How to Apply for Internal Transfer
Our Internal Transfer process occurs annually, and the next cycle begins in the spring semester for fall semester admission.
The application will be available online in February and must be submitted by the May deadline.
The College of Natural Sciences has only one admission period, with no option for early admission. It is not possible to apply in the fall semester.
Your application major selection is binding, so please be sure to select the correct option. For example: If you intend to double major, please select the simultaneous major option on your application. If you select the option to replace a major with the major on your application, note that changing your major within CNS down the road will require completing another application in a future Internal Transfer application cycle. There are no exceptions to these policies to remain consistent and fair to all applicants.
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Application Essay
Before applying, prepare the required essay for your application. It is recommended that you prepare your essay in a Word document. Visit the University Writing Center for review, and paste it into your application. Once an application has been submitted, it is not possible to access and edit your application.
- Limit essays to one page (a maximum 3,000 total characters with spaces).
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Carefully and concisely answer the following in your essay: Describe how the intended CNS major would impact achievement of your educational and career goals.
If you are seeking to add the new major as a simultaneous major, it is important for you to address how the new CNS major—combined with your other major—will impact achievement of educational and career goals.
- Avoid "creative writing" techniques.
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Other required materials for application
- Resume
- Brief answers to 3 short questions regarding your internal transfer application:
- Please list any academic distinctions, honors and/or rewards.
- Please list any extracurricular activities and/or memberships.
- Please list any work experiences and/or volunteer experiences.
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Checklist for Applicants:
- Submit your application by the deadline.
- All applicants must complete 24 hours in-residence to be considered.
- Spring semester courses will count for the 24 hour in-residence requirement.
- Withdrawn semesters apply towards the four long semesters (Fall & Spring) requirement.
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Important Reminders
- CNS advisors cannot meet with non-CNS students.
- Duplicate, incomplete, late and multiple applications are automatically disqualified from consideration.
- The steps above are for students who will have completed fewer than 60 hours by the fall when they plan to enter CNS. Students who have completed four long semesters and who will have completed 60 hours by the fall must also submit an additional appeal essay, following the process noted below. Students with 90 hours or more are not eligible for internal transfer and will not be considered for admissions. Students who have already graduated from UT Austin and looking to return will not be able to apply for internal transfer or through admissions as a returning student.
Appeal Process for the Four-Semester/60-Hour Policy
Students who have completed four long semesters (fall or spring)/60 hours total will be considered for admission with a formal appeal along with their Internal Transfer application.
On the application, you will need to denote completion of either four semesters and/or 60 hours total, which will then prompt you to submit your additional appeal essay.
Before beginning the application, it is recommended that you prepare your appeal essay in a Word document, which can then be pasted into the application. The appeal essay has a maximum of 9,000 total characters, including spaces. Successful appeal candidates demonstrate an ability to graduate within four years of entering the university.
Appeals should address the following:
- The major and degree you are pursuing.
- The number of remaining hours for graduation.
- If you are attempting to add a CNS major as a simultaneous major, list the total number of remaining hours for graduation in both majors.
- Your planned graduation date.
- Any additional information relevant to this appeal.
Exceptions to the university policy on Internal Transfer are made when a student can provide compelling reasons for an exception. Non-academic experiences are considered a mitigating circumstance. Please provide evidence for how you have resolved any experience that contributed to your non-academic experience.
Successful appeals will demonstrate the ability to graduate in a timely manner and evidence that you have earned a B- or better in math and science courses in-residence.
PACE students must have completed 24 hours in-residence in order to apply for Internal Transfer. When prompted to submit the appeal essay, PACE students need to indicate they are appealing due to PACE.
Application Problems?
Contact us by email. Please always include your UT EID in messages: cns.internal.transfer@austin.utexas.edu
Notification about Your Application
Application notifications will be sent via Secure Academic Note (SAN). Secure Academic Notes are available on your My UT Portal. Confirm that your email address is correct on your My UT Portal to avoid missing important SAN decision information. Undeliverable messages returned because of either a full inbox or use of a "spam" filter will be considered delivered without further action required from CNS.
Triple majors are not permitted for the CNS Internal Transfer process. If you add a major from another college after completing your Change of College paperwork, your acceptance into CNS will be revoked.
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Got Accepted? Here's What to Do Next
Once you have received a SAN acceptance, you will need to confirm your acceptance by completing your Change of College paperwork via email by the deadline.
Accepted students will need to confirm acceptance by the deadline indicated in their admission Secure Academic Note.
Failure to confirm your acceptance by the deadline, will revoke your admission to CNS, and you will remain in your original college.
Admitted students will receive information via SAN on how to schedule an appointment with an academic advisor in the College of Natural Sciences.
Once you have confirmed acceptance, your major will be changed to your admitted major only. Your major change will allow potential access to courses that were previously exclusive to CNS majors.
Accepted students must enroll in the immediate fall semester that they are accepted or their admission to CNS will be voided and they would need to reapply in a future semester if still eligible.
For example, students who apply in spring 2025 and are accepted to CNS must enroll in fall 2025 to officially be admitted to the College of Natural Sciences.
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Not Selected for Internal Transfer? Read On.
Every application decision is final and not eligible for appeal.
Students can apply in the next academic year’s application cycle.
Remember, admission is not guaranteed by meeting the minimum requirements, and preference is given to students who are pursuing a single major and can graduate within four years of entering the university.
We recommend you look for alternative majors that can assist you in meeting your career goals by using Wayfinder. You may also opt to schedule an appointment with an academic advisor in the Vick Center for Strategic Advising and Career Counseling.
Transcripted Certificates Provide Great Options
Here are some examples of certificates available to students beyond the College of Natural Sciences. For example:
Elements of Computing Certificate
Students interested in computer science may consider this credential which provides students with knowledge of computer science that employers find valuable and supports study in other disciplines requiring computational proficiency.
Pre-Health Professions Certificate
Students pursuing their pre-medical requirements to augment their courses with complementary health-related coursework can apply after meeting the enforced admissions requirements for non-science majors students.
Applied Statistical Modeling
The certificate program equips undergraduate students with the tools necessary to understand how to apply statistics to their primary field of study.
Certificate in Scientific Computation and Data Sciences
This certificate is available to all undergraduates interested in enriching their field of study with applied computation skills, ranging from the development of algorithms and databases to coding statistical and visualization analyses.