Acceptance of Transfer Students/Credit Policy

1. Coursework transferred or accepted for credit toward an undergraduate degree must represent collegiate course work relevant to the degree with course content and level of instruction resulting in student competencies at least equivalent to those of students enrolled in the College’s undergraduate degree program.
2. Any such earned credit must meet the minimum College academic standards of a grade of “C” or better and must parallel the content of similar courses offered. The maximum amount of credit allowed to be transferred is 75% of the student’s program of study. Any course taken at a North Carolina Community College System institution will be accepted for the equivalent course except as specified herein. For all others, the following criteria will be considered in determining the acceptability of the transfer coursework:
   1. Accreditation of the school by a regional or national accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. Accreditation does not guarantee acceptance of transfer credit.
   2. Equivalency of course descriptions, outcomes, and analysis of course level, content, quality, comparability, and degree program relevance. It shall be the student’s responsibility to provide documentation of this equivalency, which may include but is not limited to, syllabi, course catalogs, course outcomes, etc.
   3. Use of recognized guides, such as those published by the American Council on Education, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and the National Association of Foreign Student Affairs.
   4. If the school was not accredited by a regional or national accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education at the time the course was taken, additional documentation will be required. It shall be the student’s responsibility to provide any additional documentation requested.
   5. For skills-based courses, particularly those in the advanced technology programs, demonstration of student skills may be a component of the evaluation process. Decisions related to acceptance of credit will be made by the appropriate faculty member(s) and Dean, in consultation with the Vice President of Instruction.
   6. Within the Nursing department, departmental policy limits transfer credit for nursing courses to NUR 111  and NUR 117 . These courses must have been taken no more than two years prior to enrollment at the College and have earned a grade of “B” or better. Credit for general education courses will transfer only with a grade of “C” or better. The final decision for the transfer of NUR 111 and/or NUR 117 rests with the Department Head of Nursing.
3. The responsibility for determining transfer credit from other colleges and universities rests with the Registrar’s Office Staff. When there is doubt about the appropriateness of transfer credit or when a student wishes to appeal a transfer credit decision, the transcript will be referred to the appropriate Dean, whose decision will be final. In such cases, the Dean will note the decision in the student’s academic file. Time limits may be imposed in certain situations, such as for health sciences program courses. Enrollment Management and the appropriate Dean will maintain a list of courses that have time limits for transfer. Any student challenge regarding the award of transfer credit will be referred to the appropriate Department Head or Dean. This credit must be approved by the Dean.
4. When a student transfers from a postsecondary institution to the College, the following steps will be implemented:
   1. The student fills out an application for admission and is responsible for providing an official high school transcript (except when the student has already earned an associate’s degree or higher) and an official transcript from any other postsecondary institution. The student should allow at least one month for the transcript evaluation process prior to registering for classes.
   2. The Admissions staff evaluates the transcript and credit is accepted in accordance with the College’s program offerings and the procedure stated herein. No credit for a course with a grade lower than a “C” may be transferred. The transcript evaluation is conducted in cooperation with the appropriate Department Head and Dean, as applicable.
   3. The student is given placement test(s), if applicable.
   4. The student continues with the registration procedure.

The College recognizes the following additional opportunities for awarding transfer credits:

1. College Board Advanced Placement Program (AP): Students must submit an official College Board score report to the Registrar’s Office for consideration of granting college credit.
2. College-Level Examination Program (CLEP): College course credit will be granted to students who participate in CLEP Subject Examinations and achieve the minimum passing score as recommended by the American Council on Education. Students must submit a CLEP transcript to the Enrollment Management Office for consideration of granting college credit.
3. Educational Experiences in the Armed Services: Servicemen and veterans may be awarded college credit for service schools they have attended. The service schools must be accredited by a regional accrediting agency. Before applying for credit, students should contact the service school(s) and ask them to which regional accrediting agency they belong. Students should Contact Enrollment Management for more information.
4. Non-curriculum to Curriculum Transfer Credit: Non-curriculum course work from the College related to curriculum instruction may be transferred or accepted for credit towards curriculum courses in specific programs. Students must have earned a minimum letter grade of a “C,” passed the final assessment with a proficiency of 85% or better, or passed the applicable credentialing exam. The appropriate Dean for each division will approve non-curriculum course material prior to officially granting curriculum credit. Faculty teaching courses for which non-curriculum to curriculum credit may be awarded must meet all SACSCOC credentialing requirements.
5. Credit by Credential: Academic credit may be awarded for adequately documented and validated industry-recognized credentials. Credential credits must be approved by the subject-matter experts based on content and outcomes. The Department Head, Dean, and Vice President of Instruction must approve credential credits.
6. Transfer of credit to Nursing Program: Within the Nursing Department, departmental policy limits transfer credit for nursing courses to NUR 111  and NUR 117 . These courses must have been taken no more than two years prior to enrollment at the College with a grade of “B” or better. Credit for general education courses will transfer only with a grade of “C” or better.

June 13, 2022