Transfer Credits

Transfer credit is considered for courses which meet the following criteria:

• Courses must have the same semester hour (or equivalent quarter hour) credit.
• Courses must be documented on an official transcript and have a minimum grade of "C".
• Courses must be from a school that is accredited by a recognized accrediting body or if not, will be subject to departmental approval.
• Courses must have the equivalent content as determined by catalog course description or evaluation  by  the  Director  of  Student  Records  and  Information  Management  and departmental faculty.  Time limitations may restrict the transfer of some courses into the College if it is determined that course material is outdated. Physical and biological sciences courses over five years old are not considered for transfer credit. If courses fall outside the timeframe, credit may be received by examination or on a case-by-case basis as a result of current experience in the discipline.
• Transfer credit will be considered for international courses/degrees and for  military services schools provided that the student utilizes an acceptable professional organization (e.g.,  American Council  Education (ACE)  Guide to  the  Evaluation  of  Educational Experiences  in the  Armed Services, World Education Services (WES), or  any NACES approved evaluator, for evaluation of/conversion to college credits.
• Humanities transfer credit is limited to the type of humanities courses offered at Cabarrus College which include but are not limited to World Literature I, Music Appreciation, Art, World Religions, and Introduction to Hispanic Culture and Language. All courses that are approved for the HUM ELECT transfer credit must either have a cultural and historical/human element in the course description (or in the course objectives or syllabi) or be specified in a signed articulation agreement.

Applicants requesting transfer credit for courses in the major may also be asked to submit the following:

• course description and/or course syllabus if the course has not previously been deemed "transferable" by departmental faculty evaluation
• results of pre-entrance tests/achievement tests given at previous institution
• progress evaluation by a program official of the previous institution and statement of reason for transfer

Grades in courses being transferred are not utilized in the calculation of GPA.

All transfer credits must be finalized with the Office of Student Records and Information Management by the end of the first semester of enrollment. After the student is accepted to the college, the Office of Student Records and Information Management will review and award approved transfer credits. Students are encouraged to compare their program curriculum plan to their degree audit to confirm transfer credit awarded and the courses in which to register.

Graduate students receiving transfer credit must meet all admission requirements or approved equivalents and must complete a minimum of one-third of the total credit hours needed for graduation at Cabarrus College.  Undergraduate students receiving transfer credit must meet all admission requirements or approved equivalents and must complete a minimum of 25% of the admission requirements or approved equivalents and must complete a minimum of 25% of the total credit hours needed for graduation at Cabarrus College. The minimum must include at least 50% of the credit hours in the major.

Once a student is enrolled at Cabarrus College, additional transfer credit will be awarded only if approval from the Office of Students Records and Information Management and Provost is obtained prior to dual enrollment in another college.

Block Transfer Credit into Baccalaureate Programs
Allied Health and Nursing Students applying to baccalaureate completion programs at Cabarrus College may receive block credit for a previously earned professional diploma or degree. Block transfer is a process in which a block of credits is granted to students who have completed a certificate, diploma, degree or some cluster of courses that is recognized as having an academic integrity that relates to a particular degree program. The College generally grants up to two full years toward a four year degree program, with no additional requirements so that students attending full time should be able to graduate in a total of four years.

Block credit will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• The transferring program must be accredited by the national body responsible for accreditation in that particular discipline
• The Program Chair for the baccalaureate degree program will evaluate the curriculum based on the accreditation essentials for the discipline and recommend to the Office of Student Records and Information Management the amount of credit to be granted in the block
• The  Office  of  Student  Records  and  Information  Management  will  review   the recommendation and  award the  credit deemed appropriate  but not  to  exceed  the following:
• Medical Imaging: 69 credit hours
• Interdisciplinary Health Studies: 69 credit hours
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing: 72 credit hours
• Block transfer credit is validated by evidence of professional certification of the applicant at  the  time  of  application  or  successful  completion  of  the  appropriate  national certification or state licensure prior to admission
• In cases where the program from which the credit is earned is less than an associate degree, specific baccalaureate programs in the College may require additional coursework
• Courses taken outside the scope of the program curriculum will be considered on a course by course basis

All transfer  credit  will  be  approved by the Office of Student Records and Information Management according to established guidelines.

Faxed transcripts are considered unofficial and may be used as working documents ONLY. Official transcripts are necessary before enrollment.

College Board Advanced Placement (AP) and CLEP
A student may earn credit for general education courses by attaining acceptable scores (4 or 5) on the Advanced Placement Program (AP exam) of  the College Entrance Examinations Board (CEEB); a credit granting score of 50 or better on College Level Examination Program (CLEP) subject exam of the College Board. Credit by examination appears on the student’s transcript but is not included in the calculation of GPA.

Credit by Departmental Examination
Credit by departmental examination is available to students who have had experiences (e.g., employment, course work) that do not warrant transfer credit or advanced placement for a course, but indicate a probable proficiency in the area of study as determined by the program chair.  Eligible courses vary by the program.

To challenge a course by departmental examination, the student must complete the Credit by Examination Application and Authorization form and complete the following requirements:

• Provide acceptable evidence of proficiency in the area (e.g., relevant course descriptions, course work, certificates, letters of recommendation from employers, a recent resume);
• Pay a nonrefundable challenge fee of $100 for non-laboratory courses and $150 for laboratory courses no later than one week prior to the exam date.

A course must be challenged before the course begins.   A grade of “80” or better is required to receive credit for the course. A student must register for the course during the registration period and attend class until notification of exam results.

The challenge exam for courses involving laboratory and clinical experiences contains separate exams for both components of the course. The student must pass both components with a grade of “80” to receive credit for the course. The letters “CE” (Credit by Exam) will be recorded on the transcript to indicate the examination was passed. Upon successful completion of the challenge exam, the non-refundable fee is applied to the next session’s tuition.

Hours earned through credit by examination will not be counted in determining hours for full time status. The student is allowed only one challenge exam attempt per eligible course.  A student may not pursue credit by examination for a course in which they had previously earned a “D” or “F”.

CREDIT FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Experiential Learning is the mastery of course content and/or student learning outcomes gained through applicable work experience or specialized training. These experiences are obtained outside of a formal academic setting. Learning experiences must occur within five years of the current application date. A request for credit for experiential learning should be made four weeks in advance of the specific course offering. Students requesting credit for experiential learning must first meet all requirements for admission and enrollment and submit the following items to the Office of Student Records and Information Management:

• Credit for Life Experience Application (available on Cabarrus College website) and portfolio
• Letter explaining the life experience
• Current resume
• At least two letters of reference related to life or work experience within the discipline
• Relevant licenses or certifications
• Non-refundable processing fee 

Extra-Institutional Credit for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNS)
Licensed practical nurses seeking extra-institutional credit for their license must meet the College’s general admission criteria as well as admission criteria for the ADN program with the exception of the NA I requirement which will be waived. In addition, they must:

• present a current, unrestricted, North Carolina license to practice as a practical nurse.
• present an official transcript from an approved practical nursing education program.
• present two references indicating acceptable character, one of which must be from a current employer, which should include a detailed description of duties.

Upon admission to the ADN program, the LPN who scores 70 or above on the NACEI Foundations of Nursing Exam will receive extra-institutional credit for BIO 100 (Medical Terminology), NSG101 (Introduction to Professional Nursing) and NSG 111 (Foundations in Nursing – Health Promotions). The cost to take the exam is $75 and it can be scheduled by calling 704-403-2212. The LPN will be required to complete the general education courses or equivalents prior to moving forward in the curriculum where prerequisites are required.