Transfer Credit
Transfer of Graduate Credit from Other Institutions of Higher Education
Students must complete at least 50% of their graduate program credits at UNC, not including research, capstone, seminar, internship/externship/practicum, thesis, dissertation proposal (797), dissertation (798, 799) and any credits graded with S/U (P/F). Graduate program faculty are responsible for reviewing any proposed transfer credit to ensure that course content and objectives match program content. Credit that does not match program content should be denied for transfer. Prior research, proposal, thesis, dissertation, seminar, or special topics credits are not eligible for transfer. Courses transferred are not calculated into a student’s cumulative UNC GPA.
Transfer credits completed at other institutions of higher education or U.S. military schools must meet the criteria listed below:
- Courses requested for transfer must be at the equivalent level of UNC graduate credit (500-700-level credit at UNC);
- Courses requested for transfer must be relevant to the respective UNC graduate program;
- Courses requested for transfer from a U.S. university must have been completed at an accredited institution with a grade of C or higher unless the UNC graduate program requires a grade higher than C;
- Courses requested for transfer must not be more than 5 years old for Masters credit and not more than 8 years old for doctoral credit;
- Courses requested for transfer cannot have been used to fulfill requirements for a previously awarded degree.
Credits earned from institutions outside the United States must additionally meet one of the following criteria to be eligible for transfer:
- The institution is a recognized part of the system of higher education of another country and offers programs of study equivalent to graduate degree programs at UNC
- A UNC graduate student completed credits as part of a recognized study abroad program through UNC
Transfer credit process:
A student must:
- complete the graduate transfer credit form
- receive the approval of their program advisor and department chair or school director
- submit the approved form to the Graduate School
Transcripts received from other academic institutions are the property of the University of Northern Colorado. 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. Students who've completed graduate level coursework through a military school must submit a Joint Services Transcript (JST) or official military service school transcript.
Student Complaints
If a disagreement regarding the transferability of credits for coursework or a degree occurs between a 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.