For Students: Community College Transfers

The Maryland Higher Education Commission requires that the University accept general education courses from Maryland public higher education institutions. General education courses from Maryland public colleges and universities that do not carry designations in our new General Education program will be given the designation of DSXX (“Distributive Studies Wildcard”). These DSXX designated courses may be used to satisfy Distributive Studies requirements (Humanities, History and Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Scholarship in Practice) in a transfer student’s general education. DSXX cannot be used to satisfy Fundamental Studies, I-Series, Understanding Plural Societies or Cultural Competence; nor can DSXX courses be used to replace the four-credit laboratory requirement. Only those DSXX courses taken prior to transferring to the University of Maryland are applicable to a student’s general education.

Please note: Students who have earned an associate’s degree will be considered to have completed all general education courses with the exception of Professional Writing and additional courses in order to fulfill the 40 credit minimum required general education courses. Students with associate’s degrees or who have completed the general education requirements at the sending institutions are not required to complete a course by course articulation. The DSXX designation is used only for students transferring to the University of Maryland who have not earned an associate’s degree. Students who have earned Bachelors’ degrees do not need any additional General Education courses.

Because the general education requirements are different at each school, the maximum number of courses/credits that are acceptable to the University of Maryland’s General Education program vary. 

Below is a chart that indicates the number of DSXX courses that the University of Maryland will accept.

Below is a chart that indicates the number of DSXX courses that the University of Maryland will accept.