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Transfer Credit Policy

Policy approved by Mercy College Board of Trustees, June 2021

The purpose of the transfer credit policy is to ensure transfer credit is entered appropriately and properly into the student information system at Mercy College of Ohio (“the College”).

Policy:

New students must submit all relevant official transcripts to the Office of Admission for transfer credit consideration as part of the application process.  A transcript is considered official when stamped with the official school seal, signed by the appropriate school official, and received in a sealed envelope from the originating institution. Faxed transcripts are not accepted as official transcript documents.  For a transcript sent by a third party electronically to be considered official, the College must be able to authenticate it by logging in with a password to extract the transcript. Documents sent electronically without authentication are not considered official. Questions pertaining to whether a transcript is official or not official must be directed to the Office of Student Records.

Transfer credit is awarded based on a student’s declared program of study/major.  Students with more than one program of study will not receive transfer credit for the student’s second program of study/major until (a) the first program of study/major is completed or (b) the student makes the second program of study/major the first program of study/major. Students can request transfer analysis at any time for purposes of degree planning but will not receive transfer credit until officially enrolled in a program of study/major. In the event the student completes the second program of study/major first, transfer credit would then be assigned the semester before completion.

Transfer credit will not be calculated in a student’s cumulative GPA.

I. Coursework accepted as transfer credit

  1. The credit was awarded by a post-secondary institution accredited by one of these six institutional accrediting organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education: Higher Learning Commission, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, New England Commission of Higher Education, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
  2. Post-secondary credit awarded by institutions accredited by an organization other than those six listed above will be awarded as follows:
    1. Coursework from a post-secondary institution not accredited by one of the six institutional accrediting organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education listed above will be considered on an individual basis through course-to-course validation. Equivalency will be determined through a comparison of course syllabi.
    2. International transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services (https://www.wes.org) before credit will be reviewed for transfer. The international evaluation must include course-by-course evaluations. International coursework will be considered on an individual basis through course-to-course validation. Equivalency will be determined through a comparison of course syllabi.
    3. Military experience and training credits will be considered for individuals with experience in the armed forces of the United States, or in the National Guard, or in a reserve component. Students must provide a copy of their DD214, a Joint Services Transcript from https://jst.doded.mil/smart/signin.do or Air Force/CCAF transcript from www.au.af.mil/au/ccaf/transcripts.asp. Program faculty will review the individual’s official military transcripts and occupational experiences to determine whether any of the military education or occupational experiences are substantially equivalent to the curriculum as established in Chapter 4723-5 of the Ohio Administrative Code; and award credit to the individual for any substantially equivalent military education or occupational experiences. The individual must initiate the request for transfer through the Office of Student Records for any course not previously reviewed for transfer.
    4. Transfer credit may be granted for advanced placement (AP) coursework, college level examination program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), and International Baccalaureate (IB). Please refer to the Mercy College Credit by Examination (located on the website at http://www.mercycollege.edu/my-mercy/student-records/credit-by-examination) for specific details.
  3. Courses must be completed with a “C-” or better.
  4. The College does not accept transfer credit for developmental coursework (courses with numbering beginning with a 0, for example 099 or 098).
  5. Transfer courses must match or exceed the semester credit-hour requirement for the College’s courses (quarter hour credits are 2/3 of a semester hour credit).
  6. Courses must have the equivalent content (75% or more) based on the catalog, course description, and/or syllabi in place at the time of student matriculation. 

Transferability of the College’s credits to other colleges/universities is not guaranteed and is solely a function of the receiving institution’s policies and discretion.

II.  Degree-Specific Policy Information

  1. Associate Degree Programs

    Please note the following rules regarding transfer credit apply to all students seeking an Associate degree:

    1. In accordance with the College’s residency requirement, at least 30 semester credit hours must be completed at Mercy College of Ohio. All other credits may be transferred in, with the following exception.
    2. For students enrolling in the AAS Nursing and AAS Radiologic Technology programs, all math and science courses must be completed within 7 years prior to admission.
  2. Bachelor’s Degree Programs

    Please note the following rules regarding transfer credit apply to all students seeking a Bachelor’s degree:

    1. In accordance with the College’s residency requirement, a maximum of 84 transfer credit hours toward a degree may be granted.
    2. For the RN to BSN completion program, a range of 32-39 credit hours may be granted for nursing coursework (with a grade of “C-” or better) to students with an active unencumbered RN license.
    3. For a BS in Medical Imaging degree, 39 credit hours are granted for an active registration with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB), or American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).
    4. For students enrolling in a BS Biology or BS Nursing Pre-licensure degree, all math and science coursework must be completed within 7 years prior to admission.
  3. Master’s Degree Programs

Please note the following rules regarding transfer credit apply for all students seeking a Master’s degree:

  1. A maximum of six transfer credit hours toward a Master’s degree may be granted in accordance with the College’s graduate residency requirement.
  2. Courses considered for transfer toward a Master’s degree must have been taken within seven years of admission.
  3. Only Graduate-level courses completed with a grade of “B” or better from the six institutional accrediting organizations listed previously will be considered for transfer.
  4. The Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program does not accept transfer credits.

III. Articulation Agreements

  1. The College has established articulation agreements with other colleges and/or universities as part of its transfer credit policy. Articulation agreements serve as officially approved agreements between two institutions and allow students to apply credits earned in specific programs at one institution toward advanced standing, entry or transfer into a specific program at the other institution. Since articulation agreements are updated from time to time the current list of articulation agreements is maintained on the College’s website at https://www.mercycollege.edu/articulation-agreements/ . The official signed documents are maintained in the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Dean of Faculty.

IV. Credit for Prior Learning

  1. The College embraces the process of lifelong learning. Outside of the traditional college classroom, knowledge can be obtained through military training, advanced high school courses (AP), and college-level exams [CLEP and DSST] as well as through employment experiences, where relevant to specific programs.
  2. Documentation of prior learning experience must be through transcript, testing record, or measurable college-level learning evidence that documents the knowledge, skills, and competencies obtained through prior learning.
  3. The credit is awarded on a case-by-case basis only when it can be documented and falls within the course offerings of the College. Individuals are only eligible for prior learning credit after official acceptance to the College with a maximum of 30 credit hours that may be earned and applied to degree requirements. (Exceptions for licensure can include an active unencumbered RN license or validation for having successfully passed the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB), or American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) certification exams as noted in Section II, 2).
  4. The Office of Student Records in collaboration with Deans/Program Chairs and Faculty determine the credits to be awarded for prior learning.

V. Waiver and Substitution

  1. All course substitutions and waivers should be submitted to the Office of Student Records on the Form 516-A Waiver/Substitution.
    1. To waive credit hour requirements, the Form 516-A Waiver/Substitution must be completed for any course/requirement over 1 credit hour. For any course/requirement less than 1 credit hour, a waiver is not required if the total required credit hours for the degree is met.
    2. To waive the 7-year time limit requirement, the Form 516-A Waiver/Substitution must be submitted for math and science courses, including the prerequisites of MTH 100, BIO 101 and CHM 110.

VI. Post Enrollment Transfer of Credit

  1. After a student has initially enrolled, the College may permit the transfer of up to either six semester hours of credit or up to two courses which can exceed six semester hours of credit. To qualify for post enrollment of transfer credit students are subject to the following guidelines:
  1. Students must meet the minimum graduation residency requirements of the College (30 credit hours for an Associate degree and 36 credit hours for a Bachelor’s degree).
  2. Students must be in good academic standing (maintaining an overall grade point average of 2.0 or better).
  3. Students must acquire the approval of the program director/lead.
    1. Form 516-B Post-Enrollment Transfer Credit must be completed prior to enrolling in a course(s) at another institution. Credits may not be accepted if the form has not been completed and submitted to the Office of Student Records prior to enrolling at another institution.
  4. Students must achieve a grade of “C” or better for the course to be accepted will be accepted for transfer.

The College reserves the right to determine the acceptability of transfer and prior learning credits in accordance with its regulatory bodies and College policies. Acceptable transfer credit must reflect the content and credit-hour requirements set forth by the College, both for general education and specific programs of study. This policy is not a guarantee of transfer credit to be granted for any course. Courses accepted from other institutions, along with approved exams as listed in this policy, are subject to revision on an annual basis; therefore, the College reserves the right to change, at any time, and without notice, the criteria for awarding credit in any or all subject areas.

To be considered for transfer, credit courses must appear on the transcript with a final grade from the original institution from which the course was taken.

  1. After the student is accepted for admission to the College and all official transcripts are received, the Office of Student Records evaluates the transcript.
  2. The Office of Student Records cross-references the transcript with the previously approved transfer credit and grants credit for equivalent coursework.
  3. If the Office of Student Records cannot determine the equivalency, the evaluation of coursework will be completed by the dean, program director, or faculty responsible for determining course content. This evaluation is based on a review of the course syllabus, course description, and course catalog information.
  4. Once credit is granted, the Office of Student Records enters the data into the student information management system.
  5. A Degree Audit reflecting how the transfer credit is applied to the College program is generated and mailed to the student.

Post-Enrollment Transfer of Credits Process

To be considered for post-enrollment transfer of credits, admitted students must perform the following steps:

  1. Download the Form 516-B Post-Enrollment Transfer Credit.
  2. Meet with academic advisor or program director and review the possible courses for transfer. The program director/lead must sign the form.
  3. Submit the signed form to the Office of Student Records.

Appeal Process

If the student disagrees with the awarding of transfer credit and wishes to appeal the award, he/she must submit an appeal in writing to the Office of Student Records within two weeks of receipt of the degree audit.

  1. The appeal will then be forwarded to the appropriate Division Dean.
  2. Upon receipt of the appeal, research will be conducted by the appropriate Division Dean to further assess the transfer credit validity.
  3. The Division Dean will send official notification of the final decision to the student and the Office of Student Records.