Policy Statement
This policy governs the evaluation and acceptance of courses that are presented for transfer to Augusta University.
Augusta University must ensure consistency and continuity in the acceptance of transfer credit. However, separate procedures exist to evaluate and accept transfer credits depending on college and degree program.
Affected stakeholders
All entities and persons within the Enterprise that are affected by this policy:
Graduate Students, Health Professional Students, Undergraduate Students
Policy Owner
Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs
Definitions
Transient Student: A transient student is defined as a degree candidate at one institution who is granted the privilege of temporary registration at another institution.
Process & procedures
Coursework must be validated as being academically rigorous for the appropriate level at which a student receives transfer credit. Accreditation by one of the following organizations is one of the evaluations of quality used by Augusta University: Middle States Commission on Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools – The Higher Learning Commission, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities. For institutions outside of the United States, such assurance is provided by an approved credentials evaluation service to which applicants submit their educational credentials.
Transfer Credit for Associate and Baccalaureate Degrees
Coursework transferred to undergraduate degree programs at Augusta University must be collegiate level coursework that is relevant and applicable to the degree being sought at Augusta University. These courses must have been taught beyond the level of secondary education either as part of an associate or bachelor’s degree program. Credit earned at accredited technical colleges may not transfer unless the credit was earned in a designated college transfer program (that are part of an officially sanctioned college preparatory curriculum).
An evaluation of accepted transferable credits is made by the Office of Academic Admissions, which furnishes the student with a complete transfer evaluation report. Students, in consultation with their advisors, may request departments to review their academic records to potentially approve a Required Course Substitution/Exception Request or Examination of Transfer Work form. A course substitution allows a course to fulfill a degree requirement it would not typically satisfy. All course substitutions must be approved by the chair of the department in which the course in question is offered. All approved course substitutions must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar for processing. A department chair can also authorize an Examination of Transfer Work form if he/she feels that a course for which substitution is being sought should have a different Augusta University equivalent than originally determined. All Examination of Transfer Work forms must be submitted to the Office of Academic Admissions for processing.
If seeking an associate degree, a student must complete at Augusta University a minimum of 20 hours of academic credit. If seeking a baccalaureate degree, a student must complete at Augusta University at least 25 percent of the credits required for the degree and a minimum of 30 hours of academic credit in courses numbered 3000 or above. At least one-half of the major concentration and one-half of the minor concentration, if applicable, must be completed at Augusta University.
The amount of credit that the university will allow for work done in another institution within a given period of time may not exceed the normal amount of credit that could have been earned at the university during that time. A maximum of 62 hours of credit earned in a junior college may be applied toward a degree at Augusta University.
Active duty service members of the United States Armed Services or the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) must complete at Augusta University at least 25 percent of the degree requirements for all degrees. Academic residency can be completed at any time while active duty service members are enrolled. Reservists and National Guardsmen on active duty are covered in the same manner.
Coursework that is more than twenty years old is subject to validation by the Director of Academic Admissions or that person’s designee. Credit decisions will be made in consultation with appropriate department chairs.
Transfer Credit for Graduate Degrees
The Graduate School
Transfer of graduate credit is never automatic; credits transferred do not reduce the residency requirement for any advanced degree. At the discretion of the Dean of The Graduate School of Augusta University (or Dean’s designee) and the faculty of the major program, up to nine semester hours of credit toward a degree may be transferred with the exception of the Doctor of Philosophy degree PhD. The actual maximum number of credit hours allowed for transfer (0-9) is program specific. A request for credit transfer should be initiated by the student and his/her advisor, through the program’s director.
Course work transferred to a degree program in The Graduate School must be relevant and applicable to the degree being sought. The individual applying for the transfer credit is responsible for providing the necessary documentation (i.e., course syllabi, transcripts, etc.) for the review. Course credit may be accepted for transfer if the:
- course content is equivalent to a course offered by the graduate program at Augusta University
- course was taken by the student within five years prior to the date of his/her projected enrollment
- student earned a grade of either “B” or higher or “pass”
- course is recommended for transfer by the graduate program and approved by the Graduate School dean.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree programs. A maximum of six credit hours is usually recommended but nine credit hours may be allowed in transfer from a master’s degree. The transfer of any course work beyond the master’s level is a matter for negotiation between the student, his/her advisory committee, his/her major department and the Dean of The Graduate School. In general, no more than a total of 20 semester hours may be transferred toward the PhD under any circumstances.
The Colleges of Allied Health Sciences and Nursing
At the discretion of the Dean (or Dean’s designee), these Colleges may allow a maximum of six credit hours of transfer of graduate credit except as noted below. Approved coursework must be taken within five years prior to date of student’s projected enrollment.
The physician assistant program allows no transfer credit toward degree requirements.
The physical therapy program allows no transfer credit for physical therapy coursework completed at another institution.
The occupational therapy program will consider transfer credit of coursework completed within four years prior to student’s projected date of enrollment.
The College of Education
For the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), up to nine semester hours of credit toward the degree may be transferred in consultation with the student, advisor, and the department chair of the discipline of the courses being considered.
Transfer Credit for College of Dental Medicine and Medical College of Georgia
The College of Dental Medicine
The College of Dental Medicine does not normally accept advanced standing transfer students. However, in the event that a Georgia resident who has enrolled in a dental education program at another accredited U.S. institution cannot complete his or her dental education due to discontinuation of the program in which the student was initially enrolled, the Dean of the College of Dental Medicine may grant advanced standing admission to such a student provided the student has met the admission requirements for the College of Dental Medicine at Augusta University, and was in good standing at the time the program was discontinued.
Medical College of Georgia (MCG)
Students currently enrolled and are in good standing at other Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) medical schools will be considered for transfer admission with advance standing to the second and third year classes of MCG only when there are compelling reasons for the transfer and only on a space available basis. Courses taken at the student’s first institution will be evaluated and transfer credit will be awarded on a course by course basis. Students accepted as advanced standing transfers under these circumstances may be required to study on an altered or modified curriculum and may be required to repeat courses taken at the student’s first institution.
Transient Students
An Augusta University student must be in good standing as verified by the Office of the Registrar and should obtain prior approval from the Augusta University department that offers a course most compatible with the one that will be taken elsewhere. If a Augusta University student enrolls at another institution without obtaining prior approval to do so, he or she must appeal to the department that offers the course at Augusta University to receive credit for the course; there is no guarantee that approval will be granted.
Appeal Process
Appeals regarding transfer credit shall be handled in accordance with the Student Academic Appeals Policy.
References & supporting documents
Related policies
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Approved by
President, Augusta University and CEO, AU Health System Date: June 9, 2017
Last Revision: May 11, 2016 Last Review: June 9, 2017