What is considered transferable credit?
You can transfer credit from any or all of the following educational institutions.
Four-year institutions:
All credit from regionally accredited institutions can be transferred to the UI. Regional accrediting agencies are the North Central, Middle States, and Southern Associations of Colleges and Schools; and the New England, Western, and Northwest Associations of Schools and Colleges.
Evaluation of credit from schools not regionally accredited is based on recommendations in the current issue of Transfer Credit Practices of Designated Educational Institutions, published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.Note: Excelsior College exam credit is not accepted.
Two-year institutions:
A maximum of 60 s.h. of credit from regionally accredited institutions will be counted toward the 120 s.h. graduation requirement.Community college credit earned beyond 60 s.h. should still be transferred to Iowa. It may be used to satisfy categorical graduation requirements, but it will not reduce the total number of hours needed to graduate.
Note: A maximum of 16 s.h. of vocational-technical credit can be counted toward the 120 s.h. needed to graduate. These hours are considered part of the 60 hours of community college credit.
I attended a college that used a quarter-based academic term. What's the
difference between one quarter hour (q.h.) and one semester hour (s.h.)
of credit?
One quarter hour equals 0.67 semester hour. For example, a 3 q.h. course
will convert to 2 s.h. of credit. To calculate the number of transfer semester
hours you have earned, multiply your total number of quarter hours of credit
by 0.67.
I'm in the military. Will my educational efforts and military training help
me graduate faster?
Contact the Office of Admissions for the "Military Transcripts" fact
sheet. It includes information about what transcripts are needed for military
training experience along with the forms that are needed to order those transcripts.
Military training
Transcripts from the military services are evaluated according to the recommendations published in the American Council on Education (ACE) Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Upper- and lower-division baccalaureate credit recommendations are accepted. Credit is not awarded for Basic Training, Army Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), Navy Enlisted Ratings (NER), or vocational-technical recommendations. Note: A maximum of 20 s.h. of ROTC credit can be counted toward graduation requirements.Community College of the Air Force (CCAF)
All CCAF credit is considered to be vocational-technical; a total of 16 s.h. is accepted toward graduation. Note: In addition to standard CCAF transfer credit policies, The University of Iowa awards regular college credit for some courses in the Leadership Management series.
Does The University of Iowa award credit for DANTES exams?
DANTES credit does not count toward graduation requirements, except for selected
CLEP tests that are reported on a DANTES transcript (see below). For information
on policies and tests that are accepted by The University of Iowa College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences, refer to the CLAS
Student Academic Handbook.
Does The University of Iowa award credit for professional training or life
experience activities?
UI awards credit only for academic course work. In general, no credit is
awarded for life experience. Exceptions: American Council on Education (ACE)
recommendations are used to evaluate non-collegiate training programs.
Credit may be available for training programs that are offered on a nationwide
or industry-wide basis or by a major corporate employer. Evaluation of local,
statewide, or regional training is typically not available.
Satisfactory performance on Iowa's foreign language proficiency test may
satisfy all or part of the
foreign language requirement. No credit is awarded, but the foreign language
requirement may be considered satisfied without completion of formal course
work.
I've been out of college for nearly thirty years. Will my credits still transfer?
In most cases, the date your course work was completed is unimportant. Courses
completed several years ago will be evaluated in the same manner as those
completed last year.
What if I am not a U.S. resident? Can I still enroll in the BLS program?
Depending on your previous college study and on your English skills, foreign
applicants may be admitted to the BLS degree program. Foreign students who
are beginning their college careers should begin earning U.S. credit by enrolling
in the LionHawk program through Penn State. Admission to the BLS program
is subject to the policies described below. Foreign students who wish to
enroll in the BLS program are encouraged to apply at least twelve months
in advance of intended enrollment. In addition, distance education applicants
who are non-native speakers of English are required to achieve a TOEFL score
of 600 (or the equivalent computerized score).
What are upper-level credits?
Upper-level credits are earned for course work that is considered to be of
a junior or senior level at a four-year institution. At The University
of Iowa, upper-level courses are primarily those numbered XX:100 or higher.
At other four-year institutions, the upper level designation often is XX:300
or higher. Course work completed at a community college is always considered
lower level.
How quickly can I graduate?
The BLS program is unique in that there is no specific time for completion.
How long it takes you to graduate will depend upon the requirements you need
to complete, your course load, and how much time you devote to your courses.
Will graduate schools accept my BLS degree?
Your BLS degree is an accredited University of Iowa degree. Students who
have completed BLS degrees have pursued graduate degrees in fields such as
law, business, education, and medicine. Eighty-two percent of BLS graduates
who have applied to graduate programs have been accepted.
What should I do if I’m not sure I'll meet admission requirements?
Contact the Center for Credit Programs Information Center, toll-free, at
800-272-6430 or 319-335-2575 with your questions about the BLS degree program.
Contact Us | Last Updated
9/12/07