POL 02.05.09 - Transfer Credit Evaluation Policy

About this Policy

Authority:
Board of Trustees
Responsible Office:
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success
Date Established:
11-14-25
Last Revised:
N/A

1. Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to ensure fair, consistent, and transparent evaluation of prior academic learning while maintaining the academic integrity and degree requirements of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. This policy outlines the standards and procedures for evaluating and awarding transfer credit for undergraduate and graduate coursework completed at other postsecondary institutions or acceptable organizations.

2. Scope: This policy applies to all applicants and currently enrolled students at UNC Pembroke (UNCP) who have completed coursework at an institution or an organization that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) or through military, advanced placement, dual enrollment, experiential learning, international, or alternative credit programs.

3. Policy Statement

3.1 UNCP values prior learning and supports academic mobility. Transfer credit will be awarded for coursework that meets the following general criteria:

3.1.1 Completed at an institution or an organization that is recognized by the DOE.

3.1.2 Comparable in content, scope, and rigor to courses offered by UNCP Pembroke.

3.1.3 Completed with a grade of “C-” or higher at the undergraduate level, or as defined by the graduate program for graduate-level credit.

3.1.4 Does not duplicate credit already awarded or exceed maximum allowable transfer limits.

3.2 Grades earned at other institutions are not used to compute the UNCP quality point average (QPA).

3.3 UNCP students seeking transient enrollment should follow the catalog for the process and requirements.

4. Evaluation Criteria

4.1 Accreditation: Credits must be earned from an institution accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the DOE or equivalent international bodies (DAPIP). Common acceptable accreditors include: Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Other DOE recognized national accreditors such as the American Council on Education (ACE), which are not listed above are also considered accepted institutional accreditors.

4.2 Equivalency: Courses will be evaluated for equivalency to UNCP courses or may be granted general or major elective credit if no direct equivalent exists. Credit will be awarded for courses that align in subject matter, instructional level (lower/upper division), and learning outcomes with the institution’s curriculum. Equivalencies will be determined based on best practices established by AACRAO A Guide to Best Practices: Awarding Transfer and Prior Learning Credit.

4.3 Credit Hour Matching: Quarter hours will be converted to semester hours, or vice versa, as appropriate. Fractional credits may not be rounded up.

4.4 Residency Requirements: Transfer credit does not override the institution’s residency requirement. Students must complete a minimum of 25% of their UNCP bachelor’s degree credit requirements in residence to qualify for a degree. At least one-third of the credit hours required for a graduate degree must be earned at UNCP.

4.5 State Compliance: When working with transfer students and awarding credit, UNCP fully complies with North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) § 116-11(10c), UNC Policy 400.1.5.3[R] Fostering Undergraduate Transfer Student Success (FUTSS) and the statewide Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) governing transfer credits between NC Community Colleges and the UNC System.

5. Special Credit Sources

5.1 Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge, and CLEP, DSST: Credit is awarded based on official score reports and minimum score requirements published by UNCP and the UNC Policy Manual.

5.2 Military Credit: Evaluated based on the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations, the UNC Military Equivalency System, and applicable articulation agreements. Official Joint Services Transcript (JST) required.

5.3 Dual Enrollment / Early College: Must be documented on an official college transcript and evaluated according to standard procedures.

5.4 Acceptable Organizations: Credit is awarded based on official score reports or transcripts from other work that has an associated ACE credit recommendation.

5.5 International Coursework: Requires official evaluation by a NACES approved credential evaluation service and may require translation into English.

6. Articulation Agreements

6.1 Transfer credit will be awarded according to approved articulation agreements with partner institutions. These agreements will supersede individual course evaluations where applicable and will be reviewed every two years to ensure alignment.

6.2 UNCP participates in the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) and Uniformed Articulation Agreements (UAA), statewide agreements governing the transfer of credits between North Carolina community colleges and public universities. UNCP accepts all credit under the guidelines of the agreements. The CAA supersedes all other agreements. UNCP participates in additional articulation agreements to ease transfer into certain degree programs.

7. Waivers

7.1 Articulation Agreement Waiver: A general education waiver will be granted for students who earn their Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Science (AS) at a North Carolina community college before transferring under the regulation of the CAA. This waiver applies to the general education requirements, with the exception of major-specific prerequisite general education courses. Transfer students entering UNCP with a conferred associate degree covered in an active articulation agreement will also be eligible for a general education waiver, e.g. Associate in Fine Arts or Associate of Applied Science in Nursing.

7.2 UNC Regulation Waiver: Students who have an official transcript documenting they have satisfied the general education or Foundations of American Democracy requirements at another UNC institution will be waived from these requirements at UNCP.

7.3 Other Waivers: Waivers can be applied for students who have met set credit thresholds, e.g. 60+ credits, previously conferred associates or bachelor’s degree, for some or reduced graduation requirements.

8. Timeline

8.1 No more than 15 business days after offering admission and receiving all required official transcripts to review the transfer student’s transcript(s), UNCP will determine accurate transfer equivalency information and notify the student of their transfer credit by providing a preliminary transfer credit evaluation.

8.2 For transfer students with international transfer credit and/or those with 4 or more transcripts, UNCP will determine accurate transfer equivalency information and notify the student of their transfer credit by providing a preliminary transfer credit evaluation no more than 30 business days after offering admission and receiving all required official transcripts to review the transfer student’s transcript(s).

8.3 For transfer students who apply and are admitted more than a semester in advance (ex: applying during a fall semester for the following summer/fall term), UNCP Office of Admissions will make timely admissions decisions and evaluators will provide preliminary transfer credit evaluations to students no more than 15 business days after census of the term proceeding the term in which the student has been admitted.

8.4 Admitted transfer students shall have their final transfer credit evaluations (reflecting coursework from all official transcripts received by the university) no later than 24 hours prior to the end of the add/drop deadline of the students’ first term of enrollment. Students admitted within 15 business days of the drop/add deadline will receive timely notification of their transcript evaluation, understanding that it may not be prior to the drop/add deadline.

8.5 Transcripts received after a student has started classes will be evaluated within 15 days of receipt.

9. Transfer Appeal Process

9.1 As required in the CAA and UNC Policy 400.1.5.3[R], UNCP allows students to appeal preliminary and final transfer credit evaluations.

9.2 A digital, online tool to facilitate credit appeals will be offered and maintained in the academic catalog and on the primary transfer website. If the location changes, the university must update the UNC System Office within 30 days.

9.3 The UNC System Transfer Student and Credit Appeal Portal, along with UNCP transfer credit appeal process information, must be linked and made readily available to students on the primary transfer website of each constituent institution.

9.4 Additionally, universities must provide appeals process information to students along with the student’s preliminary and final transfer credit evaluation. Students can appeal credit decisions from both the preliminary and final transfer credit evaluations, following the appeals process guidelines outlined in the CAA.

9.5 Appeals must include the course(s) in question and supporting documentation such as syllabi, course descriptions, or faculty letters.

10. Graduate Programs

10.1 Graduate students may transfer up to twelve credit hours (with a grade of B or better) of relevant graduate credit taken at an accredited institution with approval of the Program Director and the Graduate Dean. It is the responsibility of the student to apply for approval of transfer credit using the appropriate form through The Graduate School, the signature of the Program Director is required. Along with this form, an official copy of the transcript reflecting the credit and a copy of the catalog description must be submitted for each course. The Program Director may require a copy of the course syllabus.

10.2 For pre-existing graduate credits, a student must submit the completed Graduate Transfer Credit Request Form to The Graduate School within one calendar year of the first day of classes of the semester or summer session of the student's first enrollment in courses. Transfer credit is subject to the five-year time limit (six years for the Professional School Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Social Work programs) applied to all course work credited toward the master's degree, with the exception of reinstated credits sanctioned by the Graduate Appeals Committee.

11. Responsibilities

11.1 Office of the Registrar: Oversees the evaluation and application of transfer credit, maintains articulation databases, and ensures compliance with institutional and UNC System policy. Retains articulation agreements. Provides official notice of credit evaluation.

11.2 Office of Undergraduate Admissions: Makes and delivers admission decisions, may aid with the evaluation of transfer credit and provides unofficial notice of credit evaluation.

11.3 Graduate School: Makes and delivers admission decisions, aids with the evaluation of transfer credit and provides official notice of credit evaluation.

11.4 Academic Departments: Consult on course equivalency determinations and participate in appeals.

11.5 Transfer Transition and Engagement: Serves and supports transfer student advising at all stages of their academic journey. Review and maintain articulation agreements.

11.6 Students: Must submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions and relevant documentation in a timely manner for evaluation and matriculation.

12. Resources

12.1 A Guide to Best Practices: Awarding Transfer and Prior Learning Credit .

12.2 American Council on Education Learning Evaluations .

12.3 DOE Institutional Accrediting Agencies .

12.4 Statewide Articulation Agreements .

12.5 UNC Policy Manual and Code .

12.6 The Principles of Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges .

12.7 North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) § 116-11(10c)

12.8 UNCP Academic Catalog

12.9 North Carolina Comprehensive Articulation Agreement .

13. Policy Review and Revision

13.1 This policy will be reviewed every five years or as needed to reflect changes in accreditation standards, articulation agreements, or institutional priorities.

13.2 As required in the CAA and UNC Policy 400.1.5.3[R], transfer Guides will be reviewed and published by May 15 each year for the following fall semester.

13.3 The CAA course list will be reviewed every three years to ensure ongoing and consistent equivalency decisions. Articulation Agreements will be reviewed every two years. New bilateral and multilateral articulation agreements must be shared with the UNC System Office within 30 days of signature.

Related Policies

Additional References