2022-2023 University Catalog 
    
    Dec 09, 2024  
2022-2023 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Transfer Students


The transferability of credits earned at Park University is at the discretion of the receiving college, university, or other educational institution. Students considering transferring to any institution should not assume that credits earned in any program of study at Park University will be accepted by the receiving institution. Similarly, the ability of a degree, certificate, diploma, or other academic credential earned at Park University to satisfy an admission requirement of another institution is at the discretion of the receiving institution. Accreditation does not guarantee credentials or credits earned at Park University will be accepted by or transferred to another institution. To minimize the risk of having to repeat coursework, students should contact the receiving institution in advance for evaluation and determination of transferability of credits and/or acceptability of degrees, diplomas, or certificates earned. 

Undergraduate Transfer Credit 

Park University provides opportunity for admitted, degree-seeking students to have their previous coursework and prior learning assessed for applicability to Park degree programs. Park University accepts transfer credit from designated accrediting agencies  including:

  • Higher Learning Commission
  • Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  • New England Commission on Higher Education
  • Northwest Association of Colleges and Universities
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
  • Western Association of Schools and Colleges

or accepted foreign credentialed agencies . If coursework was completed at an institution not accredited by a designated accrediting agency, the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendation is used. Coursework that is vocational or developmental in nature is not accepted. For information about course equivalencies and articulation agreements, visit the Transfer Equivalency System and Articulation Agreements

Students are required to submit transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions. Current and former service members are required to submit a Community College of the Air Force and/or Joint Services Transcript. An evaluation is conducted for admitted students upon receipt of official transcripts. Park University does not include transfer course work when calculating grade point average (GPA). Only Park University earned credit applies toward GPA. 

Credit may be granted from the following sources:

 Two-Year Institutions

A maximum of 75 hours from all two-year schools will be accepted.

  • If a student presents documentation of an earned Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree prior to the end of the first term of enrollment, the Liberal Education  requirements will be waived. 
  • A minimum of 60 hours will be accepted for an earned Associates degree.
  • A student presenting documentation of an associates degree other than an A.A. will receive credit on a course-by-course basis and the student will be required to meet Park University’s liberal education requirements.
  • No course with less than a USA grade equivalent “C” will be applied.
  • No transfer course with a USA grade equivalent less than “C” will be used to meet any Park University course requirement. (This applies only to students transferring to Park University with a transferable and non-terminal A.A. degree).

 Four-Year Institutions

  • If a student presents documentation of an earned bachelor’s degree prior to the end of the first term of enrollment, theLiberal Education and Graduation  requirements will be waived.
  • Students must demonstrate a 2.0 cumulative GPA with a “C” or better in each course used to meet the Liberal Education  requirement at Park University.
  • No course with less than a USA grade equivalent “C” will be applied.

 Military Training/Education

Current and former members of the Air Force are required to submit Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcripts, if applicable. Members of other branches are required to submit an official Joint Services Transcript (JST). Park University awards four credits of physical education for satisfactory completion of basic training. Other military training and experience are evaluated based on ACE credit recommendations. Specifics on military articulations may be found on the Military Articulations page. Credit from formal military service schools is awarded based on the recommendations of the American Council on Educations’ guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Credit will be awarded where it is applicable to the student’s degree program and in keeping with the basic educational philosophy of Park University.

 Dual Credit Coursework

Dual-credit courses completed during high school are identified on the transcript of the higher education institution through which the courses were taken. The Registrar’s Office treats dual-credit courses in the same manner and by the same standards as all transfer credit when determining whether such credit satisfies graduation, degree, or elective credit.

 Park University establishes dual-credit programs with high schools in the Kansas City, Missouri, area. All Park University dual-credit programs are managed jointly by the Registrar’s Office, in collaboration with the academic departments offering the credit, to ensure the rigor of the coursework.

 Foreign Transcripts

To receive official transfer credit at Park University, all students requesting transfer credit from a foreign institution must include an official Detail Report with Course Level Identification report completed by the International Education Research Foundation (IERF). For more information on IERF, please visit www.ierf.org.
Those that wish to complete a foreign credit evaluation by IERF must select Park University as a recipient of the report. The completed report will be transmitted electronically to Park University and applicants will receive a copy in the mail.
Students are responsible for supplying the official foreign transcript(s) in a timely manner to the appropriate Park University office, and will bear sole responsibility for enrolling in “duplicate” classes that otherwise would have been credited to the student as transferable from previous courses taken when the official evaluation was completed.

 Prior Learning Assessment

In addition to the methods above, Park University provides opportunity for degree-seeking students to earn credit for prior learning through the following sources: 

 American Council on Education

The American Council on Education (ACE) provides college credit recommendations for formal courses and examinations taken outside traditional degree programs. ACE conducts formal reviews through its College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT). Documentation of successful completion of courses or exams is required. Documentation can be an original certificate of completion or a transcript from ACE.

 Validated Learning Equivalency (VLE)

A maximum of 24 hours may be petitioned for and awarded. Visit My Park- Registrar for additional information. 

Equivalency credit may be awarded for educational experiences based on documentation submitted by the student and with the recommendation of the appropriate Program Coordinator. VLE applications may take up to six weeks to be processed. The determination of credit will be sent directly to the student’s Park email account. Rules governing VLE are:

  • Application must be filed prior to taking the final 15 semester hours preceding intended graduation at Park University
  • Petitions may be submitted no more than once per course
  • Credit shall be awarded on a course equivalency basis based on courses commonly offered by accredited colleges and universities
  • Credit will not be awarded for courses attempted at Park University where a failing grade was earned or a grade of Incomplete is outstanding

 Advanced Placement

Park University will grant credit for advanced placement to high school graduates who have proven competence by their score in the Advanced Placement Tests administered by the College Entrance Examination Board. The awarding of credit, the number of credit hours awarded, and the scores required for the awarding of credit are determined by the appropriate academic discipline. Exam correlations can be found on the Registrar’s Office Exams page.

 International Baccalaureate Diploma

Park University recognizes the International Baccalaureate Diploma for admission. Furthermore, Park University will grant course credit and advanced placement to students who have passed both the standard and the higher level subject examinations at a satisfactory standard.

 End-of-Course Examination

Upon processing an application through the Registrar’s Office, and for a fee , a student may receive credit for designated, departmentally-approved courses by satisfactorily completing an end-of-course examination. Additional software charges may apply for certain examinations. Students should contact his/her advisor, Department Chair, or School/College Dean for more information.

  • Credit will not be awarded for courses attempted at Park University where a failing grade was earned or a grade of Incomplete is outstanding
  • End-of-Course exams may be submitted no more than once per course

 Registered Nurse’s License

A maximum of 60 credit hours is awarded for a Registered Nurse’s license upon receipt of official transcripts and registered nurse licensure verification from Nursys.

 Other

Park University will accept a maximum of 6 hours toward a certificate, 30 hours towards an associates degree, and 60 hours toward a bachelors degree. This credit may come from any combination of general or subject exams from CLEP, DSST, Excelsior College Exams, or from courses offered by non-accredited entities (e.g., Straighterline, Sophia, etc.), providing that credit is recommended by ACE. To receive credit, a student must submit an official transcript or score report (for exams) to Park University Registrar’s Office.

  • Credit may only be used once to fulfill a given requirement or elective.
  • Credits will be based upon the correlation available at the time the transcript is submitted. A re-evaluation of credit will not be performed at a later date.
  • No credit is awarded for separate subtest scores.

See the Academic Success Center or your Campus Center Director for detailed information concerning CLEP or DSST examinations. Exam correlations can be found on the Registrar’s Office Exams page. To receive credit, a student must submit an official transcript to Park University Registrar’s Office.

Graduate Transfer Credit

No more than nine (9) hours of graduate credit transferred from another academic institution may be used to meet graduate degree requirements at Park University unless such transfer is governed by an interuniversity agreement. Transfer credit is granted only after an evaluation of the appropriateness of the courses by the program director. Other criteria that must be met in order for credits to be considered are:

Park University will accept transfer credit from designated accrediting agencies  or accepted foreign credentialed agencies . If coursework was completed at an institution not accredited by a designated accreditation agency, the American Council on Education (ACE) will be used. Refer to the specific program for details and additional information related to allowable credit. A program director reserves the right to deny or limit the transfer of credit.

  • Transfer course content is appropriate to the program. 
  • Transfer credit must be requested prior to acceptance into the program unless otherwise approved by the program director.
  • The grade earned in the course is “B” or better.
  • The credit is not more than seven years old. A program director may waive this requirement on a course by course basis if, in his/her judgment, the content of the course has not changed appreciably during the applicable period.
  • No more than 25% of the hours required for a certificate program may be transferred from another acceptable accredited  institution.