Rule 3341-3-05 | Credit Transfer - Graduate.
(A) Policy statement and purpose
This policy outlines the conditions and limitations under which graduate credit may be transferred into BGSU graduate programs.
(B) Policy
Graduate coursework completed at accredited institutions, as well as coursework from institutions with comparably high academic standards deemed appropriate by the academic program and graduate college, may be considered for applicaiton toward BGSU graduate program requirements, subject to the conditions outlined in this paragraph.
(1) Internal graduate credit
Graduate credit earned at BGSU may be applied across multiple BGSU programs when academically appropriate and permitted by time-to-degree limits.
(a) Credit may be applied to both a certificate and a master's program, or to both a certificate and a doctoral program.
(b) Credit, up to a maximum of nine hours, may be applied to both a specialist and a doctoral program.
(2) External graduate credit
Graduate students who have been fully admitted to a BGSU graduate degree or certificate program and who are actively pursuing the program's requirements may request consideration of external graduate credit after satisfactorily completing at least three credit hours of BGSU graduate coursework applicable to the program.
External graduate credit may be considered when:
(a) The coursework is at the graduate level and appropriate to the student's program of study.
(b) The student earned a grade of A or B (3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale), or the equivalent for institutions using non-letter graded systems, as determined by the graduate coordinator.
(c) Credit awarded with an S grade may be transferred only if the originating institution verifies that the grade represents work at the level of B or better (defined as 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale).
(d) Adequate documentation is provided to verify the academic nature, content, and level of the course.
(e) Courses offered in nontraditional formats, such as short-format intensives, workshops, or travel-based courseowrk, must include documentation sufficient to determine graduate-level rigor and applicability.
(f) The course would be eligible to satisfy graduate program requirements at the institution where it was completed.
(3) Limits on transfer or approval of credit
(a) Only graduate level coursework is eligible.
(b) Courses that duplicate BGSU coursework may not be transferred ortaken again for credit.
(c) All transfer credit must comply with university time to degree limits defined in the time limits for degree and revalidation - graduate policy.
(d) Transfer credit is recorded as credit hours only. Grades do not transfer and are not included in the BGSU grade point average (GPA).
(e) Up to nine semesters hours of post-baccalaureate credit may be applied toward a master's, specialist, or doctoral program.
(f) Up to one course, not exceeding three semester hours, may be applied toward a graduate certificate program.
(g) Exceptions to these maximums may apply for graduate students transferring to BGSU with a faculty mentor who is newly hired at BGSU.
(4) Restrictions
(a) Courses taken for professional development may not be transferred for graduate credit.
(b) Transfer of credit is not permitted for graduate guest students. If a graduate guest student later becomes admitted to a graduate program, eligible credit may be reviewed at that time.
(c) Conditionally admitted students must achieve regular status before requesting transfer credit. Final approval for transferred credit is granted only by the graduate dean designate.
(d) Transfer credit may not be used solely for consolidating academic transcripts.
Last updated June 24, 2026 at 7:50 AM
Supplemental Information
Amplifies: 3341.
Prior Effective Dates: 3/24/2015, 10/26/2017