A26.1 Transferring of Credits

 

Effective Date: May, 20 2014
Last Reviewed: May, 20 2014


Stonehill College accepts transfer credits from other institutions of higher learning with three basic considerations:

  1. The educational quality of the learning experience being transferred in;
  2. The comparability of the nature, content, and level of the learning experience earned to Stonehill College’s academic programs; and
  3. Appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned in light of the student’s educational goals.

Educational quality is partly ensured by the requirement that transferred credit must be from accredited institutions. Comparability of the nature, content, and level of credit earned is ensured by thorough research into the content of each transferable course and through established articulation agreements with community colleges and other partnering institutions. Appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned is ensured by close consultation and coordination with the academic department chairs, Assistant Dean of General Education, the General Education Advisory Committee, Office of International Programs, and the Registrar’s Office.

Transfer credit is only granted for college-level, credit-bearing courses taken at other institutions whose accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), regardless of delivery method (e.g. on-line courses, hybrid courses, MOOCs, etc.). Credits may also be awarded through the College Board Advanced Placement Exam Program, International Baccalaureate Program or through approved abroad programs.

Credit will only be granted for courses in which the student has received the equivalent of a grade of “C” or better. An earned grade of “C-” or below will not transfer. However, since Stonehill lecture/lab courses are graded with a single grade, transfer lecture/lab courses for which each component is graded separately may be accepted even if one of the grades is lower than a “C” if the weighted combined average grade is equivalent to a “C” (2.00 at Stonehill) or better. Pass/Fail courses will only be accepted in transfer if the official transcript indicates that a passing grade is the equivalent of a “C” or better.

In order to qualify for a Stonehill degree, a transfer student is required to complete at least 50% of their credits at the College, with their final two semesters taken at Stonehill or in a Stonehill sponsored program. At least 50% of courses required by the Stonehill General Education Cornerstone Program, a major, or minor must be taken in residency at Stonehill or through a Stonehill sponsored program. Individual academic departments may further restrict which major or minor courses may be transferred into Stonehill College.

Only credits hours are transferred. Transfer grades are not recorded on the Stonehill transcript and are not included in the computation of the cumulative grade-point-average. Credits transferred in from quarter hour, trimester, or other non-semester hour institutions may be adjusted to make them equivalent to a Stonehill semester-hour credit.

Students wishing to take and transfer in courses from another institution after initial matriculation at Stonehill must have the courses pre-approved by the Registrar’s Office. Courses taken abroad must be pre-approved by the Office of International Programs.

Students are required to provide the Stonehill College Registrar’s Office with an official copy of the transfer school’s transcript, or official Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test scores before credits will be transferred. In some cases courses descriptions and/or course syllabi will be required to ascertain course equivalency.

The Registrar’s Office, in consultation with the appropriate academic departments, makes the final determination of the applicability of courses in transfer; however

  • Credit will only be granted for courses that are comparable in nature and content to courses and credits offered through Stonehill College programs;
  • Credits may only be accepted in transfer toward completion of major or minor requirements with approval from the appropriate Department Chairperson or Program Director; and
  • Credits may only be accepted in transfer toward completion of General Education requirements with the approval of the Assistant Dean of General Education and Academic Achievement and/or the chairperson of the Department of Foreign Languages, for courses fulfilling the language requirement.

Generally, transfer credit (including Advanced Placement credit, International Baccalaureate credit, and Dual Enrollment credit) may be applied toward the General Education Cornerstone Program curriculum if the transferred credit satisfies the requirements of a particular course within the Cornerstone Program and is identified as such in the Hill Book. For example, if a student receives transfer credit for BIO 101 Biological Principles I, which presently fulfills the Natural Scientific Inquiry requirement in the Cornerstone Program, then that student will also have fulfilled the Natural Scientific Inquiry requirement.

Transfer students with first‐year standing (fewer than 25 credits) must complete all General Education requirements, with the exception of those fulfilled through approved transferred courses.

Transfer students with sophomore standing (transferring in 25-55.9 credits) are exempt from the First-Year Seminar requirement but must complete all other General Education requirements, with the exception of those fulfilled through approved transferred courses.

Transfer students with junior standing (transferring between 56-62 credits) are exempt from the First-Year Seminar and Learning Community requirements but must complete all other General Education requirements, with the exception of those fulfilled through approved transferred courses.

Since students must complete at least 50% of their credits (62) at Stonehill, a student may not transfer in at a level higher than junior standing.

Transfer credits may be granted for coursework completed as part of advanced or occupational military training that is comparable in nature and content to courses and credits offered through Stonehill College programs. Credits earned for Basic Training are not transferable. Students wishing to transfer in credits for military courses must provide Stonehill with an official college transcript from an accredited institution of higher education or from The American Council on Education (ACE).

Stonehill does not grant transfer credit for:

  • Completion of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam;
  • Life experience;
  • Remedial courses below the 100-level or college transition/study skills courses;
  • Directed or independent study/research and internships, unless taken as part of a Stonehill sponsored program or abroad experience; or courses taken in the natural and computer sciences more than 10 years ago.