Transfer Credit and Course Equivalency

​Policies  

Advanced Placement     Course Substitution     Continuing Studies Coursework     Creative Practices (UACC 101) Requirement Waiver     Credit by Audition or Portfolio    Credit by Examination     Credit for Pre-College Programs     ESL Institute     Non-Accredited Institutions     Residency Requirements    Transfer Credit

Advanced Placement

Credit and advanced placement may be awarded to students on the basis of examination results from the Advanced Placement Program (AP), the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and the International Baccalaureate (IB).

Official score reports should be sent to the Office of Admission for evaluation.  A maximum of 12 credits will be awarded for any combination of AP, CLEP, or IB scores. Students will be notified of the credits awarded prior to registration.

Advanced Placement Program (AP)

Scores of 4 or higher on The College Board’s AP exams will award credit and advance placement as follows:

• One English exam: 3.0 credits awarded, COMP 111 Written Composition I . Placement in COMP 112 Written Composition II .¹
• Both English exams: 6.0 credits awarded, COMP 111 Written Composition I  & 3.0 credits awarded toward Liberal Arts elective requirements. Placement in COMP 112 Written Composition II .¹
• Science or Mathematics exam: 3.0 credits awarded, SIFT*XXX Science Inquiry Foundation Track.
• Other exams: 3.0 credits awarded toward Liberal Arts elective requirements.

¹ Placement testing determines eligibility to enroll in COMP 112H Written Composition II: Honors .

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Credit for The College Board’s CLEP exams may be awarded for subject examinations in composition & literature, foreign language, history & social sciences, and science & math depending on the score earned in the examination and other factors as follows:

• The credit must be directly applicable to the student’s degree requirements.
• The credits cannot be used to fulfill upper-level course requirements.
• A score equivalent to the minimum acceptable score or higher as recommended by the American Council on Education is necessary.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Scores of 4 or higher on the Higher Level (HL) or Standard Level (SL)  International Baccalaureate English exam will award credit and advance placement as follows:

• SL English exam: 3.0 credits awarded, COMP 111 Written Composition I . Placement in COMP 112 Written Composition II .¹
• HL English exam: 6.0 credits awarded, COMP 111 Written Composition I  & 3.0 credits awarded toward Liberal Arts elective requirements. Placement in COMP 112 Written Composition II .¹
• Science or Mathematics exam: 3.0 credits awarded, SIFT*XXX Science Inquiry Foundation Track.
• Other exams: 3.0 credits awarded toward Liberal Arts elective requirements.

¹Placement testing determines eligibility to enroll in COMP 112H Written Composition II: Honors .

Course Substitution

Course substitution enables an alternate course to be substituted for a required course in a curriculum. The substituted course should support the learning objectives of the program. A program director may consider course substitution in cases where a student is unable to enroll in a required course, or where an alternate course is identified to better suit a specific academic goal.

To request a course substitution:

1. Students will discuss requests pertaining to:​

   1. University Common Curriculum, with the Director of the University Common Curriculum

   2. Major Requirements & School Core, with the student’s Program Director

   3. Liberal Arts Distribution, with the Liberal Arts Dean’s Office.​

2. Course substitution forms are submitted electronically to the Office of the Registrar via OnBase. Requests must originate with the office or director indicated above. 

Continuing Studies Coursework

Continuing Studies (CS) courses at the University of the Arts provide knowledge and skills in specific fields and are taught by highly qualified faculty with in-depth experience in their subject areas. Some UArts CS courses may be applicable to degree programs at the University. Credit is awarded based on a review of the student’s CS transcript and portfolio.

To request credit for CS coursework:

1. Students should contact their program director
2. The program director will review the student’s portfolio and CS transcript to determine if coursework is commensurate with undergraduate or graduate level work and acceptable for application to the student’s degree program.
3. If the course is approved for transfer the program director will electronically submit a petition for approval of transfer credit to the Office of the Registrar via OnBase.

Creative Practices Requirement Waiver

Transfer students who matriculate with 24 or more credits are not required to complete Creative Practices (UACC 101), a requirement of the University Common Curriculum. The Office of the Registrar will administratively waive this 1.5 credit course at the beginning of the student’s first semester. This exemption does not reduce the total number of credits required by the program, but rather adds 1.5 credits to the allotment of free electives.

Credit by Audition or Portfolio

The University may award credit for prior artistic learning experiences through audition or portfolio review.

The following policies apply to credit by audition or portfolio

• Credit will only be granted during the admission process.
• A maximum of 18 credits will be awarded.
• Work must have been completed prior to matriculation.
• Work cannot have been assigned as part of a secondary or postsecondary course.
• Credit by Portfolio is determined by the student’s Program Director.
• Credit by Audition is determined by the Audition Committee and the student’s School Director.

Credit by Examination

Programs may require students to sit for placement examinations prior to placement in a required sequence of courses. Students who demonstrate sufficient mastery of skills or course material will be placed in the appropriate level in the sequence. At the discretion of the program director, they will either be provided credit for previous courses in the sequence, or will be asked to complete other courses in the major as substitutes for those courses, or a combination of the two.

Submission Procedure

1. Upon successful completion of a required exam the program director submits a petition for Credit by Exam electronically via OnBase to the Office of the Registrar.
2. The petition is then reviewed by the student’s college dean.
3. If approved the petition is processed by the Office of the Registrar.

Credit for Pre-College Programs

Undergraduate students who have successfully completed an approved pre-college program at the University and who matriculate into an undergraduate degree program at the University will be awarded 3.0 credits, applied as undergraduate free electives. Approved programs include: Art, Media + Design; Creative Writing; Dance; Music; Music Business, Entrepreneurship + Technology; and Theater. One-week intensives are non-credit bearing. 

The Office of the Registrar will administratively award credit to newly matriculated students at the start of the fall and spring semesters.

ESL Institute

Undergraduate students who have successfully completed the ESL Institute at the University, who achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, and who matriculate into an undergraduate degree program at the University will be awarded 3.0 credits, applied as undergraduate free electives.

The Office of the Registrar will administratively award credit to newly matriculated students at the start of the fall and spring semesters.

Non-Accredited Institutions

Credit may be awarded for coursework completed at a non-accredited institution during the admission process. Program directors will determine eligibility based on the applicant’s portfolio or audition and academic record. The maximum number of credits awarded may not exceed the number of credits earned at the non-accredited institution (as adjusted to conform with the University’s credit evaluation policies). These credits may be assigned to fulfill specific program requirements as agreed upon by the program director and the Registrar.

Students who have completed coursework at institutions outside the United States will have those credits evaluated by one of the following agencies. Applicable fees are the responsibility of the student.

Residency Requirements

Graduate Programs

Graduate programs permit a maximum of 6 transfer credits. All remaining coursework required by a curriculum must earned in residence at the University.

Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 48 credits be completed in residence at the University. Post-matriculation, a maximum of 15 credits will be considered for transfer. Approved study abroad  coursework does not apply to the 15 credit maximum.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit may be awarded for courses successfully completed at regionally accredited institutions, which are similar in content, and of comparable standards to those offered at the University. Course descriptions and/or syllabi may be requested to ensure proper evaluation.

Credits transferred from other institutions become part of the academic record. However, grades will not be recorded on the transcript or used in determining the grade point average.

Applicants are provided a preliminary transfer credit evaluation at the time of admission. The final award of transfer credit and class level determination are subject to receipt and verification of official final transcripts by the Office of the Registrar. If final transcripts are not received by the advising period of the student’s second semester of attendance, pending transfer credit will be removed.

Graduate Programs

The following criteria must be met for coursework to be evaluated for transfer:

• A minimum grade of B- must have been achieved.
• The course must be graduate level.
• Must adhere to the graduate programs residency requirement.

To request transfer credit:

1. Prior to enrolling in a course at another institution the student should contact their program director, who will evaluate the course being requested for transfer.
2. If the program director approves the course for transfer they will electronically submit a petition for approval of transfer credit to the Office of the Registrar via OnBase.
3. Upon successful completion of the approved course an official transcript must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

Undergraduate Programs

The following criteria must be met for coursework to be evaluated for transfer:

• A minimum grade of C must have been achieved.
• The course must be undergraduate level.
• Must adhere to the undergraduate programs residency requirement.
• Period Interpretation coursework are ineligible for transfer.
• Courses taken in residence at the University may not be repeated at another institution.
• International students wishing to take liberal arts courses at institutions in their home country must first be approved by the Director of International Student Programs or the ESL Coordinator and then seek approval from Liberal Arts.

To request transfer credit:

1. Prior to enrolling in a course at another institution the student should contact their program director, who will evaluate the course being requested for transfer.  If the request is for coursework to fulfill liberal arts distribution requirements the student should contact the Liberal Arts Dean’s Office.
2. If the program director approves the course for transfer they will electronically submit a petition for approval of transfer credit to the Office of the Registrar via OnBase.
3. Upon successful completion of the approved course a sealed official transcript must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.