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Information for Prospective Transfer Students

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The Biology Program welcomes transfer students, whether they are internal or external.  We have an orientation class (BIOL 112) designed just for you to help you connect with the major, your fellow biologists, and learn about program opportunities.  

Internal Transfer Students

Internal transfer students are those who are currently attending Iowa State and decide to change their major to Biology.  Before making that decision, you may wish to run a “what if” degree audit in AccessPlus for Biology in LAS and/or AgLS.  It is important to remember that these “what if” degree audits are not the last authority on how your courses will count within Biology.  We often make adjustments to student degree audits to ensure you are getting credit where it is due.  Make an appointment to discuss our program with a Biology advisor, and we can go over this with you one-on-one.  You can schedule an appointment by calling our main office (294-1064) or by dropping by our office in 103 Bessey Hall.  

External Transfer Students

External transfer students attended another college or university, such as a community college or a 4-year institution, prior to coming to Iowa State.  Our student services staff can help you understand how credits will transfer in to the Biology Program, and we recommend making an appointment with one of our advisors to discuss this.  The tools we describe below will give you a rough idea of how things apply, but we make adjustments to ensure your credits are being correctly applied within your Iowa State degree program.  

If you have attended a community college in Iowa, Illinois, or Minnesota, there are course equivalency guides available for easy reference. If your institution isn’t listed, or if you’d like to run a preliminary degree audit using your transfer credits, TRANSIT is another resource to look at.  

Maybe you’re still working on coursework at your current institution and would like to plan ahead for your move to Iowa State?  We have transfer plans for Iowa community colleges available below.  We also have some general advice on what sorts of courses to take if you’re thinking about doing two years at a community college before coming to Iowa State. 

The University has a few general guidelines on how transfer credits may be applied to your program.  Check out this page for guidelines on how transfer credits may be applied to your program

Transfer Students and Transfer Credit

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Des Moines Area Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Eastern Iowa Community College (EICC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Eastern Iowa Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Hawkeye Community Colleges (HCC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Hawkeye Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Indian Hills Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Iowa Central Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Iowa Lakes Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Iowa Valley Community Colleges (IVCC) in Ellsworth or Marshalltown to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Iowa Valley Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Iowa Western Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Kirkwood Community College (KCC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Kirkwood Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 North Iowa Area Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Northeast Iowa Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Northwest Iowa Community College (NWICC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Northwest Iowa Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Southeastern Iowa Community College (SCC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Southeastern Iowa Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Southwestern Iowa Community College (SWCC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Southwestern Iowa Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)

This transfer plan is designed to assist students who wish to transfer from Western Iowa Technical Community College (WITCC) to Iowa State University and major in Biology.  We recommend discussing the plan with an advisor in our Student Services office for more information.

2022 Western Iowa Technical Community College Transfer Checklist (PDF)