Rule 3341-3-05 | Credit transfer-graduate.
(A) Policy statement and purpose
This policy describes criteria for credit transfer and restrictions on transfer or approval of credit.
(B) Policy
(1) Transfer of BGSU graduate credit taken as an advanced undergraduate
Students who have been fully admitted into a graduate degree program or graduate certificate program may count up to nine hours of graduate credit earned as a BGSU advanced undergraduate. Students must have earned a grade of A or B for this to be allowed. Specific graduate programs may have additional limitations on the number of credits that can be approved, and the specific courses which are eligible. Students should refer to specific graduate program descriptions for details of these limitations.
(2) Internal graduate credit
If appropriate to both programs and within time-to-degree rules, courses may be applied to both a certificate and a master's program, or to both a certificate and a doctoral program.
(3) Transfer of external graduate credit
Students who have been fully admitted into a graduate degree program or graduate certificate program, and have satisfactorily completed eight hours of graduate work at Bowling Green state university may petition to transfer graduate credit from another regionally accredited graduate school. Fully documented petitions for acceptance of transfer credits from non-regionally accredited institutions may be submitted for review provided: the student initiates the petition, and provides all documentation to the academic department; the petition is endorsed by the department before being submitted to the graduate college for final approval. An official transcript must be received by the graduate college before credit can be approved for transfer. Credit may be transferred only for courses in which the student received the grades of A or B (or the equivalent for courses not graded, as determined by the graduate coordinator). Credit for an S grade may be transferred only if the grade is regarded by the grading school as B or better. Courses taken for "professional development" cannot be transferred for graduate credit.
The transfer of credit received for such external courses to satisfy requirements of a degree program at BGSU depends upon the following:
(a) A formal, written petition by the student is required for the transfer of credit. The petition is submitted to the students academic program for its consideration and recommendation. The recommendation of the department is forwarded to the dean designate of the graduate college for a decision.
(b) Documentation is required for courses that are "external" or "nonresident" offerings of another university. The course must be listed and described in the catalog offerings or other official publications of the institution. The content of the course must satisfy a requirement in a graduate degree program at the offering institution and be able to satisfy a degree requirement at BGSU. An official transcript is required at BGSU.
(c) Petitions for acceptance of "summer tour" or "travel" type courses* must be fully documented so that their academic integrity can be judged. Promotional literature from a tour or travel agency or institutional sponsor is not considered documentation of the academic character of the course. Minimal documentation submitted by the student should include the following:
(i) A photocopy of the course description from the graduate catalog or other official literature of the sponsoring institution;
(ii) A statement in the institutions graduate catalog or signed by the dean designate of the graduate school that specifies the graduate degree programs in which the course satisfies degree requirements in the institution offering the course. A viable alternative is a copy of an evaluative statement concerning the course from the department(s) in which it is used to satisfy graduate degree credit;
(iii) An official transcript from the sponsoring institution following completion of the course. Transcripts "issued to student" will not be accepted.
(d) It is necessary for a student to petition, in writing, through the academic department for such transfer after the course has been completed. Prior guarantees of any type that a course will be transferable cannot be given. Any prior assurances given by faculty members or staff of Bowling Green state university must be regarded as estimates or opinions. They do not commit the university to a course of action.
*The minimal documentation on "tour courses" is necessary to evaluate the quality of the course and to determine its applicability to a students degree program. Many accredited graduate schools offer courses for personal and professional development that carry graduate credit but are not applicable to their degree programs. Official assurance is required.
(4) Restrictions on transfer or approval of credit
Transfer of credit is not appropriate for graduate, non-degree students; by definition, they have no graduate degree program toward which credit is to be transferred. The transfer of credit for any graduate student for purposes of consolidating transcripts is not allowed. If a graduate non-degree student later becomes admitted to a graduate degree program, transfer of credit can be requested in consultation with the graduate coordinator of the program. Conditionally admitted students must achieve regular status before petitioning for transfer of credit. Final approval for transferred credit is granted only by the graduate dean designate.
The time limits for completion of a masters degree, a specialist degree and certificate program (six years), and for a doctoral degree (eight years) apply also to transfer credit. That is, all credits within a masters and specialist program must fall within the six-year period dating from the end of the earliest course used to fulfill degree requirements on the tentative degree program or degree audit; similarly, all credits within a doctoral program must fall within the eight-year period.
Once the request for transfer of credit has been approved by the academic program and the graduate college, and official transcripts are received, the credit hoursnot gradesfor the courses are transferred into the students degree program. Because the grades are not officially recognized, they cannot be counted into a students cumulative grade point average. Transfer credit is reviewed at the time of graduation to ensure the course work falls within the time to degree limits.
Courses equivalent to those at the university from another university cannot be transferred for credit and also taken for credit here (course duplication is not allowed). Only graduate level courses qualify for transfer to graduate degree programs. Courses that have already been applied in whole or in part in any way toward any other degree or certificate from another university may not be transferred.
A maximum of nine semester hours of graduate credit taken as a BGSU advanced undergraduate may be counted towards a masters program subject to the approval of the masters program.
One course, up to a maximum of four semester hours of post-baccalaureate credit may be transferred into a graduate certificate.
A maximum of nine semester hours of post-baccalaureate credit may be transferred into a master's program subject to approval of the program and the graduate college.
A maximum of nine semester hours of post-master's credit may be transferred into a doctoral program subject to approval of the program and the graduate college.
Exceptions to the above maximums pertain to approved joint and cooperative degree programs with another university (see joint and cooperative degrees policy).
Last updated March 2, 2023 at 10:38 AM
Supplemental Information
Amplifies: 3345
Prior Effective Dates: 3/24/2015