COLLEGE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
MEMORANDUM NO. 12

POLICY ON TRANSFER CREDIT


Revised: May 1, 1987

Original Number: 113
Original Date of Issue: March 26, 1980
Reissued: 113A - May 1, 1987

The widespread practice of awarding quantitative credits for work done in another accredited post-secondary institution is based on the presumption that courses of similar title and content description, and which are taught at the same level of academic progress, are equal and interchangeable. In fact, this is rarely true. Nevertheless, there is enough similarity to permit a pragmatic "transfer of credits". Implicit in the practice is the assumption by the receiving institution that the work so credited is a sound basis for further and advanced study in the same discipline, and is adequate to maintain the performance standard postulated for its own degree. The Community College of Philadelphia, accredited by the Middle States Association of Universities, Colleges, and Secondary Schools, supports and concurs in this common practice.

GENERAL STATEMENT: Transfer credit will be given for courses taken at an accredited college in which the grade earned was a "C" or better.

This statement is qualified as follows:

  1. The Office of Admissions is responsible for the implementation of this policy and for the development, in collaboration with other affected offices, of necessary operating procedures.

    Final determination concerning acceptance of courses will be made by the Vice President for Academic Affairs or his designee in consultation with Department Heads or Program Directors if he deems it appropriate.

  2. Transfer credit will not be granted if granting such credit is contrary to the requirements of any recognized local, state, or federal accrediting or certifying agencies.

  3. Transfer of course credit earned ten or more years prior will be accepted in the same manner as all other requests, except where the Department has designated otherwise. In those instances when transfer credit is not awarded, the student may submit his/her previous work as evidence in support of an application for "Credit by Examination or Life Experience" or course waiver providing it is not contrary to existing College Policies and Procedures. In addition, the College reserves the right to require assessment and mandate appropriate placement into courses considered essential for satisfactory academic progress.

  4. If the student has completed a two-semester introductory course in which the material is additive and has received a "D" and "C" (in that order), he/she may be given "course credit" for the first semester, graduation credit for the second semester, and will not have to repeat the sequence. This option will not apply in those disciplines when the course is required by a discipline to be completed at a "C" or better.

  5. Credit will be awarded for religion and philosophy courses given at a sectarian college when the catalogue indicates that the courses were not given as dogma.

  6. Credit will be awarded for courses from an accredited college in which the grade earned was "C" or better, whether or not similar courses are offered at Community College of Philadelphia. These courses may satisfy both distribution and graduation requirements. Grades of "C" or better earned at institutions accredited by organizations other than Regional accrediting bodies will not be considered for credit or as a prerequisite of a subsequent course at Community College of Philadelphia. A student must still complete his or her full complement of credits and the total quantitative requirements for graduation. However, previous work may be submitted as evidence in support of an application for "Credit by Examination or Life Experience" or course waiver providing it is not contrary to existing College Policies and Procedures.

  7. If a student has completed work in a highly specialized curriculum in which there were courses directly related but not parallel to those offered at Community College of Philadelphia, the appropriate discipline will be consulted in the evaluation process. Should transfer credit not be awarded, the student may submit his/her previous work as evidence in support of an application for "Credit by Examination of Life Experience".

  8. If a student has taken a two-credit course at an accredited college, credit will be awarded as follows:

    1. If two semesters of a two-semester course or sequence are completed, the student will receive four (4) transfer credits but must complete the second semester of the Community College of Philadelphia course or sequence for which he/she will be awarded full CCP credit.

    2. If a one-semester, or one semester of a two-semester course is taken, the student will receive the two (2) transfer credits which may, with the appropriate discipline approval, satisfy a course prerequisite, but he/she will have to make up the one (1) credit, quantitatively, in another course.

  9. If a student seeks transfer credit for work completed under the quarter system, credit will be awarded as follows:

    1. A one-year course of nine (9) quarter hours (normally three (3) quarter hours in each of three successive quarters) equals six (6) semester hours.

    2. A two-quarter course of six (6) quarter hours (normally two (2) 3-quarter hours in each of two successive quarters) equals four (4) semester hours and will be treated as two two-credit courses in #8 above.

    3. A one-quarter course of three (3) quarter hours (or 3-quarter hours in a single quarter) equals two (2) semester hours and will be treated as one two-credit course in #8 above.

  10. The policy will be administered in a non-discriminatory manner.


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