Transfer of Credit Completed at the 100 and 200 Level

Scope

All Indiana University campuses, schools, and departments.

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Policy Statement

1. Indiana University accepts transfer credits only from two-year Associate’s Colleges that are regionally accredited and retains sole discretion to make course transferability determinations.
2. Except as described below, no more than cumulative 64 semester credit hours earned from any Associate’s College(s) may be applied to any Indiana University baccalaureate degree at any campus, and no new articulation agreements with Associate's Colleges may exceed this limit.
   1. Additional credit hours may be transferred in; however, decisions as to applicability to a degree will be made based on articulation standards.  
   2. Individual schools or campuses can choose to further limit the number of credits from an Associate’s College applicable to their baccalaureate degrees.
   3. Articulation agreements for more than 64 credit hours that were in effect on or before March 3, 2008 from date of last signature will be honored for any student who has already transferred to Indiana University, or any student who was enrolled in an Associate’s College prior to March 3, 2008 and who received an articulated associate’s degree. Except as provided in Paragraph 4 below, the university will not enter into new articulation agreements that seek approval for acceptance for transfer of more than 64 credits.
   4. Exceptions can be made for articulated associate’s degree programs that require more than 64 credit hours for a graduate to sit for a professional licensing exam, for professional certification, or to satisfy the requirements of accrediting organizations. Some examples are the Nursing A.S.N, Respiratory Therapy AS and the Dental Hygiene AS. The campus chief academic officer may grant such exceptions or, in the case of university-wide agreements, exceptions may be granted through agreement among affected campus chief academic officers.  Should these chief academic officers not reach agreement, the office of the Executive Vice President for University Academic Affairs shall convene the relevant academic officers to reach a resolution.
3. Credits earned at Associate’s Colleges and transferred for IU credit may not be recorded as equivalent to IU course credits at advanced (300/400) levels, or applied to degree requirements normally fulfilled only by advanced level course credits.
4. Typically, lower level coursework at any regionally accredited, two-year undergraduate institution (100/200-level or like-numbered courses) cannot transfer as upper level coursework (300/400 level); however, disciplinary faculty or degree-granting departments may—in cases other than that of credit earned at Associate’s Colleges—use their own judgment in assigning transfer credit.

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Reason for Policy

The faculty of Indiana University have principal responsibility for the integrity of the baccalaureate degrees that they confer, and students who intend to transfer to pursue a baccalaureate degree at Indiana University should be encouraged to matriculate at Indiana University once they have completed work on an Associate Degree at a regionally accredited two-year Associate’s College and should be informed of the appropriate level of Indiana University credit for transfer from such Colleges.

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Definitions

Definitions from Carnegie Classifications: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

Associate’s College: Includes institutions where the highest degree conferred is at the associate’s degree or where bachelor's degrees account for less than 10 percent of all undergraduate degrees. (Also known as community colleges, junior colleges).   Vincennes University is classified as a "4-Year, Primarily Associate's" college, and will be considered as an Associate's College except in areas for which it has authorized baccalaureate degrees.

Baccalaureate Colleges, Master’s Colleges, or Universities/Doctoral-granting Universities: Includes institutions where bachelor’s degrees account for at least 10 percent of all undergraduate degrees, and may also include specific numbers of Master’s level or PhD level students. All Indiana University campuses meet or exceed the Carnegie Classification of “Baccalaureate Colleges.”

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History

ACA-56 (Transfer of Credit Completed at the 100 and 200 Level) and ACA-82 (Transfer Credit From an Associate’s College Applied to an Indiana University Baccalaureate Degree) were consolidated into ACA-56 by action of the University Faculty Council on December 7, 2020.  

ACA-56 (Transfer of Credit Completed at the 100 and 200 Level) was originally approved by University Faculty Council, March 27, 2001 and revised and approved by University Faculty Council, March 23, 2016, November 29, 2016, and December 7, 2020. Previous Versions:  Effective Dates: 03/27/2011 - 02/23/2016; Effective Dates: 02/23/2016 - 11/29/2016; Effective Dates: 02/23/2016 - 12-07-2020.

ACA-82 (Transfer Credit From an Associate’s College Applied to an Indiana University Baccalaureate Degree) was originally approved by University Faculty Council on March 4, 2008.  The content of ACA-82 was revised, approved, and consolidated into ACA-56 by University Faculty Council on December 7, 2020, and ACA-82 was rescinded.  Previous Version: Effective Dates:  03/04/2008 - 12-07-2020.)

This policy's contact information was updated on March 3, 2023. The published policy was amended on May 15, 2023, to reflect the language that was last revised and approved by the University Faculty Council on December 7, 2020.

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