Transfer Credit - Undergraduate

The Academic Advising Center awards transfer credit for coursework completed at other regionally-accredited institutions of higher education and some credit by examinations.  Official documentation (i.e. official transcript, score report, diploma, or joint services transcript) is required to be sent to the Academic Advising Center for consideration of transfer credit. 

Transfer credit will be listed on the student’s transcript with a designation of a P (pass) grade with the number of semester hours awarded, the name of the institution/exam, and the course code and title of the equivalent Springfield College course(s).  Grades received for transfer courses are not indicated on the Springfield College record or calculated in the semester or cumulative grade point averages. However, transfer credits awarded do contribute toward students’ totals of cumulative earned and attempted credit hours.

Transfer credit does not contribute to the 45-credit residency requirement for undergraduate students.  Complete policy language is available in the Residency Requirement policy.

Coursework

In order to be accepted for transfer credit, courses must appear on an official transcript from a regionally-accredited institution of higher education with a grade of C- or better (P grades will be considered if there is documentation that the P is equivalent to a C- or better on the institution’s transcript key).  Courses must have been completed within 10 years of matriculation to Springfield College.  Courses older than 10 years may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Transfer credit will be applied to Core Curriculum requirements, program requirements, or general elective credits based on the transfer course’s equivalent to Springfield College courses. Program requirements may be subject to further review by the corresponding department. General elective credit will be designated with the most closely associated academic program prefix. 

Students who matriculate into Springfield College with an A.A. or A.S. degree earned from a regionally-accredited institution will be considered to have fulfilled all Springfield College Core Curriculum requirements.  Students are still responsible for fulfilling program requirements that overlap Core Curriculum domains unless they have received transfer credit equivalency for that respective program requirement. 

Coursework within the Wellness and Physical Literacy domain of the Core Curriculum will be waived for incoming transfer students that have not earned an A.A. or A.S. degree from a regionally-accredited institution, as follows:

• 30-59.9 transfer credits upon matriculation to Springfield College waives the WLPL 100-level requirement
• 60-74.9 transfer credits upon matriculation to Springfield College waives the WLPL 100-level and 200-level requirements
• 75 transfer credits upon matriculation to Springfield College waives the WLPL 100-level, 200-level, and 300-level requirements

Currently enrolled students wishing to transfer credits to the College must submit a completed Transfer Credit Pre-Approval Form to the Academic Advising Center for approval, prior to taking courses at another institution.  Failure to complete the pre-approval process may preclude awarding of transfer credit. 

Credit by Examination

Transfer credit is awarded for College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams as well as Joint Services Transcript (JST), as follows. 

• CLEP: Several CLEP examinations are not eligible for transfer credit.  The minimum score required varies by examination and the course equivalency may vary according to the score achieved.  A complete list of CLEP examinations, score requirements, and course equivalencies can be found in the Credit Awards for CLEP Exams document. 
• AP: A score of 3 or higher on any AP exam is eligible for transfer credit and the course equivalency may vary according to the score achieved.  A complete list of AP examinations and course equivalencies can be found in the Credit Awards for AP Exams document. 
• IB: A score of 4 or higher on Higher Level (HL) IB coursework is eligible for transfer credit.  Copies of course syllabi may also be required to determine appropriate course equivalency. 
• JST: Credit for armed services experience is assessed based on American Council for Education (ACE) recommendations noted on the joint services transcript.   

Springfield College does not grant transfer credit for the following work completed at or assessed by other colleges: college-based credit by exam or challenge, correspondence courses, portfolio assessment, independent study, fieldwork, or cooperative education experience.