Graduate Transfer Credit Policy

I. Objective and Purpose

To describe the number of credits that may be transferred into a UNF program by a student pursuing a graduate degree, and to describe the parameters under which credit transfers are possible. This policy covers credits transferred into a degree program from outside of UNF, as well as credits earned at UNF outside of the degree program to which they are to be applied. For the purposes of this policy, credits received from another institution as part of a formal dual degree program are not considered transfer credits.

II. Statement of Policy

The residency requirement to receive a graduate degree at UNF is 18 credit hours. The total number of transfer credits from sources both internal and external to UNF may not exceed 50 percent of the requirements for a UNF graduate degree.

The acceptance of internal or external transfer credits in a graduate program must be approved by the program director. The thesis credit requirement of a program may never be satisfied by transfer credits. Additionally, graduate programs may stipulate additional constraints beyond those included in this policy.

For all transfer credits, the student must have earned grades of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

(1) Transfer Credits Earned Prior to Program Enrollment

No more than 12 credit hours previously earned at another institution may be used to satisfy the requirements of a UNF graduate degree. Only graduate-level courses that are no more than seven years old from a regionally accredited institution or recognized international institution may be accepted as previously earned transfer credits. Only formal coursework hours, but not thesis or research hours, may be used as transfer credits. See Policy 2.080P for a list of approved Institutional Accreditors.

Up to 12 hours of graduate coursework taken at UNF as a post-baccalaureate student or as part of another degree program may be applied toward a graduate degree. These courses are considered transfer credits, but count towards fulfilling the residency requirement.

Up to 12 hours of graduate course work taken as an undergraduate at UNF as part of a formally approved accelerated bachelor's/master's program may be applied toward a graduate degree. These courses count towards fulfilling the residency requirement, but are considered transfer credits. (See [3] below.)

(2) Transfer Credits Earned While Enrolled in a UNF Program

Up to 12 credit hours of a graduate program may be earned through concurrent enrollment at another regionally accredited university while the student is enrolled in a UNF graduate degree program. This requires advance approval by the program director and graduate dean via submission of a Concurrent Enrollment Form. These courses do not count towards fulfilling the residency requirement.

No more than 12 hours of UNF credit from one graduate program may be applied toward another UNF graduate degree program when both are being pursued concurrently, except for when a student is concurrently enrolled in a certificate program (See Policy 2.0720P Graduate Certificate Programs). These courses count towards fulfilling the residency requirement, but are considered transfer credits

(3) Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Programs

Accelerated bachelor's/master's programs for graduate degrees have a limit of 12 credit hours that may be shared for fulfilling both the undergraduate and graduate requirements. Proposals for accelerated bachelor's/master's programs must include a strong curricular rationale to support the streamlining of credit requirements in the two degrees.

Shared credit is limited to formal coursework, exclusive of independent study. Course grades below a 3.0 are not acceptable to fulfill master's degree requirements if taken while in undergraduate status.

View the University's official policy on Graduate Transfer Credits.