General Policy

A transfer student is defined as any student who has previously matriculated as a degree candidate at another institution and has earned or is earning college-level academic credit at the undergraduate level.

Students applying for transfer to Great Commission University must follow the admission procedures. Official college transcripts from all schools attended must be sent directly from the previously attended college(s) to:

Great Commission University
Attn: Admissions
5755 IN-9
Howe, IN 46746

Coursework transferred or accepted for credit toward any GCU degree must be relevant to the degree program, with course content and level of instruction resulting in student competencies at least equivalent to those of students enrolled in this university’s own degree programs. In assessing and documenting equivalent learning and qualified faculty, GCU personnel consult official institutional catalogs and employ recognized guides which aid in the evaluation for credit.

Such guides include those published by the American Council on Education, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), and the National Association of Foreign Student Affairs, or such services as are provided by AACRAO or the World Education Services (WES).

GCU accepts transfer credit from other accredited educational institutions subject to the following general criteria:

• a minimum grade of “C”(or equivalent); courses graded “pass/fail” are not transferred unless it is stipulated on the transcript that a “pass” required a grade of “C” (2.0) or above;

• Credit is applicable to the GCU program of study in which the student intends to enroll.

In order to assist students with curricular planning, the transfer evaluation process must be completed as soon as possible. After enrollment at the university, courses taken at another institution are evaluated for transfer by the Registrar’s Office.

Transfer courses are evaluated in the Office of Admissions for acceptance of core curriculum requirements and general elective credit. Transfer credits applied toward major requirements are determined in consultation with the appropriate academic divisions.

Specific Policies

Transfer credit is awarded based on specific requirements:

• Credit must be awarded from an official college or university transcript, from an official Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test score report, or from an official document considered equivalent to a transcript by the Registrar.

• Courses taken in a college or university in a continuing education or extension program must be applicable toward the degree being pursued by full-time students at that institution.

• Only equivalent level course work will be accepted toward their respective degrees.

• A student who fails to finish by his/her anticipated graduation date may transfer credits necessary to graduate for up to two years afterwards. After two years, the student will be withdrawn automatically from the university, but may petition the Academic Council for permission to complete the degree.

• Previously awarded transfer credit will be deducted if coursework is repeated.

• Developmental courses that are similar in content to credit earning courses at Great Commission University will be accepted; however, those courses that are not applied toward a degree at the transferring institution will not be accepted.

• No transfer credit is granted for Certificate programs.

• Great Commission University has not entered into an articulation or transfer agreement with any other college or university.

• Transfer students with an earned baccalaureate degree from CHEA- or USDE-recognized accredited institutions normally will have the core curriculum requirements for the undergraduate program waived.

• Courses that are over 10 years old are not transferred directly to Great Commission University unless the courses are part of a baccalaureate or associate degree. However, credits that are over 10 years old may be validated by the student’s successful completion (“C”  or  better) of a recent upper level college course in the discipline.

• Students seeking to transfer credit from institutions outside the United States and Canada are subject to having their transcripts reviewed by a credentials evaluation service as a guide for transfer credit evaluation (see  “Transfer  Students  – Specific  Policies”  section  of  this  Catalog  for  more  information).

Great Commission University reserves the right to notify applicants that they must have their non U.S. academic transcripts evaluated by an academic transcript evaluating agency using a course-by-course report. GCU prefers that transcripts be evaluated by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). In such cases, credit and placement decisions are based on recommendations of AACRAO. (Credentials evaluation reports are the financial responsibility of the applicant.)

Credit Hour Equivalencies

• The credit hour minimums are based on courses from quarter calendar institutions. If a course at another institution is offered for fewer credit hours than an equivalent course at Great Commission University, the student will be given transfer credit for the equivalent course at Great Commission University but only for the number of credit hours earned at the other institution. In such cases, the student may need to take an additional course to fulfill credit hour requirements.

• The credit hour minimums are based on courses from quarter calendar institutions. If a course at another institution is offered for fewer credit hours than an equivalent course at Great Commission University, the student will be given transfer credit for the equivalent course at Great Commission University but only for the number of credit hours earned at the other institution. In such cases, the student may need to take an additional course to fulfill credit hour requirements.

Transfer Grades

• A student’s grade point average at Great Commission University is based only on courses completed at this institution. The Great Commission University grade point average is used to determine academic standing and graduation.

• Transfer grade equivalents will be determined and recorded with the student’s transfer credit. Credit will be  awarded  for  courses  in  which  a  “C”  or  higher  was  earned. Grades  of  “F”  are  included  in  the calculation of the transfer grade point average.

• Transfer grades and grade point averages are assigned on the basis of the Great Commission University grading policy. For courses taken at institutions that use combined grades (e.g., “AB”), the lower grade will be used.

• Courses taken at institutions that use a grading system not comparable to the Great Commission University grading system will be evaluated with the transfer grade equivalents of Pass or Not Pass. “Withdraw  failing” grades are calculated in a student’s  transfer grade  point  average as  “F”  grades.

• When fractions are accumulated and awarded as general electives, grade points are accumulated in similar fashion. For example, a  student  who  took  one  four  quarter  hour  course  with  an  “A”  and  two  four quarter  hour  courses  with  a  “B”  would  receive  general  elective  credit  (to compensate for fractions) for two credit hours and six grade points.