Transfer Evaluation
Transfer Evaluation
Upon a student’s admission to the University official transcripts for undergraduate students are routed to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation. Transfer courses may be awarded direct equivalency to UNC courses at the discretion of the related academic unit at UNC. Once a course equivalency is established, it is applied consistently to any student who transfers the respective course from that point forward. A student’s record will be updated with direct equivalencies up to the point of matriculation at UNC (the first day e of the first term for which a degree-seeking student registers). After the point of matriculation, no direct equivalencies will be retroactively assigned.
However, attributes for the Liberal Arts Core, major, and/or minor programs may still be added to a matriculated student’s record. The major/minor department also has the option to use a course adjustment form to allow any non-equivalent courses to be assigned to the major/minor.
Transfer Credit
A maximum of 90 transferred semester credits may be used toward completion of a UNC degree; a minimum of 120 hours is required for graduation. Courses with a letter grade of “C-“ or higher are eligible for transfer. Remedial courses and vocational/technical courses are not eligible for transfer. A student who has earned a liberal-arts based Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), or Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college will receive a full waiver of the Liberal Arts Core (LAC) requirements. Associate of Applied Science (AAS) and Associate of General Studies (AGS) degrees are not transferable to UNC. Individual courses taken as part of an AAS or AGS degree will be evaluated for possible credit on a course-by-course basis after the student is admitted.
There is no university-wide age limitation on transfer courses. Course credit earned 10 years before the baccalaureate degree is to be granted may be applicable toward major or minor requirements at the discretion of the academic department.
Grade point averages from other institutions are used for admission and scholarship purposes only and do not impact a student’s UNC grade point average.
Students may not count courses taken at a Graduate level toward Undergraduate degree programs; courses numbered 600-799 will not be transferred in. Graduate level transfer coursework equivalent to a UNC 500-level may be applied to an undergraduate degree with consent of the academic program.
Coursework completed through International Student Exchange/Study Abroad or National Student Exchange will be recorded as transfer coursework upon receipt of an official transcript from the exchange institution. Such courses are not subject to the matriculation restrictions on transfer coursework listed above and count as in-residence for graduation residency requirements. International Student Exchange/Study Abroad and National Student Exchange students register for ISE 100 or NSE 100, respectively, which are courses under the authorization of the University of Northern Colorado.
High School Concurrent Coursework
Students who have successfully completed college coursework from a regionally accredited institution while in high school must submit an official transcript from the college/university to transfer credit. College credit completed while in high school may count toward UNC degree requirements but cannot be used to classify a student as a transfer student for admission and/or transfer scholarship eligibility purposes.
Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB)
The University of Northern Colorado awards transfer credit for Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations to students who scored at or above the required score. (Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exam and equivalency charts are available are: http://www.unco.edu/registrar/transfer/ap.aspx
Military Credit
A maximum of 30 semester hours of credit may be accepted for college-level courses taken under the auspices of the U.S. military services. Credit may also be awarded to veterans of military service who have successfully completed coursework at U.S. military service schools. A Joint Services Transcript (JST) or official military service school transcript must be submitted. These documents are evaluated by the Office of the Registrar according to recommendations from the American Council on Education in accordance with UNC guidelines. This credit is counted as non-residency transfer work.
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The University of Northern Colorado awards credit for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) General and Subject Examinations to students who scored at or above the required score. There is a three-month waiting period for students who wish to retest an examination they have already completed. CLEP credit is counted as non-residency transfer work. A maximum of 30 credit hours can be applied toward the graduation requirement. Testing arrangements are made through the Career Services Office. http://www.unco.edu/careers/testing/testing_services.html
Accreditation Requirements
The University of Northern Colorado only accepts credit from institutions of higher education holding full regional accreditation from one of the following six agencies:
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- The Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges
To find out if your previous college or university is regionally accredited by one of these agencies, visit http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.
Coursework taken at non-regionally accredited vocational/technical instituted or colleges will not be accepted. If course work was completed at a school that does not hold regional accreditation, a student may specifically request that his/her course work be considered for transfer. Students who wish to appeal the transferability of course work must write a letter within the first semester after the work was not accepted. The letter must be addressed to the Office of the Registrar and include:
- The name(s) of the previous institution(s) attended, the course number and title of each course for which the student was denied transfer credit, and the date(s) of enrollment in each course.
- A copy of the catalog description (from the appropriate year) for each course in question.
- A copy of the syllabus or course outline (from the appropriate year) for each course in question. This information can be obtained from the sending institution.
- A statement indicating why the credit(s) should be accepted.
The Office of the Registrar will re-evaluate the course(s) for which the student is requesting reconsideration in consultation with the department chair/school director. A written response will be delivered to the student in a timely manner once the appropriate faculties have reviewed the course materials, past practices, and the student’s specific circumstances.
To determine transferability of courses, the following will be considered:
- The educational quality of the sending institution.
- The comparability of course content to the UNC course.
- Applicability of the credit in relation to the programs being offered at UNC.
- Additional documentation provided by the student regarding the transferable course(s).
Waiver of Liberal Arts Core Requirements
State of Colorado Reverse Transfer
Students who have some college completed but who have not yet attained a degree may be eligible for an associate’s degree if they meet the following criteria:
- The student has completed 15 degree-applicable credit hours at a Colorado community college
- The student has a minimum of 70 credit hours, including coursework at the four-year institution
- The student’s completed credit hours meet the requirements for an Associate of Science, Associate of Arts or Associate of General Studies, to be determined via a degree audit at the community college
- The student has not requested that their data be withheld at either institution; and
- The student has not already received an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
For additional information, see http://degreewithinreach.org.
International Transcript Evaluation
Students who have completed coursework at recognized international universities may receive transfer credit at UNC. The courses completed must be consistent in level, duration, hours of lecture, discussion, and course content with courses offered at regionally accredited universities in the United States. Students must be aware that for a majority of international institutions there is a conversion factor related to credit values.
Transcripts received from international colleges or universities must meet the following criteria:
- The official transcript must be sent directly to UNC from the international school
- The transcript must be in English
- If the credits are not reported in U.S. or ECTS credits, a clear definition of the conversion to U.S. credits must be included
- A clear definition of the grading scale must be included
If any of the above criteria is not available, the student must submit an official transcript to a third-party evaluation service. The evaluation must include a course-by-course evaluation showing a list of each course taken along with the equivalent US grades and credit value. Obtaining this evaluation is the sole responsibility of the student.
Contact Information
Questions regarding transfer evaluation may be directed to transfereval@unco.edu.
- Transcripts for already admitted undergraduate students should be sent to:
UNC Office of the Registrar
Campus Box 50
Greeley, CO 80639
- Transcripts for new undergraduate applicants not yet admitted should be sent to:
UNC Office of Admissions
Campus Box 10
Greeley, CO 80639
Student Complaints
If a disagreement regarding the transferability of credits for coursework or a degree occurs between and student and the institution, the Colorado Department of Higher Education will facilitate an expeditious review and resolution of the matter. Complaints can be filed at http://highered.colorado.gov/Academics/Complaints/default.html. The Colorado Commission on Higher Education shall have final authority in resolving transfer disputes.