Transfer Credit Policy and Process

Undergraduate

Graduate

Transfer Credits Residency/Residency Policies

UNDERGRADUATE

Baker College welcomes transfer students into many degree programs at either the associate or bachelor level. Students with associate degrees will be given every consideration to transfer their full associate degrees (two years of credits) into one of Baker College’s programs.  However, transfer students are responsible for the prerequisite knowledge necessary for subsequent courses. With our many bachelor and accelerated bachelor programs, students can enter bachelor degree programs with the same majors as their associate degree or begin different majors and have transfer credits apply to their programs. A transfer student could receive freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior status, although more than one or two academic years may be necessary to complete all requirements of the degree. Courses with a grade of C (2.0) or higher will be eligible for transfer credit except for specific program standards.  Refer to individual program requirements. Courses with a D- (0.7) grade will be considered if the D- grade falls in a course sequence in which the last grade in the sequence was a grade of a C or better

Transfer students need to be aware that length of time since the course was taken may be a factor in transferability.

Credits will be accepted from regionally accredited institutions, degree-granting nationally accredited institutions, and the United States Armed Forces.

For a previously earned undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution, the general education course requirements for either the associate or the bachelor degree — depending on the transferred degree level — are considered satisfied. Specific program requirements and/or program accreditation standards may impose limitations or additional requirements.

To transfer a course, the course must equate in content and semester hours to a Baker College course.  Credits for armed forces or workforce training must be equated to Baker College courses and documented by the American Council on Education (ACE).  Transfer credits accepted must be at the college level.

Baker College adheres to the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’ (MACRAO) official transcript policy.  The MACRAO policy is one in which all Michigan colleges agree not to issue an official transcripts directly to students.  Official transcripts must be sent directly to the intended institutions either through the U.S. Postal Service or an approved electronic format.

To obtain transfer credits, official transcripts from previous colleges must be submitted to our campuses’ admissions offices.  Transcripts will be considered official only when received directly from the institutions through the U.S. Postal Service or electronically from the institutions or third-party vendors.  In some circumstances, students will be responsible for producing documentation, including, but not limited to, catalogs, course descriptions, and syllabi.

All official transcripts are required prior to registration.

GRADUATE

The Center for Graduate Studies welcomes transfer students into our graduate programs. Baker College recognizes the expediency of understandable and universally accepted standards related to the transfer of academic credit.  The following policies are in place for transfer credit:

• Baker College will accept no more than 12 semester hours of transfer credit into master’s programs.
• Only courses with a B (3.0) grade or higher will be eligible for transfer consideration.
• To successfully transfer a course, the course must equate to and be compatible with courses offered by the Center for Graduate Studies.
• Transfer of college credit will not be considered if the work was completed more than five years preceding matriculation.
• To obtain transfer credit, students are required to request that all previous colleges/universities attended forward official transcripts to the Baker College Center for Graduate Studies.
• Transcripts will be considered official only when received directly from the institution through the U.S. Postal Service or electronically from the institutions or third-party vendors.  In some circumstances, students will be responsible for producing documentation including, but not limited to, catalogs, course descriptions, and syllabi.
• Students wishing to receive transfer credit from foreign or international colleges or universities must submit official evaluations from U.S. evaluation companies recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).  The evaluations must include the grades and U.S. course equivalencies to be considered for transfer credit.
• Students in a doctoral program must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours at the Center for Graduate Studies.

Baker College adheres to the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’ (MACRAO) official transcript policy.  The MACRAO policy is one in which all Michigan colleges agree not to issue official transcripts directly to students.  Official transcripts must be sent directly to the intended institutions either through the U.S. Postal Service or an approved electronic format.

TRANSFER CREDITS RESIDENCY/RESIDENCY POLICIES

ASSOCIATE DEGREES AND UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATES

Fifteen of the required semester hours in the program must be completed in actual class time at Baker College for associate degree programs, and one half of the required semester hours in the program must be completed in actual class time at Baker College for undergraduate certificates.  A minimum of 12 semester hours must be completed in actual class time through Baker College courses in the major discipline of study.

BACHELOR DEGREES

Thirty of the required semester hours in the program must be completed in actual class time at Baker College. A minimum of 15 semester hours must be completed in actual class time through Baker College courses in the major discipline of study at the 300 and 400 levels or 3000 and 4000 levels.  Different requirements may exist for the accelerated programs.

Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Provost or President.

In addition to the Baker College transfer credits residency/residency policies above, the following transfer credit restrictions (1–4) apply to the Paralegal/ Legal Studies programs:

1. Legal specialty coursework that is being transferred must have been completed at a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher learning and approved by the program coordinator/director or other appointee to ensure that the credit being awarded is appropriate to meet the criteria for legal specialty coursework within the program.
2. A minimum of 15 semester hours of the paralegal (PAR) courses must be completed in the traditional format at the campus from which the student plans to graduate.
3. No transfer credits will be granted for PAR 2150: Legal Writing, Research, and Analysis II; PAR 2910: Civil Litigation; or PAR 4910: Evidence (Litigation II).
4. No experiential credits or credits by examination are offered for legal specialty coursework credits.