Transfer Credit

Transfer Credit Philosophy

The College of Charleston welcomes transfer students.  The Registrar's Office assists students with questions prior to enrolling at the College, and with the official evaluation of transcripts submitted from other universities.  Transfer credit equivalency at the College of Charleston is evaluated by the academic departments in consultation with the Registrar's Office.  Courses eligible for transfer are evaluated based on content, level, comparability of the course completed, and any program accreditation of the institution at which the course was taken. Credit can be evaluated in three ways: equivalent, elective, or not applicable for transfer.  As a rule, credit for a specific College of Charleston catalog course will be granted when the academic department has determined that the content, level, and pre-requisites of the course completed elsewhere are equivalent to the College of Charleston course. Students must be degree seeking in order for transfer credit to be posted.

Transfer Credit Information

A final transcript is required from each college or university attended, whether or not credit was earned or courses completed. Failure to provide information regarding each college or university attended or failure to submit transcripts may result in withdrawal of any offer of admission, restrictions on registration and/or dismissal from the College.

The College of Charleston will not release copies of education records/transcripts received from previous institutions and/or copies of test scores submitted from testing agencies.

A course from another institution is eligible to be evaluated for transfer credit when the course is:

The College of Charleston requires the relevant academic program director (or director’s designee), or the relevant dean (or dean’s designee) for a discipline or interdisciplinary program not currently represented at the College, to determine the suitability of course credit earned elsewhere for transfer to the College.  Disputes over transfer credit determination may be appealed in writing to the Provost (or the Provost’s designee) no later than 15 days following receipt of the transfer credit evaluation.  The decision of the Provost is final.

Coursework completed more than ten (10) years ago may be subject to an additional review to determine if transfer credit will be awarded.

The College of Charleston reserves the right to adjust academic records (delete or revise any transfer credit) if the transfer credit does not completely comply with all College of Charleston policies and regulations.

The maximum number of transfer credits acceptable toward a College of Charleston A.B., B.A., B.G.S., or B.S. degree is ninety (90) credit hours, including all credits earned by examination (e.g. Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, etc.). The maximum number of transfer credits that may be applied to the requirements for a College of Charleston B.P.S. degree is eighty-seven (87) credit hours, including all credits earned by examination. For students admitted or readmitted prior to fall 2020, the maximum number of transfer hours earned at a two-year institution that may be applied to the requirements for all College of Charleston bachelor’s degrees is sixty (60) credit hours.  For students admitted or readmitted fall 2020 forward, the maximum number of transfer hours earned at a two-year institution that may be applied to the requirements for all College of Charleston bachelor’s degrees is sixty-six (66) credit hours.

Students may decline transfer credit to add another transfer course(s) without going over the maximum hours of transfer credit allowed. Students may also decline transfer credit to take a course at another institution as a transient or cross-registered student.

Coursework completed at other institutions must have a minimum grade of “C” (2.000 on a 4.000 scale) to be awarded transfer credit. Courses graded on a pass/fail basis are acceptable only if the institution where the courses were completed indicates in their published grade scale information that a “Pass” grade is the minimum equivalent of “C” (2.000 on a 4.000 scale). Credit hours awarded will reflect the hours of credit the other institution would have awarded the course, however credits awarded at another institution as a result of placement testing are not acceptable.

Grades do not transfer, only credits; therefore, new transfer students will enter the College of Charleston without a grade point average (GPA).

Credits awarded at another institution as a result of placement testing are not acceptable. In addition, the College of Charleston does not award transfer credit for life experience, work experience gained prior to admission, and/or non-credit bearing coursework completed toward a professional certificate. Graduate and doctoral level coursework will not be accepted for undergraduate transfer credit.  The College of Charleston does not give academic credit for non-credit coursework and does not accept non-credit coursework, certificates or continuing education units for credit.  Credit earned while studying abroad at a partner university or organization will appear on a student’s CofC transcript as transfer credit, therefore it is not subject to Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) substantive change thresholds.

The College of Charleston is on a semester system. The following table should be used to determine semester hour equivalent of courses taken from a quarter hour system school:

Quarter Hours Semester Hours  
6 4  
5 3  
4 3  
3 2  
2 1  
1 1  

NOTE: College of Charleston rounds half credit hours up to the next whole number. (For example, a half credit from another school would equal one credit hour at College of Charleston.)

Students offered admission to the College of Charleston may use Degree Works to view an updated list of awarded and pending transfer credit. The “Term by Term History” link in Degree Works provides the best view of transfer credit, although the information is also visible in the degree audit area.

Transfer Credit Maximums

Students admitted or readmitted Fall 2016 forward:  The maximum number of transfer credit hours that may be applied to the requirements for a College of Charleston A.B., B.A., B.S., or B.G.S. degree is ninety (90) credit hours, including all credits earned by examination (e.g., Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate). The maximum number of transfer credits acceptable toward a College of Charleston B.P.S. degree is eighty-seven (87) credit hours total, including all credits earned by examination.

Students admitted prior to Fall 2016:  The maximum number of transfer credit hours that may be applied to the requirements for a College of Charleston A.B., B.A., B.S., or B.G.S. degree is ninety-two (92) credit hours, including all credits earned by examination (e.g., Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate).  The maximum number of transfer credits acceptable toward a College of Charleston B.P.S. degree is eighty-seven (87) credit hours total, including all credits earned by examination.

Students admitted or readmitted Fall 2020 forward:  The maximum number of transfer hours earned at a two-year institution that may be applied to the requirements for all College of Charleston bachelor’s degrees (A.B., B.A., B.S., B.G.S., B.P.S.) is sixty-six (66) credit hours.

Students admitted prior to Fall 2020:  The maximum number of transfer hours earned at a two-year institution that may be applied to the requirements for all College of Charleston bachelor’s degrees (A.B., B.A., B.S., B.G.S., B.P.S.) is sixty (60) credit hours.

Effective with courses taken Fall 2015 forward, students may decline transfer credit in order to take a course at another institution without going over the maximum hours of transfer credit allowed.

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