There is no limit to the number of credit hours eligible for transfer to Grace from schools accredited by agencies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Association (CHEA); however, at least 50% of the courses needed to complete a degree are required through Grace College or Grace Theological Seminary before a degree can be granted by Grace.
Scope of the Policy
1.0 Recognition by CHEA affirms that the standards and processes of the accrediting organization are consistent with the academic quality, improvement and accountability expectations that CHEA has established, including the eligibility standard that the majority of institutions or programs each accredits are degree-granting.
2.0 Undergraduate transfer students to Grace College are defined as those who completed 15 credit hours or more from another institution following their graduation from high school, not including earned non-traditional credit (e.g., CLEP, dual credit, or Jump Start courses).
3.0 “Transfer credit” describes the transfer of courses from one level of education to another at the same level, such as courses from one baccalaureate, master’s or seminary program to another.
4.0 This policy applies to all courses transferred to Grace College and Seminary regardless of mode of delivery, including online, correspondence, traditional classroom, or other methods of course delivery.
5.0 For continuously enrolled, full-time traditional college students, all transfer credits into traditional undergraduate programs must occur before the end of the student’s first 8-week session at Grace College. Exceptions to this apply to those students whose chosen course of study requires completion of credits at another institution of higher education (e.g., language or international business majors taking credits abroad or Bible Translation majors taking credits through the University of North Dakota).
6.0 Individual undergraduate academic departments, graduate programs, and the seminary may have additional or more restrictive credit transfer policies and procedures outlined in their department policies and catalogs. Prospective students should discuss these with an admissions counselor or the registrar. Current students should discuss these with their program director or advisor.
Advanced Standing
7.0 In adult-degree completion, graduate, and seminary programs, the term “advanced standing” is distinguished from “transfer credit.” “Advanced standing” describes the status of a student who completed a specified course of study, such as a degree or set of courses, prior to enrolling in an adult-degree completion, graduate, or seminary program and which results in accelerated graduate or seminary degree completion.
8.0 Adult-degree completion, graduate, and seminary programs describe advanced in their respective catalogs.
9.0 Students with an undergraduate degree from a non-accredited institution who are seeking admission to an adult-degree completion, graduate, or seminary program will be evaluated by the program director in consultation with the chair and the dean.
10.0 Refer also to the advanced standing policies of the adult-degree completion, graduate, or seminary program that is sought for more information.
Course Transfer Determination
11.0 The Admissions Office, the Registrar’s Office, the Department of Online Education, and the Academic Office are the only offices on campus that evaluate transcripts from other institutions for the purpose of granting credit. Evaluation of credit transfers may be done in consultation with a department chair or program director.
12.0 All credits may transfer to Grace College and all may count toward the 120 total credits needed for graduation with an undergraduate degree; however, not all transfer credits will necessarily meet the requirements for a particular major or minor. Students with transferring credits should discuss with the registrar’s office and/or their academic advisors to determine how credits may fulfill their degree, major, and minor requirements.
13.0 Pre-requisite courses that have pre-fixes beginning with zero (e.g., MAT 010) are considered pre-college work and do not count toward the total number of credit hours needed for degree completion. They may not be transferred to Grace College for credit regardless of the final grade.
14.0 It is most desirable that students who are transferring in courses to substitute for integrated courses in the Grace Core (i.e., psychology and sociology for Essentials of Behavioral Science, music and art for Creative Arts and Culture, literature and global world views for Global Perspectives) will have taken courses from each discipline represented in the integrated course. Transfer courses representing only one of the disciplines in an integrated Grace Core course will be evaluated on an individual basis. Only in highly unusual situations will courses transfer in to substitute for integrated courses. See also Core Courses.
15.0 Course work will typically be transferred based on course titles; however, on occasion students may be required to provide additional information including catalog descriptions and course syllabi.
16.0 Credit will be granted on the basis of Grace’s semester hour standard. Courses transferred from colleges and universities using the quarter system will be assigned credit hours for which one quarter hour equals two thirds of a semester hour.
16.1 If the course being transferred into Grace is more than one (1) hour deficient, the student will need to either take the entire course or make up the deficiency in readings, independent study, or other supplementary work for credit. It is up to the department to determine whether that work must be done within that particular course discipline or just within the general major/minor area of study. All students must meet the total hour requirement for their major and minor.
17.0 Credit transfers may be awarded only when the course grade is a “C-” or above.
18.0 Courses accepted as transfer credit will be applied toward the Grace Core, B.A. or B.S. degree requirements, or major or minor requirements whenever possible. Courses transferred that do not satisfy these requirements will be considered elective credit.
19.0 A maximum of thirty (30) hours of Bible and thirty (30) hours of non-bible credit toward a traditional undergraduate degree at Grace College is acceptable from bible colleges and bible institutes.
