Transfer Credits | Aspen University

Aspen University recognizes that students may have earned credits at a previous institution or have experiential learning. Aspen University accepts credits earned from an appropriately accredited academic institution when the course content is deemed equivalent to that of an Aspen course and the course meets the minimum credit and grade requirements. In order to make that determination, Aspen University will conduct a comprehensive review of a student’s prior, submitted academic work. Aspen University will make every reasonable effort to provide students with an appropriate amount of transfer credit based upon their records. Aspen University adheres to the standards of good practice set forth by our accrediting bodies.

Credit System Transfer Ratio

The number of transfer credits awarded is dependent on the original institution’s credit system. Credits from an institution on a quarter credit system will transfer in at a ratio of two-thirds semester credit for each quarter credit on a course-by-course basis, rounded to the nearest whole credit. Aspen University measures courses in semester credit hours. Converting clock hours to credit hours for the purpose of transfer credit is calculated as follows; one semester credit hour is equal to 45 clock hours.

Example: 100 clock hours is equivalent to 2 semester credit hours.

International Students

Students attempting to transfer in credits earned at institutions outside of the United States must have their academic transcripts evaluated by an appropriate evaluation agency. A transfer credit evaluation will not be completed unless an evaluation is received. Aspen University accepts international evaluations from agencies certified by NACES, AICE, CGFNS, or AACRAO. An evaluation agency must be instructed to provide a course-by-course evaluation report. If the final evaluation does not state that the student’s prior coursework was equivalent to coursework completed at an appropriately accredited institution in the US, the courses will not be elgibile for transfer credit. Students must have the report sent directly to Aspen University. Students should contact their Enrollment Advisor for additional information regarding international transcript evaluation.

Applying for Credit

Students who intend to apply for transfer credits must submit the following with their Admissions Package:

Official transcripts or official foreign evaluations for all potential transfer credits
Course descriptions for all potential transfer credits

Transfer Credit Qualifications

In order to be approved for transfer, credit must meet the below requirements in addition to program specific requirements.

Credit earned must be college level.
Credit earned must match the level of the associated Aspen program (i.e. undergraduate level credits may only be transferred into undergraduate level programs).
Credit must have been earned at an institution where the quality of the education can be verified. Aspen University accepts credit from institutions that are accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDE). Credits must have been earned while the institution was appropriately accredited. If Aspen University is unable to verify the accreditation status of the previous institution, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain documentation from the institution documenting the accreditation status or other documentation that provides information regarding the quality of the education provided by the institution. .
The course completed must meet the course objectives of an Aspen University course. Courses will be evaluated and must have significant comparable content in order to be approved for transfer. In some instances, additional documentation such as a course syllabus may be required in order to complete the transfer credit evaluation. Courses that do not meet the specific content requirements of an Aspen University course may transfer in as a general or liberal arts elective if the student’s program includes elective choice requirements. In the instance of specific general education choice requirements, the credits must meet the content requirements of the choice category.
Prior courses that meet content requirements must also meet the semester credit hour requirement for the course, or the equivalent for credits requiring conversion.

Certificate Programs

Transfer credits are not awarded for Aspen University certificate programs.

Associate’s Degree Programs

A minimum grade of C in every course evaluated for transfer.
Subject to evaluation and approval by the Office of the Registrar, students may be awarded a maximum of 30 transfer credits towards an Aspen University associate’s degree program.

Bachelor’s Degree and Completion Programs

A minimum grade of C in every course evaluated for transfer.
Subject to evaluation and approval by the Office of the Registrar, students may be awarded a maximum of 90 total transfer credits towards an Aspen University bachelor’s degree program. This includes transfer credit awarded towards bachelor completion program requirements.
Nursing courses in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Pre-licensure Program) are not eligible for transfer credit.

Master’s Degree Programs

A minimum grade of B in every course evaluated for transfer.
Subject to evaluation and approval by the Office of the Registrar, students may be awarded a maximum of 18 credits towards an Aspen University master’s degree program, with the following exceptions;
- The Master of Science in Nursing programs accept a maximum of 12 transfer credits.
- The RN to MSN programs accept a maximum of 18 credits.
- The Master of Arts in Psychology and Addiction Counseling accepts a maximum of 24 transfer credits.
School of Nursing transfer credit evaluations are reviewed by the program Dean or Director for content equivalency

Doctoral Degree Programs

A minimum grade of B in every course evaluated for transfer.
Subject to evaluation and approval by the Office of the Registrar, students may be awarded a maximum of 9 credits towards an Aspen University doctoral degree program, with the following exceptions;
- The Doctor of Nursing Practice program accepts a maximum of 6 transfer credits.
Doctoral transfer credit evaluations are reviewed by the program Dean for content equivalency

Appeals of Official Transfer Credit Evaluation

Appeals of official transfer credit evaluations are intended for students who have had an official transfer credit evaluation completed and have previously provided sufficient supporting documentation (e.g. course description, syllabus, academic quality verification documentation, etc). Students should review the University’s transfer credit policies prior to submitting their appeal. Students who believe that their transfer credit evaluation is inconsistent with published policy or are requesting an exception to published policy may appeal by submitting a completed Transfer Credit Appeal Form to the Office of the Registrar within 20 business days of receiving his/her evaluation. Students should contact their Advisor to discuss their appeal and obtain a copy of the Transfer Credit Appeal Form. Appeals will be reviewed and a decision rendered within 10 business days of receipt of the appeal. Transfer credit appeals are reviewed by the Registrar, Program Dean, and/or Provost, depending on the nature of the appeal. The student will be notified of the appeal results via email. All appeals must be complete. Incomplete appeals or verbal appeals will not be considered.

Transferring Aspen University Credits

Acceptance of earned credits is determined at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the responsibility of the student to confirm whether or not credits will be accepted by another institution.

Alternative Transfer Credit

Aspen University accepts the following alternative credits. Alternative transfer credit is defined as credits earned through an institution (not a university) that is deemed equivalent to college-level coursework. Alternative credits will be awarded based on a review of official transcripts or official score reports. A maximum of 25% of credits towards an Aspen University degree can come from a combination of alternative credit and Portfolio Credit.

Military Credit

Credits accepted based on ACE Guidelines. Awarding of credit is determined by an evaluation of ACE credit and content recommendations and the student’s program requirements.
Official military transcripts are required for evaluation.

ACE National Guide

Aspen University will review transfer credit requests regarding credits earned through any of the current organizations listed in the American Council on Education (ACE)’s National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training.
Credits accepted based on ACE Guidelines. Awarding of credit is determined by an evaluation of ACE credit and content recommendations and the student’s program requirements.
Official transcripts/score reports are required for evaluation.

NCCRS Guide

Aspen University will review transfer credit requests regarding credits earned through any of the current organizations listed in the National College Credit Recommendation Service’s guide.
Credits accepted based on NCCRS Guidelines. Awarding of credit is determined by an evaluation of NCCRS credit and content recommendations and the student’s program requirements.
Official transcripts/score reports are required for evaluation.

Portfolio Credit

Prior Experiential Learning (Portfolio Credit) is a learning experience that took place outside of a college or university course, where academic degree credit was not earned. A maximum of 25% of credits towards an Aspen University degree can come from a combination of alternative credit and Portfolio Credit*. Any portfolio credits awarded count towards the total maximum allowable credits outlined in the transfer credit qualification section. Recognized learning experiences include, but are not limited to:

Military Training
Continuing Education Courses (with course descriptions and outcomes)
Seminars and Workshops (with class descriptions and outcomes)
Training Programs or In-Service courses (with program descriptions and outcomes)
On the Job Training (with descriptions and documentation of completion)

Academic Standards for awarding Portfolio Credit are in the Portfolio Guideline Handbook and includes submission of an essay following the Kolb’s Model of Experiential Learning. Credit is awarded for documented learning and must align the experience to the topics and course objectives in an appropriate academic context. Portfolio credit applications are reviewed by the program Dean or designated faculty.

*MSN level courses and doctoral level courses are not eligible for portfolio credit.

Process for Portfolio Credit Application Submission

Students should contact their Advisor for more information regarding the Portfolio Credit application process and to request a copy of the Portfolio Credit Guideline Handbook.