary comparing course descriptions and/or syllabi of the courses being considered for transfer.

The Academic Advisor determines course equivalencies for the transfer of Liberal Arts requirements by comparing course descriptions and/or syllabi of the courses being considered for transfer.  No transfer credits are granted for college preparatory or remedial courses. Transfer students must earn a minimum of 15 credits in Liberal Arts at Moore.  Students need to complete 9 of these credits in 300-level courses or above. 

After enrollment at Moore, a student may take courses at another accredited institution and transfer them into Moore.  However, in order to ensure that credits are transferrable, the student must get written approval in advance from the Academic Advisor or the appropriate department chair. The pre-approval process includes a review of the course description of the course intended for transfer and may include a review of completed work following the conclusion of the course being considered for transfer. The student must receive a grade of C or better in the course(s) under consideration for transfer. The student is responsible for requesting a transcript be sent to the College. If the College does not receive a transcript, credits will not be given, and the student will be required to take the course(s) at Moore. 

Studio electives and Liberal Arts electives qualify for transfer, but after matriculation, all required courses must be completed at Moore; exceptions will be made for students in a study abroad or mobility program and post-baccalaureate students with appropriate department chair approval.  Anyone entering Moore as a first-year student must complete a minimum of 33 credits in Liberal Arts at the College. 

At least 3 semesters of work must be completed at Moore, 2 of which must be in the senior year.  Students are not permitted to transfer credits into Moore that are taken outside of the College during their final 2 semesters.  Credits from coursework taken in summer sessions between final semesters may be transferred in if pre-approved by the appropriate department chair and the Academic Advisor as per the College’s approval process stated above.

GRADUATE STUDENTS 

Entering graduate students can transfer up to 3 credits of advanced, post-undergraduate level studio or technical-based electives from an accredited institution. 

AP credit - a maximum of 3 credits for any CEEB Advanced Placement Examination in English, Art History, and History with a score of 4 or better may be awarded towards a liberal arts requirement.  Additional Advanced Placement (AP) credit will not be transferred into liberal arts requirements, but may be considered in determining placement into other required courses. 

In addition, a maximum of 3 credits from AP studio work with a score of 4 or better may be transferred into the college as studio electives.  The Admissions Office and/or Academic Advisor reviews AP courses being considered for transfer.  Students are notified by the Admissions Office of AP credits awarded prior to registration.  

College Level Exam Program (CLEP) - subject matter examinations and associated credits may be applied towards the minimum degree requirements by degree candidates.  CLEP subject matter examinations with acceptable credit-granting scores and semester hours as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) may be awarded up to a maximum of nine credits.  All accepted credits are posted on the transcript as transfer credit. 

After considering all other transfer rules, the Admissions Office and the Academic Advisor or the relevant department chair will make the final decision about transferring credits at the time the student is considered for admission. 

After initial enrollment, a student may take CLEP subject matter examinations provided that she conforms to the College’s transfer rules and gets pre-approval in advance in writing from the Academic Advisor or the appropriate department chair. 

International Baccalaureate (IB) credits - a maximum of 3 studio elective may be awarded and a maximum of 9 liberal arts IB credits may be awarded for students entering the College.  Regarding studio credits, the College may award 3 credits if a student receives a score of 7 on the Standard Level examination, or 3 credits for a score of 4 or better on the Higher Level examination. 

Regarding liberal arts credits, the College may award 3 credits per applicable exam if a student receives a score of 4 or better on a Higher Level examination.  No Standard Level examinations will be considered for liberal arts transfer. The Admissions Office and/or Academic Advisor reviews IB courses being considered for transfer. Students are notified by the Admissions Office of IB credits prior to registration. 

Proficiency credits - entering students and matriculated students are afforded the opportunity to earn proficiency credit on the basis of life experience assessed through a portfolio review and formal interview by the relevant department chair.  If the department chair deems it necessary to determine proficiency, additional forms of assessment beyond the portfolio review may be required.  The interview includes but is not limited to a review of exams and written work. 

Up to 6 credits may be granted towards the BFA and post-baccalaureate degree requirements.  The relevant department chair will determine which required credits, if any, may be granted.  Students will be granted credit but the credit will have no impact on the student’s GPA.  All proficiency credits will be posted on the student’s transcripts. 

At Moore College of Art & Design, in lecture/academic/seminar courses, one semester hour of credit equals one hour of class instruction and at least 2 hours of work outside class. Moore’s academic calendar includes a fall, spring and summer term. The fall and spring semesters include 14 weeks of instruction and at least one week of final critiques and exams. The summer semester is 12 weeks in duration. 

Students spend approximately the same number of class hours and complete the same amount of preparation/outside of classwork as they would in a fall or spring semester as the number of scheduled hours of class time per week is increased to be equivalent to the number of class time hours per week in a 15 week semester with 14 weeks of instruction and one week of final critiques and exams.

During the 12 week summer semester, courses offered within a 2, 4 or 6 week period are considered intensives and are scheduled with the equivalent number of hours in class as a semester-long class.  The formula for the number of hours of class time and the number of expected hours of work outside of class time per credit are applied regardless of the number of weeks scheduled for the course.  Moore offers independent study on the undergraduate and graduate level as an option for fulfilling elective credits. Students must independently complete approximately the same number of class hours and hours of work outside of class when pursuing an independent study as they would in completing a course with equivalent credit during a given term.For more information about the undergraduate and graduate approval process, please see the Student Handbook.  

There are two classes in the undergraduate program that do not carry credit; a remedial English composition course, WRIT099; and Basic Design Lab, which is required of all incoming students. Students in WRIT099 must attend the same number of class hours as a 3 credit semester-long academic course with 14 weeks of instruction with one week of final exams and must complete the same amount of work outside of class per credit as a student in a 3 credit academic course.

Students in the undergraduate program may complete more than 3 hours of effort per credit in the Art Education Student Teaching Seminar and during the required internships. 

Articulation agreements are drawn between a two-year college and a four-year college in order to facilitate the maximum transfer of credits when students move from one institution to the other. Moore College of Art & Design has a series of these agreements for students attending the schools listed below. Students who successfully meet the requirements set by the agreement with their home institution will earn the option to transfer to Moore College of Art & Design at an advanced level upon enrollment. 

Each articulation agreement has specific requirements and is valid only for the major programs listed in the agreement. To obtain specific information about these agreements, prospective students should contact the transfer advisor at their home institution.