|
FAQ's for Transfer Students
How do I learn what credits transfer from my previous college?
Preliminary Evaluation: Prospective students and applicants
who have not completed the admission process
are encouraged to contact our Transfer Services Center at 970-248-1232
or Nancy Breckel for a preliminary
evaluation. This advisory session can be done using unofficial transcripts
provided by the applicant. We welcome
walk-in visitors or appointments can be held in person, by phone
or even online. Evaluation of general
education courses can be done within about an hour, while courses
to be used toward the major will take
longer.
The Preliminary Evaluation does
not replace the official evaluation of transfer credit (or TER)
done in the Registrar's Office, but
is intended to give the student information for planning purposes.
It is done by student request.
Transfer Equivalency Report: The TER is produced by the Registrar's
Office after the student has been
admitted and all official transcripts
are received. It consists of a computer printed page showing course
transfer equivalents and a page showing
how transfer courses can be used for general education requirements.
It will not show how courses are used in the major program; you
will need to see an advisor to determine
that. The TER is generally completed and sent within two to three
weeks after acceptance to Mesa State.
How many credits can I transfer and how many do I need to graduate?
Students who have a prior bachelor's
or associate's degree should see the information below.
Note: not all transferred courses
will necessarily apply to your specific degree program.
Baccalaureate: The majority of majors require a minimum of 120 credits
to earn a bachelors degree. To
receive a first baccalaureate degree
from Mesa State College, students must complete a minimum of 28
semester hours of credit in no fewer
than two semesters of study at Mesa State with at least 15 semester
hours in major discipline courses numbered 300 or higher. Therefore,
a maximum of 92 credit hours can be
transferred in from previous institutions.
Associate: The Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees
require a minimum of 60 credits to
graduate. The required number of credits
for an Associate of Applied Science degree varies with the program.
A minimum of 16 semester hours of credits must be taken at Mesa
State College to complete a Mesa State
associate-level degree.
Credits toward Graduation: Determining how to make the best use
of your transfer credits (along with
planning your future Mesa State courses)
is done in concert with your faculty advisor. If an advisor in your
selected major has not been assigned
by your first term, you need to contact the appropriate department
to do this.
What are the general guidelines for accepting a course for transfer?
Accreditation: Courses are considered for transfer only from peer
institutions. Schools that maintain
membership in one of the six
U.S. regional accreditation bodies are acceptable. Mesa State
is a member of the North Central Association.
International Institutions: Please see the question
below.
Process: Each course is evaluated using the abbreviation, level,
title and description. On occasion, a course
syllabus is necessary to complete the evaluation. With this information,
the course is compared to the classes
offered at Mesa State College. Courses with an exact match are given
the Mesa State course equivalent while
those without an exact equivalent are coded with the department
prefix and level (i.e. MANG 1XX) or
as an elective (i.e. ELEC 2XX). Once an equivalent course decision
is made, it is entered into the permanent
database.
Grades: A grade of "C-" or higher must be earned in each
transferable course. Courses with a "Pass",
"Satisfactory" or other
non-letter grade will only be considered if the transcript key confirms
that it is equivalent to a C- or higher
on the grade scale.
Restrictions: Preparatory classes taken in preparation for college
level English Composition or College
Mathematics will transfer as zero
credits. Other "pre-college" classes do not transfer.
Religious classes are generally not
accepted. No more than two physical activity courses are accepted
for a baccalaureate degree; no more
than one for an associate's. Technical trades classes generally
do not transfer unless they are applicable
to your Mesa State College/Western Colorado Community College program.
Classes over 15 years old are looked
at on a course-by-course basis. Some Mesa State College majors have
"age" restrictions on the
use of certain courses in those majors. The final approval of how
classes are used toward major area
requirements is done by the department chair.
Quarter to semester hour conversion:
Classes taken at an institution using a quarter hour system are
converted to semester hours by multiplying
by two-thirds (i.e., 3 quarter hours = 2 semester hours).
What are Mesa State College General Education courses?
General Education courses form the
broad base upon which all degree programs are built. A minimum of
33 credit hours of general education classes are required for any
Mesa State bachelor's level degree and
a minimum of 34 credit hours are required for the Associate of Arts
or Associate of Science degree. Although
the discipline areas and credits differ at the baccalaureate level
and associate level, the same General
Education Requirements course list is used to choose general
education classes.
By its nature, an Associate of Applied
Science degree requires fewer general education courses. See these
specific degrees for their requirements.
How are Statewide Guaranteed Transfer (GT Pathways) courses
used?
A course from a Colorado school that
has been identified as having been approved under the GT
Pathways initiative as a Guaranteed
Transfer course is guaranteed as useable toward the general education
requirements of any public two-year or four-year college or university
in Colorado. These courses are often
coded on the transcript so that they are recognizable and each college
also lists them in their catalog.
Not only does Mesa State accept all GT identified courses, but we
will consider all other general education
type courses for use toward our general education requirements.
Mesa State's GT courses are check-marked
on the General
Education Requirements course list.
What if I already have a prior degree?
Mesa State College will waive the
general education requirements portion for most baccalaureate and
associate degrees when the student
already has earned a prior baccalaureate or Associate of Arts or
Associate of Science degree. Students
with a prior baccalaureate degree are also exempt from the Kinesiology/Wellness
requirement. This waiver policy does not apply to an Associate of
Applied Science, Associate of General
Studies and other types of occupational degrees. Mesa State also
has policies on the minimum number
of credits and number of semesters taken in "academic residency".
Contact the Registrar's Office for
complete "second degree" information.
Exceptions: Certain Mesa State degree programs require specific
courses as part of the general education
portion of the degree. These specific
courses are still required for these degrees and are not waived
under the above policy.
Does Mesa State accept credits from the International Baccalaureate,
AP courses, CLEP or military education courses?
Credit from these types of sources
are known as non-traditional credit. Details of acceptance can be
found in the Mesa State catalog under
the Non-Traditional
Credit heading. The total combination of any non-traditional
credit cannot exceed 30 semester credits for a baccalaureate degree;
15 semester credits for an Associate
of Arts or Associate of Science degree; 20 semester credits for
an Associate of Applied Science degree
or twenty-five percent of the semester credits required for a technical
certificate.
What if I have taken courses at an international college or
university?
Whether you are a citizen of the U.S.,
an international student or a permanent resident, you can find information
at Educational
Documents from International Schools. Mesa State College students
interested in study-abroad programs need to consult with the Registrar's
Office before signing up.
What do I need to do to make sure that my financial aid award
will also transfer to Mesa State? What scholarships are available
to me?
Please see the
Financial Aid and
Scholarships pages for answers to these questions.
|
