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12 COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
2016-2017 ADMISSIONS
Undergraduate Transfer Credit
Transfer credit may be received for completed work at another accredited institution of higher education in which they
received a grade of 2.0 (“C”) or above. Transfer credit may apply to a student’s program at CIU in one of the following ways:
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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.
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Courses that do not parallel any required course may be received as elective credit up to the limit of electives for
the particular program in which the student enrolls at CIU. CIU is a member of the Higher Education Transfer
Alliance (HETA) sponsored by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Advanced Placement
CIU recognizes that individuals learn in a variety of ways. In some instances, this learning may be validated by taking a
standardized examination from an organization such as the College Entrance Examination Board or the American College
Testing Program. Applicants who have earned satisfactory scores on examinations such as those of the College Level
Examination Program (CLEP) or the Advanced Placement (AP) program will have test results evaluated similar to transfer
credit. For further information regarding CLEP or AP credit, contact the Office of the University Registrar.
Non-Accredited Transfer Credit
Applicants who have attended non-accredited colleges, Bible institutes, training schools, and discipleship programs
designed as postsecondary should submit their transcripts and copies of the academic catalogs for credit evaluation.
Programs will be evaluated based on The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) compatible criteria and/or any
formal relationship with CIU and/or status with ABHE. Any unaccredited academic credit will be accepted on a case-by-
case basis with a standard of two-thirds credit for any comparable course, provided the student receives an average 2.0
(“C”) grade or above. No more than 31 credits from an unaccredited school can be transferred into an undergraduate CIU
degree program. The faculty reserves the right to grant limited credit for unaccredited study by means of direct CIU faculty
assessment of a student portfolio combined with a faculty examination of content and/or skill upon authorization of the
academic dean.
Graduate Transfer Credit
Transfer credit may be received for completed work at another accredited institution of higher education in which they
received a grade of 2.0 (“C”) or above. Specific program requirements may apply:
•
College of Education (CoE), College of Intercultural Studies (CICS), and Clinical Counseling students seeking to
transfer credit must seek prior permission through petition.
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Seminary & School of Ministry (SSM) students may apply transfer credit to the free elective category of a degree
only if a comparable course is offered at CIU at the graduate level. Coursework taken at another school may be
credited up to one-half of a graduate-level degree in the SSM if not used previously for the award of the same
degree or its equivalent.
Previously Enrolled Students
Students who have not been enrolled for two consecutive regular semesters must reapply and submit all items listed in the
general application requirements. Students who have missed only one regular semester of study should contact the
Registrar’s office and Residence Life if returning to reside in the residence halls.
Non-Degree Seeking Students (NDSS)
Although students are normally accepted for study on the condition that they intend to complete requirements for a degree
program, other persons not applying for a specific degree program may be accepted as a non-degree seeking student
(NDSS). Examples include transient students, consortium students, and students seeking prerequisites for licensures and
certificates. NDSS applicants must complete the regular admission process; unofficial transcripts or transient letter may be
accepted as the admitting credential. Applicants must be committed to lifestyle standards that are consistent with evangelical
Christians and the general ethos of Columbia International University.
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Undergraduate applicants must hold a high school diploma or satisfy the requirements for a high school concurrent
student.
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Graduate applicants must at least hold a baccalaureate degree. A maximum of 12 graduate hours may be taken as
a non-degree seeking student. Students taking courses for professional development beyond the 12 credits will
need to sign the Waiver of Credit Hour Limitation housed in the University Registrar’s office.
Non-accredited Degrees
The faculty and administration of CIU recognize some higher education institutions both in the United States and around
the world have chosen to offer quality instruction and training without the benefit of accreditation by an organization
approved by the United States Department of Education. Generally, students graduating with a bachelor’s degree from such
institutions are not eligible for admission to graduate programs at CIU. However, in a limited number of cases it may be
determined that the academic rigor required in the bachelor’s program was sufficient to merit admission. Applicants in this
category must satisfy the general admission requirements and the specific requirements for the program to which they are