Transferring credit

Active-duty and veterans can receive college credit for military service and save time and money at the same time. A Joint Services Transcript (JST) should be submitted with the application materials for consideration.

For more information on transfer credits for military service, review IU Policy ACA-78.

Some programs allow the option to test out of specific courses by taking a proficiency exam. While the test out process allows you to avoid taking one or more courses, it does not award credit.

A portfolio is a collection of work and documentation that represents your learning. Portfolios are reviewed by departments or faculty to determine the appropriate amount of credit.

Some programs will award credit for certifications you have received through local or national organizations.

According to the Indiana University Constitution, section 2.2, “the faculty has authority over academic matters.” This would include the establishment of academic standards for transfer credit to maintain the integrity of the curricula and the degrees on each campus.

Departmental policy determines the required score, amount of credit, and whether the credit posted is undistributed or articulated to an IU course. Information on receiving credit for AP exams can be accessed through the specific campus to which students are applying. Each campus and its departments determine the acceptance of credit for CLEP, DSST, International Baccalaureate, or other forms of examination. In addition, portfolio credit or other competency-based credit will be determined by campus-specific policies.

Such credit will not transfer to any IU campus without verification by examination or other campus, faculty-approved method of assessment.

Credit from institutions that are regionally accredited will generally transfer to any IU campus as long as it meets the standards and the criteria set forth by the receiving campus (i.e., the transferring student achieved the appropriate grades, the coursework can be articulated or brought in as undistributed, etc.). Credit from regionally accredited institutions follows these parameters:

• There is no limit to the number of credit hours that may be transcripted.
• Students must meet the residency requirements for the campus and all applicable degree requirements, as set by the IU campus, school, and program.
• In accordance with UFC policy, no more than 64 credit hours earned at two-year institutions may be applied to any baccalaureate degree (see IU Policy ACA-56, Transfer of Credit Completed at the 100 and 200 level).
• Please note that 64 credit hours is an upper limit. Campuses may set the maximum lower than 64 credit hours, subject to state law.
• Credits earned at undergraduate institutions other than Indiana University in courses at first- or second-year levels (100/200 level courses or courses completed in two‐year institutions) and transferred for IU credit may not be recorded as equivalent to IU course credits at advanced (300/400) levels, or applied to degree requirements normally fulfilled only by advanced level course credits (see IU Policy ACA-56, Transfer of Credit Completed at the 100 and 200 Level).
• Credit will only be considered from institutions that have completed the accreditation process. No credit will be awarded from institutions under consideration for regional accreditation.

No credit will be accepted from nationally accredited institutions.

Graduate credit

• The determination of transfer credit for graduate and post-undergraduate professional programs is the purview of the appropriate school or department.
• Graduate coursework is not transferable into an undergraduate curriculum without permission from the appropriate chair or dean.

Completion of academic work at non-U.S. institutions

The post-secondary institution must be:

• Recognized as a degree-granting institution by the national Ministry of Education or an equivalent body with higher education oversight responsibilities and the authority to grant post-secondary academic qualifications in the country where the institution is located; or
• Recognized as a degree‐granting institution by a comparable government authority in countries where the tertiary academic field is under separate governance from the Ministry of Education (e.g., Ministry of Health); or
• Accredited by one of the six U.S. regional accrediting bodies; or validated through oversight of a recognized academic institution operating in a third country (i.e., evidence of validation requires official transcript issuance by the recognized academic institution); or
• Evidence of acceptance of the credit/degree toward advanced standing or graduate level study in accredited/recognized institutions in the country where the program is delivered; or
• In the case of portfolio credit or other competency-based credit, entities that grant such credit must be recognized in their home country and have the authority of the Ministry of Education or an equivalent body with higher education oversight responsibilities and the authority to grant post‐secondary academic qualifications or equivalencies.

If sufficient proof of recognition or accreditation is not available, no transfer credit can be awarded.

Intercampus transfers

Intercampus curricular and program differences: Students who have transfer credit from non-IU institutions and who transfer from one IU campus to another should be advised that the receiving campus will re‐evaluate the transfer of credit and determine which courses will count toward the desired degree at the destination campus. Whenever possible, upon receiving an Intercampus Transfer Application, the destination IU campus should advise the student of the differences in the transfer of credits prior to the student enrolling in coursework.

Student appeals

Students may appeal the decision on transfer coursework from non-IU institutions that was accepted at one IU campus and rejected at the IU destination campus through processes established at the destination campus. The student may request information from the originating IU campus with regard to the academic rationale for accepting the credit and present it to the destination campus as part of the case for acceptance along with any other requirements that the destination campus may have. The decisions of the faculty on the destination campus are final.

Read more about IU policies

To support the value and consistency of transfer throughout IU, the state and university developed policies that are used throughout different IU institutions and campuses. The policies inform the principles of operation for the UTO. The specific policies and guidelines described below affect transfer students directly. These policies are relevant to transfer students because many students bring along transfer credit.

• Degree Maps (Indiana Code § 21-12-14)
• Educational Program Review; Powers of Commission; Approval or Disapproval of Branches, Degrees, and Programs (Indiana Code § 21-18-9-5)
• Educational Program Review; Common Course Numbering System (Indiana Code §21-18-9-7)
• Educational Program Review; Undergraduate Degree Programs; Number of Credit Hours (Indiana Code § 21-18-9-8)
• Transfer of Credits Among State Educational Institutions; Graduation Requirements (Indiana Code § 21-42-3-2)
• Transfer of Credits Among State Educational Institutions; Statewide Transfer General Education Core (Indiana Code § 21-42-3-5)
• Establishing Campus Admission Policies (BOT-22, formerly ACA-54)
• Transfer Credit Related to Military Service (ACA-78)

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education maintains TransferIN.net, which helps guide you through the process of transferring from one Indiana school to another. The Core Transfer Library (CTL) is a list of courses that will transfer among Indiana public institutions offering those courses. All meet general education or elective requirements, and some may apply to your degree program.