Transfer Credit Policies

A maximum of 12 credit hours may be transferred into the Graduate School of the University of Charleston, SC. A maximum of 6 credit hours transferred from another institution may be applied to a graduate certificate. Not all graduate programs accept transfer course credit.  Students should check the individual programs  for their specific transfer credit policies.

For those programs that do accept a limited number of transfer credits, the awarding of transfer credit for any course requires that the graduate student must have taken the course from a regionally accredited institution or a comparable international institution; earned at least a grade of “B” (3.000 on a 4.000 grade scale) or higher; and have taken the course within the time limit requirements announced for his or her graduate program, so that all coursework applied to degree requirements will be completed within the relevant time limit (i.e., four, five, or six years, depending on the program).

Consistent with the provisions of this Policy and the Graduate Catalog, the decision to accept transfer credit resides with the program director or program admissions committee, subject to any applicable appeals process. The suitability for transfer of any specific course credit earned at another university, once added to the College of Charleston transfer credit inventory, is subject to re-evaluation by the program director at least once every ten years.

Disputes over transfer credit determination may be appealed in writing to the Provost (or the Provost’s designee) no later than 15 days following receipt of the transfer credit evaluation.  The decision of the Provost is final.

Courses with grades of “S” or “P” (Satisfactory and Pass) are not transferable unless the institution where the course was completed indicates in their published grading scale information that a “Pass” or “Satisfactory” grade is the minimum equivalent of a “B” (3.000 on a 4.000 GPA scale). Not all graduate programs accept courses with grades of “S” or “P” for transfer credit. Individual programs  that do not accept courses with grades of “S” or “P” will be noted in their specific transfer credit policies. For universities that award “minus” grades in graduate courses, a graduate course in which a grade of “B-” was earned is not eligible for graduate transfer credit at the College of Charleston.

Grades do not transfer, only credit hours. Therefore, students will not have their transfer credit grades calculated into their cumulative GPA.

Credits awarded at another institution as a result of placement testing are not acceptable. In addition, the College of Charleston does not award transfer credit for life experience, work experience gained prior to admission, non-credit bearing coursework completed toward a professional certificate, and/or graduate-level transfer credit for military training. The College of Charleston does not give academic credit for non-credit course work and does not accept non-credit coursework, certificates or continuing education units for credit.

Credit earned at The Citadel, Charleston Southern University, or the Medical University of South Carolina using the former graduate cross-registration procedures, or any graduate cross-registration procedures that might be approved in the future, is considered transfer credit. Credit earned at The Citadel or Clemson University is not considered transfer credit when the course credit was earned as part of a joint graduate program.

The student assumes responsibility for initiating the request for transfer graduate credit on a program of study. An official transcript containing the requested transfer work must be on file in the Graduate School Office. If such work is shown on the transcripts provided in support of the original admissions decision to the Graduate School, a new record is not needed.

Regardless of the student’s citizenship, applicants who have completed graduate course work at a college/university outside of the United States must also submit official transcripts (mark sheets, academic records), with English translations as appropriate, to a recognized credential evaluation agency for verification and a course-by-course evaluation.  The costs for the translation and evaluation of documents in order to meet deadlines, as well as all costs associated with these services, are the responsibility of the student applying for admission. Once the course-by-course evaluation from an outside agency and the English translations of course descriptions are received by the Graduate School of the University of Charleston, SC, evaluation of the course work can begin for potential Graduate School of the University of Charleston, SC transfer credit.

Undergraduate students who took graduate coursework that met a degree requirement for their undergraduate degree at the College of Charleston are not allowed to also apply those credits towards a graduate degree at the College of Charleston. The exception to this policy is if a student is enrolled in a combined Bachelor’s and Master’s degree program at the College of Charleston.

The College of Charleston will not release copies of education records/transcripts received from previous institutions and/or copies of test scores submitted from testing agencies.