Name of Policy: Transfer Credit Policy
Responsible Department: Office of the Registrar
Responsible Administrator: Registrar
Effective Date: August 1, 2022
Undergraduate-Level Transfer Credit
Transfer Student Admission:
The Office of Admissions works directly with full-time undergraduate transfer applicants and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions assists undergraduate part-time and degree-completion transfer applicants. Transfer students can apply to begin an academic program throughout the year depending on the program. Applicants may typically transfer between 75 and 90 earned credits, with a grade of C- or better, from an accredited institution. Please note that some academic programs may have additional specific requirements for accepting transfer credits. Please check with the admissions counselor or specific program for additional information.
Transfer Credit Evaluation:
Accepted undergraduate-level students will be able to transfer between 75 and 90 credits, with a grade of C- or better from an accredited institution towards a bachelor’s degree, and 30 credits towards an associate degree. Some academic programs have additional specific requirements for accepting transfer credits. Please check with your admissions counselor or specific program for additional information.
Elms College will evaluate transcripts for transfer credit to be accepted to meet program-specific requirements, liberal arts core requirements or as credit toward the minimum credit number required (60 credits for an Associate’s degree and 120 credits for a Bachelor’s degree).
Students enrolled at Elms College who wish to take courses at another accredited institution, and transfer in those credits, must notify their advisor and the Registrar’s Office for approval ahead of time. Transfer credits earned at another college or university will not be computed in the student’s GPA, but may be applicable to degree requirements at Elms College. However, credits earned under the Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield (CCGS) program are computed in the student’s GPA.
Graduate-Level Transfer Credit
Graduate students enrolled at Elms College who wish to take courses at another accredited institution, and transfer in those credits, must notify their program director and the Registrar’s Office for approval ahead of time. Transfer credits earned at another college or university will not be computed in the student’s GPA, but may be applicable to degree requirements at Elms College.
For graduate level certificates:
All credits must be taken ‘in residence’ through Elms College. Requests for an exception to accept transfer credit up to 25% of the total required credits may be petitioned through the VPAA.
For graduate-level degrees:
To earn a second Master’s degree at the Elms, core course requirements from the first degree may be accepted via ‘internal transfer’ toward the second degree, whether they were satisfied through Elms College or through transfer credit. All other credits toward the second degree must be completed ‘in residence’ through Elms College.
Massachusetts Joint Admissions Agreement
Although a private college, Elms College honors the provisions of the joint admission agreement between community colleges and four-year public institutions. Students who apply to Elms College with an associate’s degree in liberal arts and sciences from an accredited two year college with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 will be granted admission, and may satisfy the Elms College core curriculum requirements by completing senior seminar and a three-credit course in religious studies. Students are
guaranteed junior status and the transfer of at least 60 credits, including “D” grades, which are counted as general electives where majors have minimum grade requirements.