Transfer Credit Policy
Transfer credit will only be accepted if earned at a post-secondary institution having regional or national accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This can be determined through the Council for Higher Education Accreditation website. The student is responsible for requesting an evaluation of external course work and providing official transcripts to the registrar. The student requesting recognition of transfer credit may be requested to provide an academic catalog or other more detailed materials, such as course syllabi. All course work will be evaluated by the appropriate dean, department chair/director or trained transfer credit evaluator. All prior course work should be submitted no later than the end of registration for the student’s first term of study. External transfer credit will be noted on a student’s transcript, but will not be included in the cumulative GPA. If a student receives transfer credit and later enrolls in the same course at American Sentinel, the grade earned in the course will be used in the GPA.
Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces who receive funding through the Veteran’s Administration should be aware of specific regulations regarding transfer credit. An unofficial evaluation may be completed for a potential applicant who desires to have an estimate of the amount of credit that might be awarded as part of his/her decision to enroll. An unofficial transcript may be presented to the appropriate administrator, who will provide a preliminary estimate. The preliminary estimate is neither an award nor a commitment to award credit. Only actual applicants who have provided all requested materials, including an official transcript, may be awarded credit.
General Provisions
The dean or designee, in conjunction with the registrar, is responsible for documenting procedures for transferring external credit, which is made available to students in the academic catalog. For information regarding the awarding of credit of prior educational experience not meeting the criteria for transfer of external credit, see the section on proficiency credit.
Maximum Allowable Transfer Credits
Credits may be transferred from other institutions to count toward required credits for graduation from American Sentinel University. Transfer credits may include credit for experiential or equivalent learning (including challenge/test out credits) up to 25% of the degree credit requirements for the American University bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
- Bachelor’s Degrees: up to 75% of the required hours for graduation may be transferred.
- Master’s Degrees: up to 50% of the required hours for graduation may be transferred.
- Doctoral Degrees: Transfer credit is not awarded except for bridge courses that are equivalent in content and degree level to courses in the American Sentinel University curriculum.
General Criteria for Evaluating External Transfer Credit
- All evaluations are based on the unit’s credit (i.e. quarter or semester hours.) Courses must equal to 4 or more quarter hours to be considered for transfer. See chart below.
- American Sentinel’s evaluation committee assesses the credit transfer value of educational work completed elsewhere. The committee bases their decision on course content, age, and other factors as appropriate. Additional documentation, such as course descriptions and/or syllabi, may be requested. Courses specific to a business or technology major taken more than 8 years prior to enrolling at American Sentinel are less likely to transfer due to changing technology and business practices, however the final decision will be based on a variety of factors.
- The courses must have been college level. Credits earned in development course work and English-as-a–Second-Language courses may not be transferred.
- The undergraduate course must have been completed with a grade of C or better. A numeric average of 70 percent or better is required for schools not using a traditional grading scale.
- The graduate course must have been completed with a grade of B or better. A numeric average of 83 percent or better is required for schools not using a traditional grading scale.
- Credit earned at foreign institutions must be externally evaluated by a foreign credential evaluator approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (unless the school has a trained foreign credential evaluator). See www.naces.org or www.aacrao.org for a list of approved evaluators.
- Military course work must be evaluated according to the criteria of the America Council on Education.
- Provided all course objectives are met, a mismatch of one unit of credit between the American Sentinel degree program course and the external course is allowed.
- One quarter-hour is equivalent to two-thirds of a semester hour. Quarter hours are converted as follows: Quarter credit hours x 0.67 = Semester credit hours
Table 1: Converting Quarter Hours to Semester Hours
| Quarter Hours |
Semester Hours |
Quarter Hours |
Semester Hours |
Quarter Hours |
Semester Hours |
Quarter Hours |
Semester Hours |
Quarter Hours |
Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | 0.67 | 21= | 14 | 41= | 27.33 | 61= | 40.67 | 81= | 54 |
| 2= | 1.33 | 22= | 14.67 | 42= | 28 | 62= | 41.33 | 82= | 54.67 |
| 3= | 2 | 23= | 15.33 | 43= | 28.67 | 63= | 42 | 83= | 55.33 |
| 4= | 2.67 | 24= | 16 | 44= | 29.33 | 64= | 42.67 | 84= | 56 |
| 5= | 3.33 | 25= | 16.67 | 45= | 30 | 65= | 43.33 | 85= | 56.67 |
| 6= | 4 | 26= | 17.33 | 46= | 30.67 | 66= | 44 | 86= | 57.33 |
| 7= | 4.67 | 27= | 18 | 47= | 31.33 | 67= | 44.67 | 87= | 58 |
| 8= | 5.33 | 28= | 18.67 | 48= | 32 | 68= | 45.33 | 88= | 58.67 |
| 9= | 6 | 29= | 19.33 | 49= | 32.67 | 69= | 46 | 89= | 59.33 |
| 10= | 6.67 | 30= | 20 | 50= | 33.33 | 70= | 46.67 | 90= | 60 |
| 11= | 7.33 | 31= | 20.67 | 51= | 34 | 71= | 47.33 | 91= | 60.67 |
| 12= | 8 | 32= | 21.33 | 52= | 34.67 | 72= | 48 | 92= | 61.33 |
| 13= | 8.67 | 33= | 22 | 53= | 35.33 | 73= | 48.67 | 93= | 62 |
| 14= | 9.33 | 34= | 22.67 | 54= | 36 | 74= | 49.33 | 94= | 62.67 |
| 15= | 10 | 35= | 23.33 | 55= | 36.67 | 75= | 50 | 95= | 63.33 |
| 16= | 10.67 | 36= | 24 | 56= | 37.33 | 76= | 50.67 | 96= | 64 |
| 17= | 11.33 | 37= | 24.67 | 57= | 38 | 77= | 51.33 | 97= | 64.67 |
| 18= | 12 | 38= | 25.33 | 58= | 38.67 | 78= | 52 | 98= | 65.33 |
| 19= | 12.67 | 39= | 26 | 59= | 39.33 | 79= | 52.67 | 99= | 66 |
| 20= | 13.33 | 40= | 26.67 | 60= | 40 | 80= | 53.33 | 100= | 66.67 |
Table 2: Converting Quarter Hours to Semester Hours
| Quarter Hours |
Semester Hours |
Quarter Hours |
Semester Hours |
Quarter Hours |
Semester Hours |
Quarter Hours |
Semester Hours |
Quarter Hours |
Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101= | 67.33 | 121= | 80.67 | 141= | 94 | 161= | 107.33 | 181= | 120.67 |
| 102= | 68 | 122= | 81.33 | 142= | 94.67 | 162= | 108 | 182= | 121.33 |
| 102= | 68.67 | 123= | 82 | 143= | 95.33 | 163= | 108.67 | 183= | 122 |
| 104= | 69.33 | 124= | 82.67 | 144= | 96 | 164= | 109.33 | 184= | 122.67 |
| 105= | 70 | 125= | 83.33 | 145= | 96.67 | 165= | 110 | 185= | 123.33 |
| 106= | 70.67 | 126= | 84 | 146= | 97.33 | 166= | 110.67 | 186= | 124 |
| 107= | 71.33 | 127= | 84.67 | 147= | 98 | 167= | 111.33 | 187= | 124.67 |
| 108= | 72 | 128= | 85.33 | 148= | 98.67 | 168= | 112 | 188= | 125.33 |
| 109= | 72.67 | 129= | 86 | 149= | 99.33 | 169= | 112.67 | 189= | 126 |
| 110= | 73.33 | 130= | 86.67 | 150= | 100 | 170= | 113.33 | 190= | 126.67 |
| 111= | 74 | 131= | 87.33 | 151= | 100.67 | 171= | 114 | 191= | 127.33 |
| 112= | 74.67 | 132= | 88 | 152= | 101.33 | 172= | 114.67 | 192= | 128 |
| 113= | 75.33 | 133= | 88.67 | 153= | 102 | 173= | 115.33 | 193= | 128.67 |
| 114= | 76 | 134= | 89.33 | 154= | 102.67 | 174= | 116 | 194= | 129.33 |
| 115= | 76.67 | 135= | 90 | 155= | 103.33 | 175= | 116.67 | 195= | 130 |
| 116= | 77.33 | 136= | 90.67 | 156= | 104 | 176= | 117.33 | 196= | 130.67 |
| 117= | 78 | 137= | 91.33 | 157= | 104.67 | 177= | 118 | 197= | 131.33 |
| 118= | 78.67 | 138= | 92 | 158= | 105.33 | 178= | 118.67 | 198= | 132 |
| 119= | 79.33 | 139= | 92.67 | 159= | 106 | 179= | 119.33 | 199= | 132.67 |
| 120= | 80 | 140= | 93.33 | 160= | 106.67 | 180= | 120 | 200= | 133.33 |
Core Course Requirements
The core course requirements cover the knowledge and technical skills required for success in a program’s major subject and, typically, only course credit may be awarded in these areas. For this type of credit, the transfer credit evaluator must validate the comparability of the external course work with the specific course. Discipline credit may be awarded for core course requirements when the dean deems it appropriate.
General Education Requirements
American Sentinel believes in the importance of general education helping broaden students’ perspectives and extend their range of learning. The university’s catalog defines the courses within the general education curriculum. Discipline credit may be awarded when a transferred course falls within the same discipline as a specific degree related course even if it does not meet the strict requirements for a specific course.
Students residing in the state of Arkansas should refer to the State Regulatory section of the catalog for specific information regarding their General Education requirements.
Students residing in the state of Minnesota should refer to the State Regulatory section of the catalog for specific information regarding their General Education requirements.
Articulation Agreements
American Sentinel University maintains lists of acceptable courses from other institutions to promote consistency and to reduce the effort involved in the transfer credit process. Formal articulation agreements require the approval of the president and the provost.
Provisions for Students Possessing Bachelor’s Degrees
The general education component of a bachelor’s degree granted by a regional or national accredited school will be recognized by American Sentinel. For programs with freshman-level entry, transfer students possessing bachelor’s degrees receive course area credit for most general education courses, regardless of the disciplines studied.
Credit for Prerequisite Courses
Advanced courses frequently have prerequisite courses that cover material required for the subsequent course. For this reason, if a student receives transfer credit for an advanced course, transfer credit is not awarded for the prerequisite course if the student did not take the corresponding course. Additionally, the requirement to take the prerequisite course will not be waived. Students who believe they have mastered prerequisite course material may request proficiency examinations.
Proficiency Credit
American Sentinel University offers students the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in a course’s content and receive course credit by examination or portfolio review. Proficiency exams may be developed and administered by the school or they may be administered by a national program such as CLEP, DANTES or AP. Credit received this way will be noted as proficiency credit on the student’s transcript but will not be included in grade point average or rate of progress calculations. Such credit will be included in the timeframe measurement calculation. If a student receives proficiency credit and later enrolls in the course, the grade earned in the course will be used in the grade point average calculation.
Internal Proficiency Credit (Test Out)
Students are responsible for requesting proficiency examinations. Such a request is granted if an examination is available and the dean or designee believes the student’s experience or training warrants such an evaluation. The dean is responsible for developing proficiency examinations, for maintaining the examination procedures that ensure the integrity of the examinations process and for setting fees as outlined in the academic catalog or student handbook. Proficiency examination requests will not be honored if the student:
- Is currently enrolled in the course beyond the add/drop deadline.
- Was previously enrolled in the course for which the exam is being requested.
- Previously failed the proficiency exam for the course.
- Previously failed the course.
Any student requesting a proficiency exam who does not have credit for the prerequisite course must obtain approval from the dean. If the proficiency credit is granted, the student must still earn credit for the prerequisite course through proficiency credit, transfer credit or successful completion of the course. All tests and supporting documentation are retained in the student’s academic file.
To discuss proficiency testing, a student should contact his or her student success advisor. The student success advisor will contact the dean and the director of academics to initiate the process. Only a pass or fail grade will be issued.
Experiential Learning Portfolio
Adult students bring tremendous assets to the classroom through their personal and professional experiences. Such students’ desire to learn and gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter raises the expectation of the adult learning experience to a higher standard. American Sentinel recognizes this and understands that learning is a lifelong activity and that many life learning experiences have a value equivalent to college-level learning. The experiential learning portfolio (ELP) is a method whereby learning gained through an individual’s life learning is evaluated for possible college credit toward an American Sentinel course. The student assembles and submits a portfolio, which is evaluated by faculty subject-matter experts. Developing an ELP for a course requires considerable effort, as the student must demonstrate that life learning has provided the equivalent of at least 80 percent of the learning objectives for the course. Evaluation of credit earned through ELP is available only to enrolled students.
Professional Training/Certification Credit
Proficiency credit for certain courses may be granted to students who hold current specific industry-recognized professional certifications. Such certifications will be reviewed by the provost, dean or designee for proficiency credit. Where available, the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service (www.acenet.edu) should be used to assess such certifications or training. Evaluation and supporting documentation should be retained in the student’s academic file.
Transfer Credit Documentation
The awarding of external transfer credit will be clearly documented in each student’s file. Student files will include an original transcript(s) from the previous institution(s).
Transfer Credit Policy Doctoral Courses
No doctoral level courses will be accepted for transfer. All credits must be taken at American Sentinel University.
Transferability of American Sentinel University Credit
American Sentinel University has no control over whether or not another university will accept its credits as transfer credits. Many do; however decisions about transfer of credit are made by individual colleges and universities. There are many reasons that credits might not transfer. Sometimes there is not an appropriate match in curriculum between two schools. Students should contact the registrar at the university in question to determine whether credits from American Sentinel will transfer to that institution. For additional information related to the transferability of credits, visit www.chea.org and read the handbook on the Fundamentals of Accreditation, and www.detc.org (American Sentinel’s accrediting body) and read Student Guide to Transfer of Credit.
