How to transfer into UGA’s Terry College of business: A complete guide

Getting into the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business as a transfer takes two separate admissions, and a lot of students don’t realize it until they’re in Athens. You transfer to UGA as an intended business student, then apply to a specific Terry major once you meet the eligibility requirements. Knowing that early can save you a semester or two of confusion.

Step 1: transfer to UGA first

Before you can apply to any Terry major, UGA has to admit you as a transfer student. Terry doesn’t admit anyone into a business major from outside the university. Every new student, first-year or transfer, starts as an “intended business” student.

UGA transfer GPA thresholds

UGA’s GPA baselines depend on how many credit hours you’re transferring:

• 30 to 59 completed transfer hours: 3.50 or higher transfer GPA for a straightforward offer; 3.30 to 3.49 enters a secondary review process
• 60 or more completed transfer hours: 3.20 or higher for a straightforward offer; 3.00 to 3.19 enters secondary review

These thresholds can move from semester to semester with enrollment targets, so check the current numbers on the UGA Admissions blog. Secondary review looks at your purpose statement, your grade trend, how well your coursework fits your intended major, and other context.

Timing matters

Terry recommends transferring as early as you can, ideally during sophomore year. You have to be enrolled at UGA to apply to a Terry major, and the application cycles run on a fixed schedule, so each semester you wait to transfer pushes the major application back by a semester.

What to take before you transfer

Aim to finish Areas I through VI of the BBA Core Curriculum where you are now. From a University System of Georgia school, UGA honors core-to-core transfer: courses that satisfy your current school’s core curriculum will generally satisfy UGA’s. From outside the USG, use UGA’s Transfer Equivalency tool to check how your courses map.

Courses to finish before you transfer:

• ENGL 1101 and 1102 (a grade of C or better required in 1101; a 2.0 average across both)
• MATH 1113 (Precalculus) or a higher math course, a hard eligibility requirement for the Terry application
• Lab sciences (one physical, one life science)
• ECON 2105 (Macroeconomics) and ECON 2106 (Microeconomics)
• ACCT 2101 (Principles of Accounting I), which must be completed before you apply to a Terry major
• POLS 1101 and HIST 2111 or 2112, which also satisfy Georgia legislative graduation requirements

Watch for courses that transfer as GXX or TXX codes. A GXX course can usually fill a relevant core area, but a TXX course counts only as an elective, and that can leave gaps in your core to fill at UGA.

Planning a transfer to Terry? I help transfer students plan their courses and protect their GPA for both applications. Tell me about your student →

Step 2: apply to a Terry major

Once you’re enrolled at UGA, you apply to your specific BBA major, usually in the second semester of sophomore year. Transfer students who arrive with most of the prerequisites done may be able to apply sooner.

Eligibility requirements for the Terry application

You must meet all of these by the application deadline:

• Enrollment: Eligible for enrollment at UGA in the semester you apply
• Academic standing: 2.0 or higher UGA GPA (or no UGA GPA if you’re a new transfer), and a 2.6 or higher overall GPA combining transfer and UGA coursework
• Core progress: Completed or in progress on Areas I through V of the General Education Core Curriculum
• MATH 1113: Must have a passing grade or exemption posted to your record
• ACCT 2101: Must be completed with a passing grade
• BUSN 3000 (Applied Statistics and Data Analysis for Business): Must be completed or in progress

Meeting these minimums makes you eligible to apply and nothing more. Terry has more demand than seats, and selection is competitive.

What Terry looks at

The BBA selection criteria:

• ACCT 2101 and 2102 grades (if 2102 is in progress, they evaluate based on your 2101 grade)
• ECON 2105 and 2106 grades
• MATH 1113 grade, plus grades in higher math courses like MATH 2200, 2250, or 2260 if taken
• ACT or SAT scores (required; the EPP can supplement but not replace these unless you’ve never taken the ACT/SAT)
• Statement of Purpose (300 to 400 words on your interest in the major and future goals)
• Grades in major-prefix courses, if you’ve already taken any (e.g., FINA courses for Finance applicants, REAL courses for Real Estate)
• Foundation First course grades (FINA 3000, MARK 3000, MGMT 3000) if completed

Accounting and Finance applicants also take the Accounting Exam, a multiple-choice test on ACCT 2101 as taught at UGA. You can take it up to three times.

BBA major options

Terry offers eight BBA majors: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Real Estate, and Risk Management and Insurance. The International Business co-major can be added to any of these.

You pick a first-choice and a second-choice major on the application. Accounting, Finance, Marketing and MIS aren’t available as second choices, because they fill to capacity on first-choice admissions. The second-choice options are Economics, Real Estate, and Risk Management and Insurance.

The Morehead Honors College guarantee

Morehead Honors College students in good standing who meet every eligibility requirement are guaranteed their first-choice major. “Good standing” means at least one semester at UGA with a cumulative GPA of 3.40 or higher. The guarantee covers only a first (primary) major, not second, double or co-majors.

If you don’t get in

A rejection on the first attempt doesn’t close the door. You can:

• Meet with your advisor to identify areas for improvement
• Reapply in a future cycle after strengthening your application
• Consider an alternative major at UGA (many students pivot to economics through Franklin College, for example)