The college credit transfer policy at Excelsior College makes the school a great choice for those who have started degrees at other accredited institutions or have an associate degree and want to move on to earn a bachelor’s degree.

The policy, which ranks among the best in the country, also can result in cost savings for students who can transfer credit from other schools and earn their degree sooner.
To earn a degree from Excelsior College, students must meet the standards of the school’s residency requirement. These standards mandate that all students complete three specific courses at Excelsior College:

• A Cornerstone course at the beginning of their time at Excelsior College
• A Capstone course at the end
• A 1-credit Information Literacy course

A Generous Transfer Expiration Policy
Excelsior College also designed its college credit transfer policy to provide a generous expiration period for courses taken in the past. According to the college’s transfer credit guidelines, students may still be able to transfer credits earned decades ago. Guidelines vary based on the degree program.

For example, the health sciences transfer credit policy allows students in the Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management/MBA dual degree program to claim credits earned within 20 years to the date of enrollment in the undergraduate component and within 10 years of the date of enrollment in the graduate component.

For the Master of Science in Health Sciences specializations, students must earn the credits within seven years of enrollment.

The Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Associate in Science in Liberal Arts programs have no time limit on credits earned. In theory, a student could transfer 113 credits and then complete a Cornerstone, Capstone, and Information Literacy course to graduate.

“This means that credit a student completed in the ’70s,’80s,’90s or last month could be used to fulfill degree requirements, depending on what type/level of credit the student presents to us,” Schenck says.

Excelsior College provides a list of time limitations on transfer credit for all online degree programs. The Academic Evaluation team is divided into specialties, says Schenck. This gives each degree area a group of dedicated experts to support students.

With the potential of transferring so many credits, it’s worthwhile for prospective students to determine what credits they will receive. Many may find they are closer to completing their degree than they imagine.

For more information about getting started with Excelsior College and the academic partnership with DAU, visit https://www.excelsior.edu/partner/defense-acquisition-university/ or call (844) 843-929