Course Credit Evaluation Process

The transfer credit evaluation process includes accepting university-level work in a discipline offered by Tusculum University. Credit will be accepted as:

Direct equivalency: A course equivalent in academic level, content, quality, comparability of student learning outcomes, and degree program relevance to coursework offered through Tusculum’s curriculum. The course will be assigned a Tusculum course number.

No direct equivalency: A course that is taught in a discipline (or related discipline) that is offered by Tusculum, but does not equate to a specific Tusculum course. The course will be accepted as elective credit, designed as ELE (i.e. BIOL-ELE, ENGL-ELE). Elective credit may be used to satisfy general education and major requirements if approved by the specific department chair/dean. Elective credit may also be used to satisfy the total number of credits toward a degree. Credit accepted as elective credit may be further reviewed by an academic department upon student request to the Registrar to determine if the course would meet a direct equivalent general education or major course requirement. A course description and syllabus from the course must be provided to the Registrar for review by the department chair of the discipline in question for review of specific credit.

Special Transfer Courses

1. Developmental Courses: Courses taught at the development or remedial level from the transferring institution will be applied toward the Tusculum transcript for pre-requisite purposes only, and will not be awarded any university-level credit.
2. Technical Courses: Courses from vocational or technical schools that are not within an academic discipline offered at Tusculum University are not accepted.
3. Credit by Examination: Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, College Level Examination Program and DSST (formerly known as Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support/DANTES) is accepted based upon established guidelines and required scores determined by individual departments. These individual guidelines are outlined below.
4. Military Credit: Veterans of the Armed Forces, active-duty service members, and the members of the military reserve may receive credit for military training and experiences. Credit is evaluated based on the American Council of Education recommendation for course credit earned through the Armed Forces. The University will award credit that is similar in likeness to a course offered through Tusculum based on this recommendation. Credit earned through the military will be reviewed by the University Registrar.
   1. For all veterans. Tusculum will award a minimum of 7 credits of physical education elective credit for basic training based on either the DD-214 or the Joint Services Transcript. An official Joint Services Military Transcript or other equivalent military transcript must be submitted to the Registrar for consideration of military transfer credit.
   2. For veterans discharged in the pay grade of E-6 or above. If you discharged from the military in the pay grade of E-6 or above, you may be awarded additional credits through a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) review. Awarded PLA credits may be applicable to general education requirements as well as core degree classes depending on your military career field, pay grade held, and degree program you are seeking. To request a PLA review, please contact the Veteran Services Office at (423)636-7371.
5. Non-regionally accredited courses: If a student requests transfer of credit from a non-regionally accredited college/university, the student must provide a course description and a syllabus to the Registrar for review by the department chair for transfer equivalency consideration. The department chair will inform the Registrar of whether the credit is acceptable and how it should be awarded.
6. International Transfer credits: Credit from international institutions must be evaluated by a NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) approved professional foreign credentials evaluation service (i.e. WES). The official professional evaluation must be submitted to the Registrar for consideration of transfer credit. Credit will be awarded according to guidelines stated in Tusculum’s transfer credit policy.

Transfer Credit

1. Course Level: Courses transfer with the credits and approximate level from the original institution. At Tusculum, 100-level transfer courses may be accepted as a 100-200 level course; 200-level transfer courses may be accepted as a 100-300 level course; 300-level transfer courses may be accepted as a 200-400 level course; 400-level transfer courses may be accepted as a 300-400 level course. When there is a question about an equivalency, the department chair will make a final decision or substitution.
2. Grades and GPA: All eligible transfer courses (as determined by the Tusculum Transfer Credit policy) will transfer to Tusculum University. Transfer grades of “F” are not accepted. Transfer grades of “D” are treated in the same way as those earned in Tusculum University courses. Therefore, all transfer “D” grades are used as hours toward graduation; and all “D” grades are used to calculate the total grade point average. Grades of “D” cannot be counted in the total number of hours required in the major, minor or concentration.
3. Class Standing: Class standing of transfer students is determined by the number of credits accepted for transfer at Tusculum University.
4. Transfer Credit: Transfer credit is coursework that is evaluated only when a student transfers credit from a different institution to Tusculum University. A student who has attended Tusculum and withdraws, without taking courses at another institution, is not a transfer student upon readmission to Tusculum. Should a transfer student attend Tusculum, transfer away, and later return to Tusculum, that student will have only the new transfer credits evaluated under the transfer policy in effect at that time.

Time Limit on Transfer Credits

1. General Education: Courses meeting General Education requirements do not have a time limit for undergraduate programs.
2. Elective: Courses used for elective credit toward the total number of hours required for the degree do not have a time limit.
3. Major/Minor: The time limit for courses meeting major and minor requirements will be determined between Academic Affairs and each individual academic department.