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Transfer Credit

Students are required to submit an official transcript for all work passed or failed at any other college or university, prior to or after enrolling at Stephens. It is considered a form of academic dishonesty not to declare these enrollments. The student who applies for admission, re-admission or reinstatement to Stephens is responsible for having each institution send an official transcript directly to the Office of Admission.  

After entry to the college, transcripts are sent directly to the Office of the Registrar. All college-level coursework completed with a C- or better at an accredited institution of higher education and oriented toward a baccalaureate degree, including dual credit earned while in high school, will be accepted for credit at Stephens College.  Credit will be granted only once for equivalent courses. The registrar determines which transfer credit will count toward liberal arts requirements. The registrar and the appropriate department chair will evaluate credit that may apply toward a major or minor upon submission of appropriate descriptive information. Courses accepted will be included in the cumulative hours earned but neither grades nor grade points earned at other institutions will be used in the computation of the Stephens College grade point average.

Credit earned at institutions that have non-regional accreditation and all credit over 20 years old, will be considered for transfer, but only on a course-by-course basis, as approved by the registrar or department chair.  Transfer credit counts toward graduation and is incorporated into the academic record either as elective credit or to count toward specific degree requirements.

Transfer Credit Policy

Effective January 1, 2001

1. All college level course work completed with a “C-” grade or better at an accredited institution of higher education and oriented toward a baccalaureate degree will be accepted for credit at Stephens College.  However, not all courses transferred will fulfill specific requirements for a particular degree.  Courses accepted will be included in the cumulative hours earned but neither grades nor grade points earned at other institutions will be used in the computation of the Stephens College grade point average.  
   
   When a transfer student has earned credit at a non-regionally accredited institution, the credit will be transferred only if approved by the Registrar in consultation with the appropriate Program Chair.

2. The Registrar will evaluate credit that may apply toward general degree requirements.  When appropriate, Liberal Arts codes will be assigned to transfer credit.
                  
   Program Chairs will evaluate credit that may apply toward a major or minor and will provide written confirmation that the courses either substitute for courses offered at Stephens or count as elective credit in the major or minor.
   
   When a student transfers to Stephens after earning an associate in arts degree at an accredited institution of higher education, assuming the student earned no lower than C- grades in English composition, the lower division Liberal Arts requirements will be declared met at Stephens College.
   
   When the degree earned is an associate in science or an associate in applied science, specific courses that may count toward Liberal Arts requirements will be designated by the registrar, but because of the nature of these specialized associate degrees, the lower division Liberal Arts requirements cannot be automatically declared met.
   
   
3. When a student transfers through an articulation agreement with Stephens College into a major for which she has already earned a significant amount of elective credit, the course limit in that major will probably have to be obtained in order not to prolong the student’s time at Stephens.
4. When a student enters Stephens College with a previously earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education, a total of 60 semester hours will be transferred to become the basis for completing a degree at Stephens College.  The lower division Liberal Arts requirements will be declared met.   In some cases, it will be appropriate to transfer upper division coursework toward the major; each will be transferred individually and the difference between the total credit and the 60 semester hours will be transferred as unspecified credit.
5. Credit from a foreign institution of higher education will be evaluated on a case by case basis.  It may be in the best interest of the student to have the transcript evaluated by an agency that specializes in foreign academic credentials.  In some cases, it will be appropriate to transfer up to 30 semester hours of unspecified credit, without grade points.  When Liberal Arts courses can be identified, they will be transferred as such.
6. Credit earned through military or non-traditional programs, that have been evaluated by the American Council on Education and declared to be the equivalent of lower or upper division credit, will be transferred according to A.C.E. recommendations.
   

CREDIT BY EXAMINATION

1. Advanced Placement Program – College Board (APP).   Students who participate in high school in the Advanced Placement Program (APP) may have score reports sent to the registrar for evaluation. Credit will be awarded for APP scores of 3, 4 and 5.  Credit gained through APP will advance the degree program, and when appropriate, may meet liberal arts requirements or count toward a major or minor. However, because only satisfactory grades are awarded, the credit will not affect the grade point average.
2. College Level Examination Program – College Board (CLEP).  Students who participate in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), conducted by the College Board may have score reports sent to the registrar for evaluation.  Credit will be awarded for scores at or above the 50th percentile.  Credit gained through APP will advance the degree program, and when appropriate, may meet liberal arts requirements or count toward a major or minor. However, because only satisfactory grades are awarded, the credit will not affect the grade point average.
3. American College Testing (ACT) Proficiency Examinations (PEP).  Score reports are evaluated against guidelines published by ACT before credit is awarded by registrar.  When appropriate, Liberal Arts codes will be assigned.  However, because only satisfactory grades are awarded, the credit will not affect the grade point average.
4. International Baccalaureate Program.  Students who participate in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and score 4 or better on higher-level IB examinations will be granted credit that advances their degree program at Stephens College. When appropriate, Liberal Arts codes will be assigned.  However, because only satisfactory grades are awarded, the credit will not affect the grade point average.
5. Credit by Examination/Prior Learning.  Students who have not participated in the APP or CLEP examination programs, but who believe themselves to be advanced in a particular area of study, may ask to be examined by appropriate department faculty for possible awards of Credit by Examination or placement in an advanced class. When credit is awarded it will serve as elective credit or to meet a specific degree requirement, as recommended by the faculty. Advanced placement carries no credit award, but may serve as a prerequisite for another course. Credit by Examination does not affect the grade point average.  Appropriate fees apply.

Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate Credit and Credit by Examination

Students who participate in the Advanced Placement Program (APP) while in high school or the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), conducted by the College Board, may have score reports sent to the registrar for evaluation. Credit will be awarded for APP scores of 3, 4 and 5 and for CLEP scores at or above the 50th percentile. Credit gained through APP or CLEP will advance the degree program, and when appropriate, will meet liberal arts requirements or count toward a major or minor. However, because only satisfactory grades are awarded, the credit will not affect the grade point average.

Students who participate in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and score 4 or better on higher-level IB examinations will be granted credit that advances their degree program at Stephens College.

Transfer students who have served in the military may also receive credit based on the recommendation from the American Council of Education (ACE) and the DSST exams.  Please have all score reports forwarded to the Registrar’s Office for review and credit approval.

Students who have not participated in the APP or CLEP examination programs, but who believe themselves to be advanced in a particular area of study, may ask to be examined by appropriate department faculty for possible awards of Credit by Examination or placement in an advanced class. When credit is awarded it will serve as elective credit or to meet a specific degree requirement, as recommended by the faculty. Advanced placement carries no credit award, but may serve as a prerequisite for another course. Credit by Examination does not affect the grade point average. The College charges a minimal fee per course credit awarded through Credit by Examination.