Transfer Credit Policy
Northern Vermont University Transfer Policy
Credits Earned within the Vermont State Colleges System
All credits earned at a Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) institution starting with the fall 2002 semester are accepted by Northern Vermont University without question, along with their corresponding grade/GPA, as institutional credit.
The VSCS maintains a common (shared) course database. For example, taking PSY-1010 at one VSCS institution equals taking PSY-1010 at any other VSCS institution. In addition, completing a VSCS graduation standard at one college within the system equals completion of that standard at any VSCS institution in the event of transfer.
Transferring Credits from Other Colleges and Universities
Official transcripts are required for NVU to evaluate credits earned elsewhere for possible transfer. In general, these policies apply:
- Credit from regionally accredited institutions will be accepted if grades are C- or better.
- In a sequence of inter-related courses, if the first course is passed with a grade below C- but the second grade is C- or higher, both courses will be accepted.
- Credits applied to a previously earned degree will be accepted as transfer credit.
- While credits may be accepted toward overall credit requirements, the extent to which transfer credits fulfill specific major or program requirements will depend on the courses taken and their applicability to NVU’s requirements.
Courses may be transferred in to a program at NVU in one or more of these ways:
- As a course equal to a course at NVU (e.g., Introduction to Psychology = Introduction to Psychology)
- As a general-education requirement equivalent (not necessarily a course-to-course equivalent)
- As a major requirement equivalent or substitute (not necessarily a course-to-course equivalent)
- As an elective credit counting toward total credits need for graduation.
How Transfer Credits May Meet Requirements
The standard for a true course-to-course “equate” is high, as the course being transferred in must meet the same requirements as the course at NVU. In some cases, a course accepted for transfer credit may count toward a general-education requirement but not be specific enough, or delve deeply enough into the subject matter, to count as a course or prerequisite required for a certain major.
FAQ
General Education
The Registrar’s Office determines which courses being transferred meet the university’s General Education requirements — not necessarily whether the course is equivalent to one offered at NVU.
A decision by NVU Registrar staff not to accept a course for general education credit can be appealed to the chairs of the general education committees at the student’s home campus. When appealing, students will need to provide both a course description and a syllabus for the course. If the appeal is granted and the course is accepted for general education credit, a substitution/waiver form must be completed and submitted to the Registrar’s Office.
Assessment of Prior Learning
Learning acquired through work or other non-college experiences may be assessed for college credit. The Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) course offered by the Community College of Vermont is designed for this purpose. Students are guided through the process of describing and documenting their experiential learning in a portfolio. This document is then reviewed for credit by a committee of appropriate faculty and professionals. Credit is awarded through the Office of External Programs and may be transferred to NVU and other Vermont State Colleges System. The Registrar’s Office, in consultation with faculty and staff of the appropriate departments, will evaluate these credits to determine their applicability toward graduation requirements.
EDU-1240
Assessment of Prior Learning
3 credits
(Offered through Community College of Vermont)
An opportunity for students to earn college credit for prior learning acquired either on the job or in other settings. Students explore past learning experiences and identify future educational goals. Students develop an individual portfolio describing and documenting prior learning. Upon successful completion of the course, students may submit their portfolio to the Office of External Programs for review of credit requests.
Foreign Academic Credentials
For NVU to consider accepting transfer credits from foreign institutions, students must have their post-secondary academic transcripts evaluated by an official foreign-credential evaluation service. Students are responsible for the credential evaluation and translation fees. A list of credential-evaluation services can be found at www.edupass.org.
International Baccalaureate
NVU recognizes the international baccalaureate (IB) degree and awards placement and credit for higher-level IB courses on a case-by-case basis to students who pass exams with a score of 4 or higher. (The college does not award credit for standard level IB exams). It is not necessary to have completed the entire IB curriculum (the diploma) to qualify for transfer credit. Students must provide an official IB transcript along with their application in order for IB credits to be considered for transfer.
Advanced-Placement Credit
NVU will grant both advanced placement and course credit to students who have passed the College Board’s AP exam with a grade of 3 or higher. Final recommendation for the number of credits will be determined in consultation with the student’s advisor and the department chair for the appropriate discipline.
CLEP Credit
NVU considers satisfactory scores received on the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) for credit. Six credits may be given for each area, and three for each subject, in which a student scores satisfactorily.
Military Credit
NVU recognizes transcripts issued by the American Council on Education (ACE) as official documentation of military experiences. For more information, select these links: