Transfer Evaluation

Transfer Policies

UNC only accepts credit from institutions of higher education holding full regional accreditation from one of six agencies. List of approved agencies.

UNC awards a maximum of 90 transfer semester hours from all sources towards the completion of degree requirements.

Remedial courses and vocational/technical courses are not eligible for transfer.

Individuals with an Associate or Arts, Associate of Science, or a Bachelor’s degree (regardless of date of completion) from an accredited institution will have their Liberal Arts Core requirements waived.

Certain UNC majors require specific and/or additional LAC credit. These requirements are not waived by the AA, AS, or Bachelor’s degree.

Only courses with a letter grade of “C-“ or higher are eligible for transfer.

Any GT Pathways credit awarded by a Colorado HE institution based on a portfolio review shall be accepted in transfer and applied to GT Pathways requirements at the University of Northern Colorado, regardless of the sending institution’s portfolio review method. 

At UNC, students should consult with the respective academic unit for specific guidance on the Portfolio review process and GT alignment.

Regardless of the time a course was taken before the UNC Baccalaureate degree is to be granted, it may be applicable toward the UNC degree to satisfy Liberal Arts Core Requirements and count toward the minimum 120 hours that are required for a UNC degree.

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. 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.

For more information on the waiver of the liberal arts core based off of a previous degree please refer to http://unco.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/Undergraduate-Catalog/The-Liberal-Arts-Core

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. Graduate level transfer coursework equivalent to a UNC 500-level may be applied to an undergraduate degree with consent of the academic program.

Transfer credits are subject to the course repeat policy. http://unco.smartcatalogiq.com/en/current/Undergraduate-Catalog/Undergraduate-Information-and-Policies/Student-Policies-and-Procedures/Course-Repeat-Policy.

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.

Transfer Evaluation Process

The Office of the Registrar determines which credits are transferable and evaluates coursework based upon previously established equivalencies as approved by academic departments.

Transcripts (official documents only) for undergraduate students are routed to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation upon admission to the University. Courses will be given direct equivalents towards a student’s record only if the course work has previously been evaluated and articulated by the respective academic unit. The student’s record will be updated with a direct equivalent up until the point of matriculation to UNC (the first day of the first term for which a student registers). After the point of matriculation, no direct equivalents will be retroactively assigned.

However, LAC and/or major/minor course attributes may still be added to the student’s record. The major/minor department will use a course adjustment form to allow any non-equivalent courses to be assigned to the major/minor.

You can access your Transfer Equivalency Report at any time through Ursa.

Courses listed on your Transfer Equivalency Report with a 1X, 2X, 3X or 4X have been brought in as a University Wide Elective.

Courses listed on your Transfer Equivalency Report with a 1XX, 2XX, 3XX or 4XX have been approved as a Departmental Elective.

Any courses deemed not to have a direct equivalent to a UNC course, may be substituted for major, minor, licensure, or endorsement requirements at the discretion of the appropriate department.

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 at: http://www.unco.edu/registrar/transfer/credit-exam.aspx.

Cambridge Assessment International Education

The Cambridge (AICE) examination is a United Kingdom qualification from the University of Cambridge International Examinations. The AICE program is an international, advanced secondary curriculum and assessment program equivalent to the British system of "A-levels" offered through the University of Cambridge International Examinations. Information about the program, including course syllabi, is available at Cambridge AICE http://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-advanced/cambridge-international-as-and-a-levels/.

Scores of “A” through “E” are passing results and will be considered for credit. “Ungraded” scores are not eligible for credit. Credit will not be granted for both an A-level and an AS-level exam in the same subject area. The student must submit an official copy of the examination result.

UNC equivalencies are reviewed by the academic department corresponding to the test subject matter. Additional tests will be evaluated upon receipt of official examination results.  AICE credit is counted as non-residency transfer work.

The following tests have been reviewed and approved for credit:

Subject	Credits	Equivalency	LAC
Thinking Skills	3	PHIL 1X	3c
Spanish	3	SPAN 201	3d/7
Marine Science	3	OCN 1XX	6
History - American	3	HIST 1XX	4
General Paper	3	ELCT 1X
English Language	3	ELCT 1X
Global Perspectives	3	ELCT 1X

 

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. https://www.unco.edu/career/pdf/clep-policies.pdf

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 institution or college will not be accepted. If coursework was completed at a school that does not hold regional accreditation, a student may specifically request that his/her coursework 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:

1. The educational quality of the sending institution

2. The comparability of course content to the UNC course

3. Applicability of the credit in relation to the programs being offered at UNC

4. Additional documentation provided by the student regarding the transferable course(s)

Waiver of Liberal Arts Core Requirements

• Individuals with an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or a Bachelor’s degree (regardless of date of completion) from a regionally accredited institution will have their Liberal Arts Core requirements waived.
• Certain UNC majors require specific and/or additional LAC credit. These requirements are not waived by the AA, AS, or Bachelor's Degree.

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 https://www.unco.edu/registrar/transfer/degree-within-reach.aspx

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 NACES approved third-party evaluation service. The evaluation must include a course-by-course evaluation showing a list of each course taken along with the equivalent U.S. grades and credit value. Obtaining this evaluation is the sole responsibility of the student.