Transfer of Credit Policy

The Catholic University of America maintains a general policy^[1] on the transfer of academic credit, which is designed to articulate when courses at comparable accredited colleges or universities can be substituted for Catholic University courses. This policy applies both to students transferring to Catholic University from another institution and to Catholic University students taking courses off campus. In addition to these overarching guidelines, each School maintains policies and procedures specific to their disciplines. Please find the Metropolitan School of Professional Studies’ guidelines below.

1. Quantity of Credits Acceptable for Transfer:

1. Certificate Programs: (i.e., Human Resource Management, Human Services Administration, Business Management, or Information Technology): Students may transfer in up to 3 credits (total) from regionally-accredited institutions of higher learning, which includes all transfer credits pre- and post-matriculation^[2] for the certificates requiring 21 credits for completion (i.e., Human Resource Management, Human Services Administration, and Business Management certificates.  Six credits (total) may be transferred in for the 30 credit Information Technology certificate from regionally-accredited institutions of higher learning, which includes all transfer credits pre-and post-matriculation. Transferability of credit is determined at the discretion of the program based on factors such as course equivalence, date of completion, and grade (minimum “C-”). 
2. Associate’s Degree Programs^[3] (i.e., A.S. in Human Services, A.S. in International Health Studies, or A.S. in Special Education Studies): Students may transfer in up to 36 credits (total) from regionally-accredited institutions of higher learning or qualifying extra-institutional sources (please refer to Section IV), which includes all transfer credits pre- and post-matriculation. Transferability of credit is determined at the discretion of the program based on factors such as course equivalence, date of completion, and grade (minimum “C-”).
3. Bachelor’s Degree Programs (i.e., B.A.Mgt., B.A.I.S., or B.A.I.T.): Students may transfer in up to 84 credits (total) from regionally-accredited institutions of higher learning or qualifying extra-institutional sources (please refer to Section IV), which includes all transfer credits pre- and post-matriculation. Transferability of credit is determined at the discretion of the program based on factors such as course equivalence, date of completion, and grade (minimum “C-”). 
   
4. Master’s Degree Programs (i.e., M.A. in HRM or M.S.M.): Students may transfer in up to 6 credits (total) from regionally-accredited institutions of higher learning, which includes all transfer credits pre- and post-matriculation.  Transferability of credit is determined at the discretion of the program based on factors such as course equivalence, date of completion (typically, no more than 5 years prior to entry into program), and grade (minimum “B”).

1. Qualifications of Credits Acceptable for Transfer:

1. For undergraduate and certificate students, credits from extra-institutional sources such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Dantes Standardized Subject Tests (DSST), Advance Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and/or military training may be acceptable for transfer. For bachelor’s degree-seekers, no more than 30 of the 84-transfer credit maximum may be comprised of extra-institutional credits and no more than 15 of these 30 credits may be CLEP or DSST credits. For associate’s degree seekers, no more than 12 of the 36-transfer credit maximum may be comprised of extra-institutional credits and no more than 6 of these 12 credits may be CLEP or DSST credits. Please see Section IV of these guidelines for a list of sources of extra-institutional credit.
2. Credits that represent subject areas currently available at CUA, even if no equivalent course is offered at CUA, may be acceptable for transfer. However, transfer credit typically will not be granted for work in subject areas not offered at CUA - e.g., physical education or recreational subjects. No credit will be given for a transfer course for which the CUA equivalent has already been completed.
3. Pass/Fail courses may be accepted for transfer for undergraduate and certificate programs, but only if the official transcript verifies that “Pass” equals a grade of “C-” or better.
4. Any course acceptable for transfer to CUA’s MSPS must have a minimum of 37.5 contact hours in the classroom. Hybrid and distance learning/online courses will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis
5. All transfer credits must be approved by the office of the Dean of MSPS.

2. Transferring Credits to CUA After Matriculation:

With approval from the Dean of MSPS, matriculated students may take courses at other regionally-accredited institutions of higher learning on a limited basis. However, students may transfer in no more than the total allotted for their individual programs (i.e., certificate, associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s) as described in Section I of these guidelines. Please note that all undergraduate students must also complete at least 12 credits at CUA within 12 months of the end of their final semester as described in the Undergraduate Announcements^[4].

Students planning to take courses at another regionally-accredited institution (during any academic semester or summer session) must obtain approval from the Dean of MSPS before the end of the semester prior to the semester in which they plan to take the transfer course(s). Approval is granted on a case-by-case basis depending on the student’s need for the course(s), degree requirements, etc. Without prior approval, transfer of credit is not guaranteed. Students hoping to take courses at another institution should also contact the CUA Office of Financial Aid (202-319-5307) to determine how/if funding will be affected.

3. Potential Sources of Acceptable Extra-Institutional Credit (Undergraduate Only):

American Council on Education (ACE)

ACE evaluates courses of study offered through business, military, and industry training sites.  If these courses of study meet the college-level criteria established by ACE, then credit value is typically assigned. Award of credit by MSPS is subject to the policies herein and to review by the office of the Dean. Upon request, ACE will send transcripts of the student’s coursework to colleges or universities. For additional information about ACE, visit www.acenet.edu.

Advanced Placement (AP)

The AP testing program is generally available to high school juniors and seniors through their local high schools. AP exams are widely accepted, however, once students have completed high school or its equivalent, they are not eligible for AP examinations. Students may receive college credit for these courses provided they earn a score of 4 or 5 on the AP examination; award of credit is subject to the policies herein and to review by the office of the Dean. For additional AP information, visit http://www.collegeborad.com/student/testing/ap/about.html.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and Dantes Standardized Subject Tests (DSST)

The CLEP and DSST give students the opportunity to receive college credit for prior learning by earning qualifying scores on a number of standardized examinations. Award of credit is subject to the policies herein and to review of the official exam transcript by the office of the Dean. MSPS is a CLEP and DSST administration center. For information about the CLEP, DSST, and/or exam offerings, visit http://metro.cua.edu/degree/pla//exams.cfm.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Program

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program is a challenging two-year curriculum, primarily aimed at students aged 16 to 19. It leads to a qualification that is widely recognized by the world’s leading universities. In order to be eligible for review of credit from an IB program, students must have completed the entire IB program and present the IB diploma to the office of the Dean. Award of credit is subject to the policies herein and to review by the office of the Dean. For more information on the IB program, visit http://www.ibo.org.

Military Training

MSPS accepts college credit recommendations put forth by ACE for military training (courses) and job classifications (MOS). Award of credit is subject to the policies herein and to review by the office of the Dean. Students and prospective students may access military transcripts by visiting http://metro.cua.edu/military/ServiceRecords.cfm.

Prior Learning Assessment via Portfolio

In many cases, MSPS will accept credits documented through assessment of prior learning, if they have been transcripted by another regionally-accredited institution of higher learning. Award of credit is subject to the policies herein and to review by the office of the Dean.

For any and all questions related to transfer credits, please contact the Metropolitan School of Professional Studies at (202) 319-5256