Transfer Credit Policy
Columbia College accepts credit transferred at the level granted by the transferring institution. Courses transferred from two-year colleges are not accepted for upper-level credit. The Columbia College transfer policy applies to all degree programs offered by Columbia College, to include those offered through the Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership.
Academic credit from all sources must be validated by the Columbia College Evaluation Office before such credit is considered official. To obtain credit, students must submit official transcripts from each college or university attended when applying for admission to Columbia College. An official transcript is one sent directly from the institution attended to Columbia College and bears an official seal of the institution and signature of the Registrar. Students are required to identify all postsecondary institutions attended on the admission application. Failure to do so may result in denial of admission.
Graduate level coursework may not be transferred to Columbia College for undergraduate credit. However, if graduate level coursework is evaluated and is considered equivalent to undergraduate coursework at Columbia College, the undergraduate course requirement will be waived. The hours of credit will not be granted.
Types and sources of academic credit
- Colleges/Universities
Generally, full academic credit is accepted for course work completed at a regionally accredited college/university. Columbia College also acknowledges academic credit earned by military personnel and family members through the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) and other educational programs recognized in transfer by the military departments. Certain academic credit earned at institutions that have entered into a specific articulation agreement with Columbia College are also accepted. Grades below "C" are not accepted in transfer.
- CLEP
Columbia College awards semester hours credit for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Credit for CLEP subject and general exams is awarded if the score is at or above the minimum score recommended by the American Council on Education. This score is set at the mean score achieved by students who earned a "C" in the respective course. Official test score reports are submitted to the Evaluations Department for validation of academic credit. If tests were completed more than twenty years prior to submission for evaluation, score reports will not be available from ETS. The CLEP exam for English will transfer as three semester hours for ENGL 111 English Composition I and three semester hours of elective credit. CLEP credit may not be used to meet the ENGL 112 English Composition II requirement.
- Excelsior Exams
Columbia College awards credit for Excelsior Exams (formerly ACT Pep/Regents Exams); official score reports must be submitted for evaluation and credit is awarded if the score is at or above the minimum acceptable score.
- Military Service
Columbia College requires certified true copies of a student’s Military Qualification Record to review for awarding of transfer credit. The documents that are acceptable for evaluation of military service, basic training, military education and military occupation include: Army - Form 2-1, and AARTS transcript; Navy - Page 4’s, SMART transcript; Air Force - official transcript from CCAF; Coast Guard - Page 3 or official CG transcript from CG Institute; Marine Corps - NAVMC 118 8a, SMART transcript. Columbia College accepts the DD Form 214 (Discharge) only for evaluation of military service and basic training.
- United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI)
USAFI standardized end-of-course tests are accepted at the 20th percentile or above. An official record of test results must be sent to the campus where the student attends classes.
- Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support (DANTES)
Semester-hour credit recommended by ACE is awarded upon attainment of an acceptable passing score per section, or credit is awarded as determined by the testing authority at the time the test is taken. An official record of test results must be sent to the extended campus.
- Challenge Examinations
Semester hour credits are awarded for successful completion of comprehensive subject tests, provided such tests are approved and written by Columbia College full-time faculty and the student achieves a grade equivalent of "C" or better. Credit awarded for completion of such examinations equals credit awarded for completion of classroom course work unless otherwise stated. There is a $300.00 charge per examination and there is a limit to the number of semester hours that may be earned in this manner.
- Credit for Prior Learning
Columbia College defines prior learning as those learning and growing experiences gained through work or other experiences outside the formal setting of a college classroom. You may request evaluation for college credit for such experiences by filing an application for credit and documenting and verifying the learning acquired. A $75 per credit hour fee is charged for the evaluation, but no charge is made for any academic credit awarded. Prior learning credit may be awarded after the successful completion of 12 semester hours of credit with Columbia College with a minimum 2.0 grade point average. The college has a policy limiting the maximum number of hours of prior learning credit to 15.
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