Transfer Credit Policies

Part of CLU’s mission is to increase access and affordability for higher education by removing obstacles for transfer students. Transfer credits may reduce tuition costs and time to degree completion. The “Transfer Credit Practices” report published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) will be the reference used for the evaluation of transfer credits.

Specific details on courses and credits eligible for transfer are included in the admissions and general education sections in this catalog.

Credit will be reviewed for transfer to CLU upon submission of all official transcripts. Students may submit official undergraduate level transcripts for consideration of potential transfer credits with the conditions below. All students must complete a minimum of 30 credits (25% of the degree) at CLU which includes the Claremont Core® courses.

• CLU evaluates undergraduate credits for transfer from higher education institutions in good standing and accredited by an agency recognized by the Department of Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or an appropriately recognized ministry or foreign agency, or its equivalent

• Remedial and vocational/technical diploma courses will not be accepted
• The final grade posted for each potential transfer course is a “C-” grade (1.7) or higher
• The course work does not duplicate, overlap, or regress previous work
• Transfer credit for undergraduate programs is capped at 75% of the total degree requirements, ensuring a substantial portion of the program is completed at CLU
• Lower-division coursework cannot fulfill upper-division requirements
• In alignment with the American Council on Education (ACE) transfer credit guidelines, CLU supports the application of transfer and military credit for military and veteran students
• Credit from international institutions must be evaluated by an approved credit evaluation service
• Applicants must disclose all potential transfer credit at the time of admission. After matriculation begins, students must complete all required degree courses at CLU
• Conditionally admitted students must be approved to complete outstanding general education and/or elective requirements outside of CLU
• Students must complete the required residency courses at CLU
• When making substitutions for courses within the major or concentration, coverage of course outcomes should approximate a minimum of 70%
• CLU does not allow transfer of lower-division coursework into upper-division coursework
• Grades and credits for transfer coursework are recorded but not factored into the cumulative GPA at CLU
• Transfer credits are accepted only for courses meeting CLU’s academic standards and learning outcomes
• When transferring coursework that is transcribed in quarter hours, CLU will convert this to semester hours of credit. Earned credit for each course will be multiplied by 0.667
• Exceptions of transfer credit may be considered with the approval of the Chief Academic Officer (CAO)

Additional limitations on transfer credits may apply. The maximum transfer limit from a combination of all sources is 90 semester credits.

Up to 60 semester credits in general education may be transferred. Students must have completed a minimum of 33 accepted general education requirements within the categories listed below. If available, applicants are encouraged to complete their state’s General Education Certification Plan. “Certification” is the official notification that a transfer student has completed courses fulfilling lower-division General Education requirements.

The general education requirements should demonstrate a breadth of areas as indicated below.

• English Language, Communication, and Critical Thinking – 9 semester credits

• 3 credits fulfilled at CLU by BFC 3312 Writing for Impact
• Courses such as Written and/or Oral Communication, Critical Thinking, etc.

• Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning – 9 semester credits

• Physical Sciences such as Astronomy, Chemistry, Physical Geography, Physics, etc.
• Life Sciences such as Physical Anthropology, Biology, etc.
• Must include one Quantitative Reasoning course such as Mathematics, Statistics, etc.

• Arts and Humanities – 9 semester credits

• Includes Languages, Art, Religion, Music, Philosophy, etc.

• Social Sciences – 9 semester credits

• History, Psychology, Political Science, Cultural Anthropology, Economics, Sociology, etc.

• Lifelong Learning and Self-Development – 3 semester credits

• 3 credits fulfilled at CLU by BFC 3311 Learning Strategies for Career and Personal Growth

CLU honors any state’s approved guaranteed general education transfer pathway with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Students may submit official graduate level transcripts for consideration of potential transfer credits with the conditions below.

• CLU evaluates graduate credits for transfer from higher education institutions in good standing and accredited by an agency recognized by the Department of Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or an appropriately recognized ministry or foreign agency, or its equivalent.

• Graduate credits are evaluated by program, must be within a similar discipline, and can be grouped together to create a specialization. CLU graduate programs accept varying levels of evaluated transfer credit.
• Graduate academic credit awarded by recognized institutions and not already applied toward an earned, awarded degree or certificate.
• Transfer credits are accepted only for courses meeting CLU’s academic standards and learning outcomes.
• Remedial and technical/vocational courses will not be accepted.
• The final grade posted for each potential transfer course is a B- grade (or higher).
• The course work does not duplicate, overlap, or regress previous work.
• The course was not applied toward an undergraduate degree with the exception of dual credit coursework.
• The program director/dean must approve the acceptance of the transfer course(s).
• The “Transfer Credit Practices” report published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) will be the reference used for the evaluation of such credits.
• In alignment with American Council on Education (ACE) transfer credit guidelines, Claremont Lincoln University supports the application of transfer and military credit for military and veteran students.
• Credit from international institutions must be evaluated by an approved credit evaluation service.
• Grades and credits for transfer coursework are recorded but not factored into the cumulative GPA at CLU.
• Applicants must disclose all potential transfer credit at the time of admission. After a student has matriculated, they must complete all remaining required degree courses with Claremont Lincoln University.
• A minimum of 50% of the graduate degree, including all Claremont Core® courses and the Capstone, must be completed in residence at CLU.
• Students may apply up to 50% of their degree requirements through a combination of transfer and PLA, and course challenge credits.
• Additional exceptions of transfer credit may be considered with the approval of the Chief Academic Officer (CAO).

Transfer credits may reduce tuition costs and time to degree completion.

Graduate students who have completed a degree at Claremont Lincoln University may be eligible to pursue an additional graduate degree, provided the second program is in a substantially different discipline or concentration. The intent of this policy is to ensure the integrity and distinctiveness of each academic degree awarded.

Students may be awarded transfer credit and waivers for courses required in both programs. Students must complete a minimum of 12 additional credit hours including a Capstone course to complete the second degree program. The total credit hours required will be determined based on program requirements for each degree.

In exceptional cases, students may petition to pursue a second graduate degree in a closely related field. Such petitions must include a compelling justification for the academic and professional necessity of the additional degree. Approval must be obtained from both the Dean of Academic Affairs and the Chief Academic Officer.

CLU makes every effort to provide students with opportunities to earn academic credits that contribute toward supporting student learning and accelerate degree completion. CLU accepts a variety of alternative credit options that enable students to earn their degree quickly and at reduced cost. Alternative credit options allow adult learners to demonstrate competency, knowledge, prior experience, and independent learning in a particular subject area.

Alternative credit options include credit for experiential learning through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). CLU abides by appropriate state, WSCUC, and other regulatory policies for the award of credit for experiential learning. PLA is limited to 50% of the total degree program and cannot be applied to residency requirement courses.

Alternative credit options are detailed below.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) allows graduate level, degree-seeking CLU students to demonstrate their prior professional experience to receive credit based on course-equivalent learning.

The CLU PLA process consists of three parts:

PLA Application – Students will submit the application for PLA and CLU will internally review eligibility requirements and all necessary documentation. If work experience does not reflect course content and outcomes, the student may be denied.

PLA Declaration Form – Students who submit a PLA application must also complete a PLA declaration form indicating which courses they have identified as eligible and plan to apply for.

Portfolio Submission – Students shall create a Portfolio for the targeted course(s). Portfolios are reviewed by a faculty committee. There is no guarantee of earned credit for Portfolios submitted for review.