Transfer Evaluation
The Office of the Registrar determines which credits are transferable and evaluates coursework based upon established guidelines reviewed and approved by academic departments.
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 of the first term for which a degree-seeking student registers). After the point of matriculation, no direct equivalencies will be retroactively assigned without an approved course appeal.
However, attributes for the Liberal Arts Curriculum designation, major, and/or minor programs may still be added to a matriculated student’s record on a case-by-case basis. The major/minor department also has the option to submit a course adjustment form to allow any non-equivalent courses to be assigned to the major/minor.
Contact Information
Questions regarding transfer evaluation may be directed to transfereval@unco.edu.
UNC Office of the Registrar
Campus Box 50
Greeley, CO 80639
transfereval@unco.edu
UNC Office of Admissions
Campus Box 10
Greeley, CO 80639
admissions@unco.edu
Notification of Transfer
Per 23-5-150(1), The University of Northern Colorado provides students with an evaluation of Official academic transcripts within 30 days of receipt.
Disputing Transfer Credit
After the initial evaluation of transfer coursework, students may request a reevaluation of course(s) to the Office of the Registrar. The Transfer Course Appeal Request
Form is located on the Office of the Registrar’s page.
Student Complaints
If a disagreement regarding the transferability of credits for coursework or a degree occurs between any 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 highered.colorado.gov/filing-student-complaint. The Colorado Commission on Higher Education shall have final authority in resolving transfer disputes.
Transfer Accreditation
UNC only accepts credit from institutions of higher education holding institutional accreditation from one of six agencies including these approved agencies:
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
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New England Commission of Higher Education
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The Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
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Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
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Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission
To find out if your previous college or university is accredited by one of these agencies, visit: visit ope.ed.gov/dapip.
Transfer Coursework Not Accepted
Coursework taken at a vocational/technical institution or college will not be accepted if completed at a school that does not hold accreditation from one of the six designated accrediting agencies. If coursework was completed at an institution that does not hold the approved accreditation, a student may specifically request that their coursework be considered for transfer. The request must be made to the Office of the Registrar using the Transfer Course Appeal Form.
The Office of the Registrar will submit for reevaluation the course(s) for which the student is requesting reconsideration to the respective academic unit. A response will be delivered to the student within 30 days.
Remedial coursework is designed to prepare students for taking courses at the collegiate level, including learning support, student success skill development, and basic knowledge. Typically, these courses are indicated as below freshman level at most colleges and universities; at UNC, they are designated as coursework below level 100. These courses do not count toward a degree.
UNC transfer practices are to be evaluated based on the academic level of the course. We consider anything under the 100 level as remedial and preparatory. As such, remedial coursework is not eligible for transfer.
Vocational/Technical coursework completed at a community college or 4-year institution is generally designed for students to develop direct skillsets for a specific career path. Examples include but are not limited to, non-academic-based programs such as aviation, emergency management, medical or veterinarian assistant, culinary, public servant training, or secretarial.
UNC transfer practices are to evaluate courses based on criteria associated with an applied program of academic study. As such, vocational/technical coursework is not eligible for transfer.
Transfer Credit Criteria
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.
Individuals with an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or a Bachelors degree (regardless of the date of completion) from a nationally recognized accredited institution will have their Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) requirements waived.
Associate of Applied Science (AAS) and Associate of General Studies (AGS) degrees, and Bachelors of Applied Science (BAS) are not transferable to UNC and do not waive the Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) requirement. Individual courses taken as part of an AAS, AGS, or BAS 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 Curriculum from a previous degree please refer to the Liberal Arts Curriculum.
Transfer of Colorado GT Pathways
Any GT Pathways credit awarded by a Colorado Higher Education institution shall be accepted in transfer and applied to GT Pathways requirements at the University of Northern Colorado.
Regardless of the time a GT Pathways course was taken before the UNC Baccalaureate degree is to be granted, it may be applicable toward the UNC degree to satisfy Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements and count toward the minimum 120 hours that are required for a UNC degree.
Per §23-1-125(4), Colorado Revised Statute, “…each public institution of higher education shall grant full course credits to students for the core [GT Pathways] courses they successfully test out of, free of tuition for those courses.” Each public institution shall define a process for students to test out of GT Pathways courses, “…including specifying use of a national test or the criteria for approving institutionally devised tests.” If the student transfers, receiving institutions shall apply that credit to the appropriate GT Pathways category, even if the test out exam used was not one used by the receiving institution (CLEP, for example).
Transfer Credit Time Limits
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.
Transfer credits are subject to the course repeat policy.
Transfer Credit from Study Abroad
Coursework completed through an international student exchange or study abroad program will be recorded as transfer coursework upon receipt of an official transcript from the host institution. Such courses are not subject to the matriculation restrictions on transfer coursework listed above and count as in-residence for graduation residency requirements.
Students are registered for an administrative placeholder course ISE 100 or ISE 101, for their study abroad program.
Students going abroad must complete a Study Abroad Course Approval form for each semester they are abroad and have authorization of approved courses prior to registering. After starting courses at the abroad school, students will be required to submit a signed verification of enrollment form to the University to confirm registration and financial aid eligibility.
Transfer Transcript Submission
Transcripts from other academic institutions are the property of the University of Northern Colorado and, as such, are under the control of the Office of the Registrar. Transcripts submitted to the University of Northern Colorado for admission or credit transfer become the property of the University of Northern Colorado and will not be returned to students, forwarded to third-party recipients, or other educational institutions.
UNC will accept an official transcript at any time; however, to avoid sending duplicates, please request an official transcript from your previous institution(s) once all coursework is graded and a degree/graduation date is posted, if appropriate.
A transcript is considered official when delivered:
- directly to UNC electronically from the previous institution(s);
- by mail from the previous institution directly to UNC in a sealed envelope; or
- in person to UNC Office of Admissions or the Office of the Registrar in a sealed envelope from the previous institution(s).
If the transcript is stamped or noted “Issued to Student,” it will be accepted if the seal is intact.
No electronic transcripts issued directly to the student will be accepted. They must be sent directly to the university.
Official Document includes the sending schools seal, signature of university record authority, security paper and transcript key.
If any of these criteria are not met, the transcript will be considered unofficial and will not be accepted. Unofficial transcripts will not be accepted for admissions or transfer evaluations.
Transfer Equivalency Report
Upon evaluation of a student’s transfer credit, a Transfer Equivalency Report (TER) is created for student review within 30 calendar days.
Students can access their Transfer Equivalency Report at any time through Ursa.
The Office of the Registrar processes and assigns coursework with no existing UNC discipline prefix as a university-wide elective. Within this framework, the following guidelines are utilized to determine transfer course evaluation.
- A university-wide elective is a course that is not specific to an academic discipline at the University of Northern Colorado.
- The course may be further evaluated by faculty for approval to meet major/minor degree requirements as a course substitution.
- All 300 and 400-level courses without a UNC academic discipline prefix will be designated as a university-wide elective.
Courses listed on the Transfer Equivalency Report with a 1X, 2X, 3X or 4X have been brought in as a University-Wide Elective.
The Office of the Registrar, in coordination with each of UNC’s academic units, processes and assigns coursework on behalf of the respective academic units based on guidelines provided by each. Within this framework, the following guidelines are utilized to determine transfer course evaluation.
- A department elective is a course with a designated prefix that aligns with a UNC academic discipline but has no direct equivalency.
- The course may be further evaluated by faculty for approval to meet major/minor degree requirements as a course substitution.
- All 300 and 400-level courses will be evaluated by the respective academic unit, unless otherwise determined and documented by the academic unit.
Courses listed on the 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.
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 classes offered at approved 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. The evaluation must come to UNC from the evaluation service.
For international students who have completed the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s degree or Associates degree, their Liberal Arts Curriculum may be waived.