Accreditation Requirements
The University of Northern Colorado only accepts credit from institutions of higher education holding full institutional 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 institutionally accredited by one of these agencies, visit ope.ed.gov/dapip.
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 institutional accreditation, a student may specifically request that their 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:
- 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)