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Undergraduate Transfer Credit
Park University welcomes transfer students and provides several options for transfer students and adult learners to earn credit toward a degree. Prospective and current students may use the Transfer Equivalency System to see how courses from other institutions correlate to Park courses. Additionally, Park has established articulation agreements with partner institutions that outline degree completion pathways for certain majors. For more information about course equivalencies and articulation agreements, visit the Transfer Equivalency System and Articulation Agreements webpages.
Transfer and prior learning credit are assessed on:
• Comparability to course or program content
• Quality, level, and rigor of the learning experience
• Applicability of course content toward the program of study
• Relevancy and currency of the content
• Academic performance and attainment of demonstrated learning outcomes
Credit may be granted from many sources including postsecondary education, military training and experience, prior learning, Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Diplomas, foreign credential evaluations, or college level examination programs. Previous coursework and prior learning are assessed for applicability to Park degree programs for admitted, degree-seeking students upon submission of official transcripts or other accepted documentation.
Students are required to submit official transcripts (high school, postsecondary, military, etc.) from all previous institutions by the end of the student’s first term of enrollment. Students are responsible for providing all transcripts in a timely manner to avoid the potential of enrolling in classes for which the student may otherwise be granted credit.
Credit awarded through transfer or prior learning assessment does not apply to the student’s grade point average (GPA) at Park. Credit is not granted for coursework/experience that is developmental or vocational in nature.
Postsecondary Education
A transcript evaluation is conducted for upon receipt of official transcripts. Credit is awarded provided that the transfer institution is accredited by a Designated Accrediting Agency and a grade of “C” or higher (or the equivalent) is earned. A maximum of 75 hours from two-year/community colleges is permitted.
Previous Degrees
Transfer students who earned a baccalaureate degree or an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree prior to enrolling at Park are granted a waiver for the Liberal Education component of the degree program. Additionally, bachelor’s degree recipients are granted a waiver for select bachelor’s degree requirements. An official transcript showing completion of the degree must be received before the waiver is applied. A minimum of 60 credits from an A.A. degree or 90 credits from a previous bachelor’s degree is applied toward a bachelor’s degree at Park. Students must complete all major/minor/concentration requirements, along with all other residency and degree requirements.
Students who have earned other types of associate’s degrees, or who have not earned a degree, are granted credit on a course by course basis.
Foreign Institutions
Credit may be granted from foreign institutions, provided the student submits a foreign credit evaluation from an Approved Foreign Credential Service (FCE) service provider. To receive credit, a course by course evaluation is required and must be submitted by the provider directly to Park University (regtrans@park.edu, mail, or provider’s portal).
All athletes who are from a country outside the U.S. are required to have an evaluation completed by InCred as part of the eligibility process through the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Athletes who previously attended a higher education institution outside of the U.S. and who are seeking initial NAIA eligibility must request a course by course evaluation. High school graduates with no postsecondary education may request a Basic evaluation. In either case, athletes should request to include the certified copy of the transcript(s) with the evaluation. This will streamline the athletic certification process. If that is not included, athletes must request that official transcripts be sent directly from their high school and any postsecondary institution(s) to Park University (regtrans@park.edu).
Prior Learning Assessment
In addition to the methods above, Park University provides opportunities for degree-seeking students to earn credit for prior learning through other sources, including:
Military Training/Education
Credit is awarded to current and former military service members based on Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) or Joint Services Transcripts (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. Park has developed military pathways that align certain Military Occupation Specialties (MOS) to a related bachelor’s degree. For more information, see the Military Articulations webpage. Additionally, Park has partnered with CCAF to offer several AUABC Associate to Baccalaureate degree programs.
American Council on Education (ACE)
The American Council on Education (ACE) provides college credit recommendations for training, examinations, and work experience completed outside of traditional degree programs. Documentation (ACE, military or other transcript; or certificate of completion) of successful completion of courses or exams is required. If coursework was completed at an institution or organization not accredited by an Designated Accrediting Agency (for example, institutions or educational providers not accredited by one of the designated accrediting agencies, institutions with career- or programmatic-related accreditation) and the course has been evaluated by ACE, the ACE credit recommendation is used.
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credit may be awarded for educational or work-related experiences for which students can demonstrate attainment of course outcomes. For consideration, students must submit a PLA application, identify the courses for which credit is requested (up to 24 credits), provide documentation that demonstrates the student has met the course learning outcomes, and pay the application fee. A faculty member(s) with subject matter expertise evaluates the materials. Upon approval of the faculty member and Dean, credit is awarded. A fee is assessed for each credit. Students may visit My Park- Registrar for additional information.
PLA applications may take several weeks to be reviewed and processed. The following guidelines apply:
• Applications should be submitted prior to enrollment in the student’s final term. Applications submitted during the final term may delay the student’s graduation date.
• A maximum of one application per course is permitted.
• The University may use discretion in how the credit applies (elective, direct equivalency to Park course, etc.).
• A maximum of 24 credits may be granted.
• 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 Examination
Student may receive credit for designated, departmentally-approved courses by satisfactorily completing an end of course or equivalent examination. An Application for End of Course Examination form (available in MyPark) must be submitted to the appropriate department for approval. A fee is assessed for each exam and must be paid before the exam is administered. 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 attempted no more than once per course
Credit from High School
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. Students must submit an official transcript from the higher education institution that provided the dual credit.
Advanced Placement
Park University grants credit for advanced placement to high school graduates who have demonstrated competency as measured by their score on the Advanced Placement Tests. 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 and grants credit to students who have passed both the standard and the higher level subject examinations at a satisfactory standard.
Other Sources
College Level Exams
Credit may be granted from College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DANTES Subject Standardization Test (DSST), provided the student meets the minimum score. Score requirements and how exams correlate to Park courses is provided here. The following conditions apply:
• Credit for each exam may only be used once to fulfill a given requirement or elective (the same exam cannot apply to multiple degree requirements).
• Credit is awarded based upon the correlation available at the time the score report is submitted. A re-evaluation of credit will not be performed at a later date, even if correlations are updated.
• Credit is not awarded for subtest scores.
Credit from other exams may be granted. Students should contact the Registrar’s Office regarding credit for other exams.
Courses Offered by Organizations That Are Not Accredited
Students may earn credit for courses/exams offered by organizations that are not accredited (StraighterLine, Sophia, etc.), provided that credit is recommended by ACE. To receive credit, a student must submit an official transcript or score report. Credit applies toward general electives only. Students may apply for VLE credit.
A maximum of 6 hours of credit from exams/other sources may be applied toward a certificate, 30 hours toward an associate’s degree, and 60 hours toward a bachelor’s degree.
Graduate Transfer Credit
Transfer credit for graduate coursework is awarded on a limited basis. A maximum of nine (9) credits toward a graduate degree or 25% of the credits required for a graduate certificate may be transferred unless outlined otherwise in a formal interuniversity/partnership agreement. Colleges or programs may have more stringent policies. Transfer credit must be requested prior to acceptance into the program unless otherwise approved by the program director.
Decisions regarding acceptability of transfer credit are made by Graduate Program Director who reserves the right to deny or limit the transfer of credit. In assessing transferability of credit, the following factors are considered:
• Accreditation by Designated Accrediting Agency and Approved Foreign Credential Service ; or ACE recommendations.*
• Relevancy and applicability of course content toward the program of study.
• Academic performance: A grade of “B” or higher is required for transfer courses.
• Currency: Transfer courses must have been completed within the past seven years. (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 or the student has academic/professional experience demonstrating current knowledge in the field.)
*The program director and dean may approve credit from other sources provided the student demonstrates attainment of learning outcomes.
Transferability of Park Credit
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.
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