University of Pittsburgh

Admissions

Transfer Students

The College of Business Administration has a rolling admissions policy. This means we do not have a specific deadline by which you must apply. Applicants are considered for and informed of admission on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure that you have plenty of time to complete the application and enrollment process, we recommend that you apply several months prior to the beginning of the semester when you wish to start. We encourage you to visit CBA, meet with a College of Business Administration admissions counselor, and perhaps even sit in on a business class.

The Transfer Application Process

Transfer admissions are handled by the University of Pittsburgh Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.

Comprehensive instructions on how to apply for transfer admissions »

Apply Online

Prospective CBA transfer students are encouraged to apply online.

Your completed application will be reviewed within one to two weeks.

Tips for a Successful Transfer to CBA

Before applying to CBA at Pitt, consider:

  • How is your overall academic-performance record at the college level? How did you do in math and economics courses? The CBA Admissions Committee seeks prospective transfer students with a strong overall performance in a challenging curriculum. The committee will also look carefully at your math and economics grades. We pay special attention to these grades, as they help to indicate if you will be successful in business classes. Generally, a student with a 3.00 or higher college GPA, and grades of A’s and B’s in courses like calculus and economics, would be competitive for transfer admission.
  • If you have taken fewer than 30 credits at the college level, we will look more closely at your high-school transcript and SAT scores. If your grades or test scores from high school weren’t particularly strong, we may need to see more evidence of your success in college and may encourage you to reapply after another semester.
  • If you have taken classes at more than one college, please be sure to submit official transcripts from all of them. We will consider your grades and GPA at each institution, but will look most closely at the most recent school’s transcript. If you did less well at one college and can offer an explanation, consider submitting a personal statement with your application.
  • Hold on to your college catalog and course syllabi! We may ask for a copy of one or both in order to evaluate your credits once you have been accepted into the College of Business Administration.

If you are planning to transfer to CBA after another semester at your college or university, you will want to be absolutely sure that your credits will transfer. Community-college students can work with their transfer counselors to make schedules. Other students can contact CBA at 412-383-9600 or cba-admissions@katz.pitt.edu

Course Planning at Your Current College

In preparation for a future transfer to CBA, consider taking the following prerequisite and general-education courses at your current college:

  • Business calculus or scientific calculus
  • Introductory microeconomic theory
  • Introductory macroeconomic theory
  • Introduction to psychology
  • One semester of English composition
  • Liberal-arts courses that fulfill CBA’s general-education requirements, which include:
    • one course in English literature
    • one course in either music history or art history
    • one course in philosophy (not logic)
    • two social-science courses, from two different departments
    • two natural-science courses
    • two foreign-culture courses

See examples of the kinds of courses appropriate for meeting the general-education requirements.

Transfer Credit Policies

Courses from another college or university will be considered for transfer credit based on the following:

  • For a course to transfer, a grade of C (not C- or below) must have been earned.
  • For a business course to be acceptable for transfer, it must have substantially the same objectives and topical coverage as the CBA course and must include any content deemed essential by the interest group offering the CBA course.
  • A maximum of 90 credits may be transferred to CBA (from college coursework and AP exams) and included in the 120 credits required for graduation. A maximum of 60 credits may be transferred to CBA from a community college.
  • After 90 credits applicable to the BSBA degree have been completed, all credits must be earned at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh campus; exceptions may be approved in extenuating, compelling circumstances by the CBA associate dean in response to a written request from the student.
  • A minimum of 21 credits (50 percent) of the business core curriculum must be earned in CBA; a maximum of 21 credits may be earned at other institutions (including Pitt regional campuses).
  • A minimum of 50 percent of the courses applicable to a major (not including the core courses) must be earned in CBA: 12 of 22 credits in accounting, 9 of 15 credits in finance, 12 of 18 credits in general management, and 12 of 18 credits in marketing. Other transferred credits in the major may be counted as electives, provided that no more than 66 business credits are included within the 120 credits required for graduation.
  • Transfer credit for business courses for which there is no equivalent will be coded as CBATRN 0000.
  • Transfer credit for courses applicable to a business major for which there is no equivalent will be coded as BUSACC 0000, BUSENV 0000, etc.

Community College Students

If you are a student at a community college in Allegheny County, the Harrisburg area, or Butler, Beaver, or Westmoreland Counties, you can work with a transfer counselor to make a long-term plan to transfer to CBA, following guidelines in CBA’s articulation agreement with your college. Review the CBA section in the appropriate Pitt Connection Guide:

Students at other community colleges may need to contact CBA admissions directly at 412-383-9600.

Generally, a community-college student with 45–60 credits completed and a 3.00 or higher GPA would be considered competitive for admission. In the admissions review, careful attention is also paid to your performance in math and economics courses. Grades of A’s and B’s earned in courses like economics and calculus will help make you competitive for admission. As demonstrated success in math coursework is critical for admission, it is important for you to begin taking math as soon as possible so that you can complete the necessary math coursework prior to transferring. At maximum, 60 credits are transferable from a community college to CBA.

For More Information

At the College of Business Administration, we are ready to talk to you or meet with you in person if you want more information about transferring to CBA. Please let us know how we can help!

Lisa Cherok
Director of Admissions
412-383-9600
cherok@katz.pitt.edu

Erin English
Assistant Director of Admissions
412-383-8840
eesenglish@katz.pitt.edu

Carmel Schoeb
Admissions Assistant
412-383-9600
cjschoeb@katz.pitt.edu