Skip to Content
Policy and Procedure Statements

G/PPS 02.06 - Transfer and Award of Undergraduate Academic Credit

Transfer and Award of Undergraduate Academic Credit

G/PPS No. 02.06
Issue No. 5
Revised: 10/24/2023
Effective Date: 5/19/2023
Next Review Date: 5/01/2025 (E2Y)
Sr. Reviewer: Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management; Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Advising and Transitions

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to providing and maintaining an effective process for evaluating and awarding undergraduate transfer credit.

  1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

    1. This document defines the policies and procedures relating to the transfer and award of undergraduate academic credit from other post-secondary institutions to Texas State University.

    2. Transfer of credit from another institution to Texas State involves consideration of accreditation, comparability of course work, and applicability of that course work to a Texas State degree program. Every reasonable effort will be made to reduce the gap between credits accepted for the purpose of transfer and the applicability of credit toward the degree.

    3. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions operates in accordance with Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) regulations and standards regarding transfer credit policies and procedures.

  2. DEFINITIONS

    1. Credit-by-Examination – credit earned through examination.

    2. Direct Equivalency – courses that have direct Texas State course equivalency.

    3. Elective Advanced (ELADV) – upper-level junior and senior courses that have transfer credit value, but which do not have an exact Texas State course equivalency.

    4. Elective Non-Advanced (ELNA) – freshman and sophomore level courses that have transfer credit value, but which do not have an exact Texas State course equivalency.

    5. Field of Study (FOS) – an official block of major program courses that are required by law to be accepted by the major program. These are lower-division courses.

    6. Non-Transferable (NOCRD) – courses that hold no transfer value for either admission or degree purposes. Generally, these are courses that are remedial, preparatory, or developmental in nature.

    7. Respective Faculty – a person academically qualified to make the necessary judgements.

    8. Technical and Vocational (VOCED) – course work that is meant to prepare the student for a particular job or trade.

    9. Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) – developed to facilitate transfer of general academic courses between Texas public institutions. Common courses are included in the ACGM Lower Division Academic Course Guide Manual published by the THECB. Common course numbers are used to determine which lower-level courses transfer between Texas public institutions.

    10. Transfer Credit – courses taken at one college or university that can be used for credit at another institution.

  3. ACCREDITATION

    1. Accreditation – Texas State considers for transfer credit (subject to other provisions outlined below) course work completed at degree-granting institutions that have been granted membership or candidacy status (by the time the course work was completed) by one of the regional institutional accrediting organizations or national faith-related accrediting organizations approved by the Department of Education or Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

    2. Faith-Related Accreditation – Courses from institutions accredited by a national faith-related accrediting organization approved by the Department of Education or Council for Higher Education Accreditation will be evaluated for transfer credit. Remedial courses are nontransferable. Religious courses of a doctrinal or denominational character (sacraments, Christian approaches to missions, etc.) are nontransferable.

    3. No Regional Accreditation – Course work from an institution that is neither regionally accredited nor a candidate for such accreditation is not recognized for admission or transfer purposes. Texas State does not accept credit from institutions with accreditation solely from national career-related accrediting organizations, or professional and specialized accrediting organizations.

    4. Credit from Abroad – Course work completed at foreign institutions is evaluated on an individual basis. Foreign institutions must be officially recognized by their Ministry of Education for transfer credit to be considered. Guidelines in publications such as the World Education Series are used to assist in the evaluation of these credentials. Credit for study abroad is granted in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Education Abroad Transfer Credit Agreement form.

  4. ROLES

    1. Role of the Faculty, Department and Program Chair, or School Director and College Dean – The applicability of transferred credit toward a degree at Texas State is the decision of the college dean. The process begins with the respective faculty who determine the applicability of the transferred credit on a course-by-course basis. These decisions are maintained by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions which includes a re-evaluation schedule. Texas State faculty have identified common course number equivalents for many of its lower division courses. These are identified in the Texas State catalog and updated annually. Student appeals for re-evaluation of vocational and transferred credit are reviewed by the appropriate faculty. If the faculty and program coordinator recommend acceptance of the credit, it must include final approval by the department or program chair or school director and college dean. It is sometimes necessary for the transfer student to provide such materials as catalogs, course descriptions, syllabi, class assignments, or textbooks to assure proper evaluation.

    2. Role of Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Advising and Transitions – The assistant vice provost for Academic Advising and Transitions oversees the evaluation of courses upon a student’s request from out-of-state or private institutions for fulfillment of general education core curriculum components.

    3. Role of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in Determining Transfer Credit – The Office of Undergraduate Admissions manages the process of reviewing transfer credit and works with the respective faculty to review each transferable course taken at another college. The process begins with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions determining if the sending institution meets the accreditation requirements and if so, then determines if the course is transferable. Once a course is determined to be transferable, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions makes a recommendation for direct equivalency to the respective faculty for a decision. Courses without a recommended direct equivalency are coded as electives and faculty will determine how the course will be used to meet degree requirements. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will send all direct equivalent courses to the respective faculty for a re-evaluation should the course title or description change and will maintain a review schedule for the re-evaluation of direct equivalent courses. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will create an evaluated transcript for each applicant whose file is complete and provide students access to their evaluated transcripts after a decision has been made on their application.

  5. PROCEDURES FOR ACCEPTANCE OF TRANSFER CREDIT FROM ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS

    1. Explanation of Evaluation Symbols – The Office of Undergraduate Admissions personnel assign evaluation symbols to all courses submitted.

      1. Courses that have been evaluated by faculty to have direct Texas State course equivalency are equated to the Texas State course number and assigned the four-digit number used by Texas State.

      2. Elective courses are recorded as ELNA, for lower-level freshman and sophomore courses and ELADV, for upper-level junior and senior courses.

      3. Physical fitness activity courses are evaluated as “Activity” (ACT). These courses are transferable for admission and degree-seeking purposes.

      4. Courses evaluated as VOCED are not transferable and are not computed in the transfer grade point average (GPA). VOCED courses may not be used for admission purposes. In cases where VOCED courses support a student’s degree program, the student may request that the respective faculty, chair, or director of their major department, school, or program review the courses after enrollment at Texas State and declaration of a major. If the faculty and program coordinator recommend acceptance of the credit, it must include final approval by the departmental and program chair and director or school director and college dean. The approved VOCED credit will be recorded on the student’s official Texas State transcript for application to that degree program only. Should the student change majors, the applicability of the VOCED credit toward the new major is subject to review by the faculty and chair or director and dean of the student’s new major department and college.

      5. Courses that hold no transfer value for either admission or degree purposes are evaluated as NOCRD.

    2. Texas Common Course Numbering System – Texas State faculty have identified common course number equivalents for many of its lower division courses. These are identified in the Texas State catalog and updated annually.

    3. Partially completed FOS courses will be evaluated to determine what requirements remain that must be completed at Texas State. The FOS for each major will be proposed by a faculty team of 12 community college and 12 four-year institution faculty. With the FOS, the faculty will remain the responsible party for course evaluation.

    4. Workforce Education Courses – The Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM) is the state inventory of workforce education courses for Texas public junior or community colleges. WECM courses are evaluated as VOCED and do not transfer to Texas State for admission or GPA purposes. However, in cases where a specific WECM course has been reviewed by the respective faculty and an articulation agreement exists, Texas State will accept the WECM course as a direct equivalent or for elective credit.

    5. Transfer GPA – In computing GPA for transferable course work, all grades are computed with grade and hour value. The grade earned at the sending institution is the grade transferred to Texas State, except that a plus or a minus is disregarded. Number grades are converted to the A-F (four-point) grading scale. A grade of D or F transfers for admission purposes but may not be accepted by a student’s major department, school, or program.

      Courses completed in units other than semester hours are converted to semester hours using information from the sending institution’s transcript or catalog. Quarter hours are converted at the rate of one to two-thirds (e.g., five quarter hours = 3.335 semester hours, four quarter hours = 2.668 semester hours, and three-quarter hours = 2.001 semester hours). The official Texas State transcript separates transfer course work and grades from Texas State course work and grades. The transfer GPA is used to determine eligibility for admission purposes. Credits transferred are included in the total hours the student has earned, but the grades and quality points do not affect the student’s Texas State GPA, but do calculate into an overall GPA that may be used in some university processes such as course prerequisites.

    6. * Junior or Community College Hours Accepted – Texas State will apply to an undergraduate degree up to 72 semester credit hours from an accredited junior or community college. If the number of hours transferred from a junior or community college exceeds 72, the student’s advising center will coordinate input from the appropriately credentialed faculty and units to provide a recommendation to the college dean how the student will satisfy degree requirements.

    7. Associate Degree – The holding of an associate degree from another institution is recognized in designating the highest educational level of an entering student. The holding of an associate degree from another institution does not affect admission, transfer of credit, or transfer policies and practices at Texas State. A student who has graduated with an associate degree from an institution of higher learning whose accreditation is recognized by SACSCOC is exempt from taking an initial Texas Success Initiative (TSI) test. All TSI exemptions can be found on the TSI Exemptions website.

    8. Second Bachelor’s Degree – The Office of Undergraduate Admissions does not post transfer credit for students who have been awarded a baccalaureate degree. Course work taken after the degree will be posted to the student’s Texas State transcript. Students should work directly with their major department, school, or program to determine how course work from the first degree applies to their second degree.

  6. PROCEDURES FOR RESOLUTION OF TRANSFER DISPUTES FOR LOWER-DIVISION COURSES

    1. Texas State recognizes the THECB’s established procedures to be followed by public institutions of higher education in the resolution of transfer credit disputes involving lower-division courses.

      1. If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, the receiving institution shall give written notice to the student and to the sending institution that transfer of the course credit is denied and shall include in that notice the reasons for denying the credit. Attached to the written notice shall be the procedures for resolution of transfer disputes for lower-division courses as outlined in this section, accompanied by clear instructions outlining the procedure for appealing the decision to the commissioner.

      2. The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of the course credit in accordance with THECB’s rules and guidelines.

      3. If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of denial, the institution may notify the commissioner in writing of the request for transfer dispute resolution, and the institution that denies the course credit for transfer shall notify the commissioner in writing of its denial and the reasons for the denial.

      4. The commissioner of Higher Education, or designee, shall make the final determination about the dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institutions.

      5. All public institutions of higher education shall publish the procedures described in Subsections a. and b. in their undergraduate course catalogs.

      6. All public institutions of higher education shall furnish data to the THECB on transfer disputes as the THECB may require in accordance with its statutory responsibilities under Section 61.078(e) of the Education Code.

      7. If a receiving institution has cause to believe that a course being presented by a student for transfer from another school is not of an acceptable level of quality, it should notify the commissioner of Higher Education. The commissioner may investigate the course. If its quality is found to be unacceptable, THECB may discontinue funding for the course.

  7. PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION OF NON-TRADITIONAL CREDIT

    1. Credit for Experiential Learning – The Department of Organization, Workforce, and Leadership Studies (OWLS) program in the College of Applied Arts is the only academic unit at Texas State that awards academic credit for experiential learning. Such credit is validated after enrollment at Texas State according to established criteria determined by the OWLS faculty and is forwarded to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for posting to the student’s record. Should a student change majors, the validation of extra-institutional credit will be re-evaluated by the new department, school, or program.

    2. Military Service Credit – An institution of higher education shall award to an undergraduate student who is admitted to the institution, including a student who is readmitted under Texas Education Code § 51.3042, course credit for all physical education courses required by the institution and for additional semester credit hours, not to exceed 12, that may be applied to satisfy any elective course requirements for the student’s degree program for courses outside the student’s major or minor if the student:

      1. graduated from a public or private high school accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the U.S. Department of Defense;

      2. received an honorable discharge as a former member of the armed forces of the United States; and

      3. completed a minimum of two years of service in the armed services or was discharged because of a disability.

      Students are required to submit the following information:

      1. DD214 (upon receipt student will be credited 2 hours of physical education activity);

      2. Joint Services Transcript (JST) (upon receipt student will be credited with 12 hours of military science); and

      3. Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) Transcript (if applicable).

      Other military coursework may be considered for transfer credit. Texas State utilizes the American Council on Education’s Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services to assess potential transferability of military occupational specialties. Careful consideration should be given to the total effect of the additional course credit on degree progress and other institutional rules.

      1. Texas State may grant credit for lower- and upper-division baccalaureate category recommendations.

      2. Texas State does not award credit for vocational or graduate level work.

      3. After enrolling, students are encouraged to contact their department or school of their major and/or consult with their academic advisor to request additional degree applicable transfer credit be added to their academic record.

      4. Credit awarded for military education or experience may not be used for admission purposes.

    3. Credit-by-Examination – The Testing, Evaluation, and Measurement Center posts other credit earned by exam, such as College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB).

      The Office of Undergraduate Admissions does not review credit by exam reported on a Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) transcript. The DANTES transcript is forwarded to the Testing, Evaluation, and Measurement Center for review.

    4. Credit for Professional, Health-Related Credentials/Licenses – The College of Health Professions awards academic credit for professional, health-related credentials/licenses. After enrollment at Texas State, such credit is validated according to established criteria determined by school directors/department chairs/program chairs in the College of Health Professions. The director/chair will confirm the student has successfully earned a qualifying professional, health-related credential/license and will approve the request to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for posting block credit to the student’s record. Should a student change majors, the validation of extra-institutional credit will be re-evaluated.

  8. PROCEDURE FOR EVALUATION OF CREDIT FROM INSTITUTIONS WITH NO REGIONAL ACCREDITATION

    1. Course work is not transferable to Texas State from institutions that do not have regional or faith-related accreditation, and appeals are not considered.

  9. REVIEWERS OF THIS PPS

    1. Reviewers of this PPS include the following:

      PositionDate
      Associate Vice President for Enrollment ManagementMay 1 E2Y
      Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Advising and TransitionsMay 1 E2Y

  10. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

    This PPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Global policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

    Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management; co-senior reviewer of this PPS

    Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Advising and Transitions; co-senior reviewer of this PPS

    Vice President for TXST Global