Students Transferring Credit to USJ

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The University of Saint Joseph recognizes academic credit that has been awarded to students at other regionally accredited higher education institutions. Credit for completed courses that are of the general nature of courses offered at the University of Saint Joseph will be applied toward the minimum semester credit-hours required for graduation. Only grades of C- or better are accepted in transfer credit. The University of Saint Joseph does not grant transfer credit for “credit by examination” completed at other colleges. The University of Saint Joseph does not usually accept P grades unless they are proven to be worth C or better. Courses which were applied to a previously completed degree program will not be transferred to a new degree program.  Students wishing to transfer into the Nursing program must have no grade below a C in any science courses that they wish to transfer.

A matriculated student who wishes to transfer credits from another regionally accredited institution for non-major courses must obtain signed approval from her academic advisor and the Registrar. Classes that students wish to be transferred toward the major must be approved by the academic advisor and the department chairperson. This policy also governs summer and intersession courses. Transfer credit will not be awarded as a repeat course for a non-passing or low grade received at the University of Saint Joseph.

Students who transfer credit to the University of Saint Joseph will receive a “T” (transfer) grade on their academic record. Only the credits earned per class will reflect in total earned credits; letter grades (A - D) do not transfer. Transfer credit will not be awarded for a class taken outside of the University of Saint Joseph if that same course has been awarded credit at the University.

Undergraduate
Pre-approval is required to take courses at another institution, in order to ensure that coursework completed will be transferable. You may request pre-approval for courses to be completed in the U.S. on the Request to Receive Course Work from Another College form. If you have already completed course work at another institution and did not obtain pre-approval, you may still request transfer credit for work completed. However, there is no guarantee that transfer credit will be awarded. If you have requested and obtained pre-approval, you only need to have your official final transcript from the institution you attended sent to the Office of the Registrar in order to complete the transfer credit process. 

University of Saint Joseph
Office of the Registrar
1678 Asylum Ave
West Hartford, CT 06117

You do not need to submit the transfer credit request form a second time. Approval forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.

Only official transcripts from other schools may be used to evaluate or award credit.

You will be contacted if any additional information is required during the transfer credit evaluation process. Depending on the date of receipt, this process may not be completed prior to the course enrollment deadlines of your returning semester. Therefore, you should not rely on this credit in determining your course schedule or credit load for your semester of return. Approved transfer credit will appear on both your unofficial and official University of Saint Joseph transcripts. The institution attended and credits awarded will be noted on the transcript.

Graduate
Ordinarily, a maximum of six credits may be transferred from another regionally accredited graduate school into a University of Saint Joseph graduate program. Exceptions to this maximum are noted under specific program descriptions. To be eligible for transfer credit, a course to be transferred must have been completed within the last seven years and carry a grade of B or higher.  Courses which were applied to a previously completed degree will not be transferred to a new degree program.

Transfer of credits is not granted automatically. Application forms for transfer of credit are available online at www.usj.edu/gradforms. An official transcript of the credits and a completed Transfer of Credit form must be received in the Office of the Registrar. A student may also be asked to have a course description sent with the transcript, if necessary. No transfer credit will be considered until the student has been matriculated. Approval is granted by the department chairperson after consultation with student’s advisor.

Transfer credit policy

1. Only official transcripts from other schools may be used to evaluate or award credit. New students or previously enrolled students must request that an official transcript from ALL previously attended colleges be mailed to the Office of Admissions
2. Credit will not be awarded to second-degree Nursing students with Biology or Chemistry course work that is more than eight years old
3. The University accepts transfer credit from colleges and universities that have been regionally accredited by:
   • Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC-ACCJC, WASC-ACSCU)
   • Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU)
   • North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA-CASI, NCA-HLC)
   • Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS)
   • Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA)
   • New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE, NECHE-CTCI)

We reserve the right to request additional information about coursework, including course descriptions, syllabi and catalogs.

Intercollege course equivalent

The University of Saint Joseph has established Transfer Equivalency Guides with two-year institutions, both private and state community colleges. These guides expand the opportunities for qualified students to transfer into the University knowing which courses will be applicable to their bachelor’s degree program.

Credit for other than college course work

The University of Saint Joseph may award up to 30 credit-hours for educational experiences gained outside of courses in accredited colleges and universities. The University considers these acceptable alternatives to classroom instruction: Advanced Placement scores, proficiency examinations, guided learning experiences and experiential learning through portfolio development. Credit will be awarded, however, only when these alternatives are equivalent to courses at the University.

Experiential learning: portfolio development

Check with your advisor for more information on prior learning assessment.

Credit for service in the armed forces

USJ will award credit for all military courses based on the American Council on Education recommendations.

Elective credits (ELEC 1XX) will be awarded when the subject of the course falls outside of the academic areas offered at USJ. Specific equivalencies will be awarded after review and approval from the appropriate academic department.

Transfer credits & general education requirements

Please refer to the Core Curriculum and Competencies: Requirements for students entering USJ Fall 2018 and later (formerly known as General Education)  for specific rules regarding requirements for transfer students.

International transfer credit

Undergraduate and graduate
Students who wish to transfer credits from a non-U.S. institution must have their transcript evaluated by a professional evaluation service. Below are two services that may be used:

The University of Saint Joseph will accept evaluations from all NACES members. Please visit www.NACES.org for a complete list.

International Baccalaureate Credit

USJ will award credit for higher level International Baccalaureate (IB) exams, if completed with a score of 5 or higher.