62 / 126
62
2012-2013 Graduate Programs Academic Catalog
Transfer Credit Policy
All transfer of credit must be from an accredited
institution or a non-accredited institution that has
been placed on the Graduate Program’s approved
list following the examination of institutional evi-
dence that courses meet academic rigor in align-
ment with Columbia International University. CIU
only recognizes accreditation if the institution is
accredited by an agency approved by the Council
for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the
U.S. Department of Education.
In order for a non-accredited institution to be
placed on the approved list, the institution must
submit an academic catalog in order to allow
review of the institution’s mission, academic pro-
grams, instructional policies and faculty creden-
tials. In addition to the catalog, the institution will
provide three sample syllabi in order to allow
review of course content and level of learning out-
comes. The registrar of the institution must also
submit a letter listing accredited institutions that
have accepted its graduates for academic work at
the appropriate level (undergraduate or graduate).
Upon receipt of these documents, a case for or
against recommendation is presented to the
respective school faculty for approval. Once the
institution has gained an “approved status,” spe-
cific course syllabi must be examined utilizing the
same transfer of credit guidelines as per accredit-
ed institutions, detailed below. The student is
responsible for submitting all documentation in
support of a transfer request. Credit for graduate
work cannot be transferred into graduate pro-
grams at CIU; however, work at an unaccredited
school may be reviewed for advanced standing
(see below).
Courses submitted for transfer credit must be in
alignment with a course within the student’s pro-
gram curriculum. Alignment may be determined
through an examination of the learning outcomes
or student competencies, the relevancy of content
for current “best practice” knowledge base, and
the opportunity to learn and practice the skills and
dispositions that are essential to the profession.
Courses that are parallel to required courses in
the core curriculum or the student’s major or
minor program of studies at CIU may be received
as meeting the requirement upon satisfactory
review by the Office of the University Registrar in
consultation with the related program directors of
the respective schools. Courses that do not paral-
lel any required course may be received as elec-
tive credit up to the limit of electives for a
particular program in which the student enrolls at
CIU. The university is a member of the Higher
Education Transfer Alliance (HETA), sponsored by
the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
(CHEA) and follows HETA guidelines for the evalu-
ation of transfer credit.
To obtain an estimate of transfer credit, applicants
must submit official transcripts for all postsec-
ondary study to the Admissions Office along with
their application for admission and a request for
an estimate of transfer credit. In some cases,
applicants may be asked to send a catalog or
prospectus from colleges or other postsecondary
institutions attended.
The Office of the University Registrar will provide
an initial assessment of transfer credit, but a final
assignment of transfer credit may not be complet-
ed until the end of the student’s first semester of
study at CIU. Transfer credits may be applied
toward a student’s curriculum only by approval of
the student’s academic advisor/program director.
After admission to a program at CIU, requests for
transfer credit must be approved by the student’s
academic advisor and respective academic dean
by academic petition.
A grade of “C” (2.0 GPA) or better is required for
transfer courses. Courses graded “pass/fail” are
not transferrable unless it is stipulated on the tran-
script that a “pass” required a grade equivalent to
“C” (2.0) or above.
Transfer credit is limited by residency require-
ments for the various degree programs. Graduate
students must complete a minimum of 50 percent
of credits required for the Graduate degree at the
Columbia campus or an approved educational
site. At the present time, the only alternative
approved educational site for completing residen-
cy credit is Korntal, Germany. Transfer credits and
distance education courses do not count toward
the residency requirement.