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Transfer Credit Policy
The maximum number of transfer credits awarded cannot exceed one-half (50 percent) of the total credits required for a certificate or degree program. Only credits from regionally and nationally accredited colleges and programs are acceptable. For commonly transferred courses, visit our website’s course equivalency guide. Transfer credits will be evaluated upon matriculation (acceptance) into a program.
It is the responsibility of the student to:
- Contact the Registrar’s Office at each college where he/she has earned credits to have a transcript sent for evaluation of coursework that may apply to the program at SUNY Niagara.
- Request that an official transcript is sent to the Admissions Office at SUNY Niagara.
Transfer credit will be granted when a course applies to the certificate or degree program at SUNY Niagara. Please note:
- Only courses with a grade of C (2.0) or above are eligible for transfer. Grades of C-, D+, D, D-, F, or U will not be accepted. Courses with a grade of S (Satisfactory) may be accepted, except in certain allied health programs or for “major” courses in some programs.
- College credits are evaluated based on applicability to the degree major. If your major is changed after arriving at SUNY Niagara, transfer credits will be re-evaluated based on the new major.
- When a course is accepted for transfer credit from another college, a grade of “T” will be noted on the transcript and degree evaluation. The “T” grade carries no point value; therefore, it is not considered when calculating the term, degree, or cumulative GPA. Once transfer credit is accepted, it cannot be removed.
- Transfer credits carry “earned hours” only, not GPA hours.
- If a student completes a course at SUNY Niagara for which transfer credit was already accepted, the course credits taken at SUNY Niagara will apply toward the program and be used when calculating the grade point average. If a student earns a failing or nonperformance grade (F, U, I, J, X, or W grade) in the repeated attempt, the original transfer credit awarded can be used to meet the major requirements for graduation, but the SUNY Niagara course will be counted in the grade point average. All grades will remain on the transcript.
- The student will receive written confirmation indicating courses that have been accepted for transfer credit.
- AP (Advanced Placement) transcripts and CLEP (CEEB College Level Examination Program) scores must come directly from College Board. Contact CollegeBoard.org to request an official copy to be sent to SUNY Niagara. Scores of 3 or higher on AP exams in applicable courses are acceptable.
- International Baccalaureate (IB) credit is awarded for courses taken in high school with an HL designation and a score of 4 or higher. An IB transcript must be submitted to receive credit.
- Credits earned through military service as recommended by the American Council on Education Registry are acceptable, as are other military credits, when applicable to the curriculum. Appropriate military documents (DD214, military transcript) must be submitted to receive credit.
- If college courses were taken in high school, you must request an official transcript from the college through which those courses were taken in order for the credit to be evaluated.
- If you earned credits at a college or university outside of the United States you must have your credits evaluated by a professional Credential Evaluation Agency. These agencies provide professional course-by-course evaluations of college and university credits.
- Students who transfer from SUNY Niagara to another college or university without completing degree or certificate requirements will be permitted to transfer credit hours to SUNY Niagara for the fulfillment of graduation requirements. A maximum of 50 percent of credits required for a certificate or degree program can be transferred from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university to SUNY Niagara.
- In some programs of study, older coursework may require a secondary review from program coordinators prior to transfer credit acceptance.
Allied Health 3-or-5-Year Course Policies
- Medical Assistant: If a student has taken any course (at SUNY Niagara or another college or university) with a MED, BIO, or PHA prefix five or more years before enrolling in a subsequent MED, BIO, or PHA course, the MED, BIO, or PHA course(s) must be repeated.
- Nursing: If a student has taken any course (at SUNY Niagara or another college or university) with a NUR, PHA, or BIO prefix more than five years before entering the Nursing program, the NUR, PHA, BIO course must be repeated.
- Phlebotomist: If a student has taken any course with a MED, PHL, or BIO prefix five or more years before enrolling in a subsequent MED, PHL, or BIO course, the MED, PHL, or BIO course(s) must be repeated.
- Practical Nursing: If a student has taken any course (at SUNY Niagara or another college or university) with a NUR or BIO prefix five or more years before enrolling in a subsequent NUR or BIO course, the NUR/BIO course(s) must be repeated.
- Radiologic Technology: If a student has taken any course (at SUNY Niagara or another college or university) with a RAD or BIO prefix five or more years before enrolling in a subsequent RAD or BIO course, the course must be repeated. A waiver may be requested but will need to be approved by the coordinator.
- Surgical Technology: If a student has taken any course (at SUNY Niagara or another college or university) with a SUR or BIO prefix three or more years before enrolling in a subsequent SUR or BIO course, the SUR or BIO course (s) must be repeated.
SUNY Transfer Credit Appeal Process
Students who do not agree with the college’s decision on the granting or placement of credit earned at a prior SUNY institution have the right to submit an appeal to the college’s Transfer Credit Evaluator.
Students requesting an appeal should be prepared to provide reasonable material to support their case, such as the course description or syllabus in question. Contact the Transfer Credit Evaluator in the Registration and Records Office to begin the appeals process. If you do not agree with the SUNY Niagara decision, you may appeal to the SUNY system provost at http://www.suny.edu/provost/transfer/studenttransferappeal.cfm.
Transfer Credit Policies
The usual processing time for credit evaluation is approximately one week. However, the process may take longer during peak times (beginning and ending of semesters). Early submission of transcripts allows for earlier advisement and registration planning.
AP/CLEP/IB Credit
- AP (Advanced Placement) transcripts and CLEP (CEEB College Level Examination Program) scores must come directly from College Board. Contact CollegeBoard.org to request an official copy to be sent to SUNY Niagara. Scores of 3 or higher on AP exams in applicable courses are acceptable.
- International Baccalaureate (IB) credit is awarded for courses taken in high school with an HL designation and a score of 4 or higher. An IB transcript must be submitted to receive credit.
College Credit Earned in High School
If college courses were taken in high school, you must request an official transcript from the College through which those courses were taken in order for the credit to be evaluated.
Credit and Grade Policies
- Courses must have a minimum grade of C (2.0) to be considered for transfer. S (Satisfactory) grades will also be considered, with the exclusion of certain Allied Health programs.
- College credits are evaluated based on applicability to the degree major. If your major is changed after arriving at SUNY Niagara, transfer credits will be re-evaluated based on the new major.
- The maximum number of credits awarded cannot exceed one-half of the total credits required for the degree at SUNY Niagara. At least fifty percent of your degree requirements must be met at SUNY Niagara.
- Grades from previous colleges will not apply to your SUNY Niagara grade point average. Transfer grades appear on the transcript and degree evaluation as a “T” grade and carry earned hours only.
General Transfer/Transcript Policies
- Only credits from regionally and nationally accredited colleges and programs are acceptable. For commonly transferred courses, visit our Course Equivalency Guide.
- If currently enrolled at another college, you have the option to send the most recent official transcript with completed coursework for early evaluation. You will need to send a final official transcript at the conclusion of the current semester for evaluation of courses in progress and to complete the transfer process.
- Student transcripts from previously-attended institutions that were provided for admissions consideration become the property of SUNY Niagara and are considered official only at the time of receipt. SUNY Niagara does not provide copies of transcripts from other institutions that are part of a student’s education record. In order to obtain accurate up-to-date information and assure that no protocol of the issuing institution is circumvented, a student must contact the originating school for a copy of that transcript.
International Institution Credit Evaluations
- If you earned credits at a college or university outside of the United States you must have your credits evaluated by a professional Credential Evaluation Agency. These agencies provide a professional course-by-course evaluation of college and university credits. Charges for this service may vary. Some resources are Educational Credential Evaluators, World Education Services, and Josef Silny & Associates.
- SUNY Niagara requires that an international transcript evaluation be conducted by a NACES recognized member as found on www.naces.org/members.html.
Military Service Credit
Credits earned through military service as recommended by the American Council on Education Registry are acceptable, as are other military credits, when applicable to the major. Appropriate military documents (DD214, military transcript) must be submitted to receive credit.
Transfer Credit Appeal
Students who do not agree with the College’s decision regarding credit earned at a prior SUNY institution may submit an appeal to the College’s Transfer Credit Evaluator. Students requesting an appeal must provide reasonable material to support their case, such as the course description or syllabus. Contact the SUNY Niagara Transfer Credit Evaluators in the Registration & Records Office (A201) to begin the appeals process. If an agreement cannot be reached, an appeal may be made to the SUNY system provost.
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