Advanced Standing
2011-12 FINAL 1-30-12
Transfer Credit
Upon admission of a transfer student, the Office of the Registrar will issue a statement of advanced standing delineating the number of credits transferred.
To be transferred, coursework taken at another institution need not be in the exact vein as courses offered at Augustana, but should be in an academic program and at an academic level comparable to examples from the Augustana curriculum. Stricter criteria may be applied to a course for it to fulfill a general graduation requirement or a requirement for a major.
Only a summary of credits accepted from other institutions will be noted on a student’s Augustana transcript. Specific information on transfer credit is recorded in the student’s permanent file and included in degree audits. Coursework approved for transfer credit after a student enrolls at Augustana is treated in the same manner.
Please note there are additional Transfer Policies.
Regulations governing transfer credit upon admission to Augustana
- Students seeking a degree at Augustana must submit for transfer evaluation an official transcript of all work attempted at other colleges and universities. Grade sheets and transcripts generally issued to students are not acceptable. Official transcripts should be sent to the Office of Admissions directly from the other institutions attended.
- To be transferable, coursework must be completed at a regionally accredited institution. Schools in Illinois and surrounding states should be accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools or the applicable Higher Learning Commission regional accrediting body.) A directory of accredited institutions is available in the Office of the Registrar.
- Only coursework from other colleges and universities awarded the grade of “C” (i.e., 2.00) or higher is evaluated for transfer credit.
- Semester credits: Augustana credits are semester credits. In transferring courses credited in quarter hours, the conversion formula is [semester credits] = [(2/3) x (quarter credits)].
- Repetition of courses: Once credit has been earned for a course at another institution, it cannot be earned again at Augustana. In granting credit for a course taken more than once at another school(s), credits are transferred so as to be consistent with the last institution’s method of recording credits.
- Pass/No Credit: A course graded Pass/No credit is not transferable if "C-" or “D” is considered Pass under the other institution’s grading system.
- Residence requirement: At least 60 credits (exclusive of physical education activities) must be earned at Augustana. The last 24 credits applied to the degree must be earned at Augustana.
- Upper-division credits: Not more than six credits from a two-year college may be counted as upper-division credits at Augustana.
- Credit by examination, including Advanced Placement, credit for experience, and correspondence coursework are transferable to the extent that Augustana standards are met.
- Mathematics credit: No credit is given for work in mathematics below the level of college algebra.
Regulations governing transfer credit after a student enrolls at Augustana
- Prior approval: Transfer credit is not awarded without approval by the Committee on Advanced Standing and Degrees prior to a course being taken. Petition forms for this purpose may be obtained in the Office of the Registrar. Petitions must include the name of the institution in which the coursework is to be taken; titles and descriptions of courses; length of the session or term; statements of support from the student’s advisor and from the chairs of the departments responsible for the degree requirement fulfilled by the course to be taken.
- Repetition of failed courses: Students may not retake failed Augustana coursework at another college or university without prior approval of the Committee on Advanced Standing and Degrees. It is expected that courses retaken to fulfill general education requirements or requirements within a major or minor will be repeated at Augustana. Petitions to the committee must be supported by the student’s academic advisor, the chair of the department of the student’s major or minor, and, when necessary, those responsible for the degree requirement fulfilled by the course to be taken.
- Concurrent registration: Full-time students at Augustana may not concurrently carry coursework at any other institution without prior approval of the Committee on Advanced Standing and Degrees. The guidelines for prior approval of transfer credit once a student has enrolled at Augustana apply also to petitions for concurrent registration. Students who wish to petition for concurrent registration should continue to attend all classes during this period. The following guidelines also apply:
a. Only students who have earned 60 credits or more are eligible for concurrent registration.
b. Petitions for this privilege are approved only if the committee judges that the student’s valid educational objectives can be met best through concurrent registration. - Correspondence or distance coursework: A maximum of nine semester credits earned through distance education offered by an accredited undergraduate institution may be applied toward the Bachelor of Arts degree. Distance education coursework may not be applied toward fulfillment of the foreign language requirement. Distance education includes, but is not limited to, the following: internet courses, stored media courses (e.g., videotape, CD ROM and DVD), interactive TV courses (2-way audio/2-way video), open broadcast TV courses, and correspondence courses.
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Exception for Washington Internship Institute: Continuing students may apply to take coursework for transfer through an approved arrangement between Augustana College and the Washington Internship Institute. Students must make application for the program through the Office of International and Off-Campus Programs and petition coursework approval in advance. A current list of approved courses is available for the Office of the Registrar. (approved by Senate on 5-5-11)
Credit for Military Service
Augustana generally accepts the recommendations of the American Council on Education for accreditation of military service training and experience insofar as the credit is for coursework comparable with that offered by Augustana. One physical education credit is given for military experience of more than one year. This credit may be used to satisfy partially the physical education graduation requirement.
Advanced Placement Credit
First-year students who have taken the College Board Advanced Placement Examination may be eligible for as many as 18 credits. Students who wish to have their scores considered should request that the College Board send them directly to Augustana College. Scores of 4 or 5 may result in credit. Students earning more than 18 credits should complete the necessary form in the Office of the Registrar no later than the first term of enrollment to declare the courses, up to 18 credits, that they wish to have applied to their record. Academic departments determine which scores result in credit. See chart of departments and credits possible.
International Baccalaureate
Students who have earned the International Baccalaureate Diploma may be awarded credit for Higher Level passes with scores of five (5) or higher. In some academic disciplines a score of four (4) may be considered, but is subject to individual evaluation and the discretion of the academic department. No credit is awarded for Subsidiary or Standard Level examinations. The specific amount of credit and course equivalencies awarded for each Higher Level pass are determined through evaluation by the appropriate academic department.
Once students have committed to Augustana College, they should arrange to have their official IB scores sent to the college.
Credit and Placement by Examination
Most examinations for advanced standing are intended only to permit the exceptionally qualified student to enter an advanced course without taking preliminary courses. In most instances, credit will not be given, but a higher level course placement allowed. Such examinations are administered at the discretion of the department involved and a $150 fee is charged. See the Office of the Registrar for details.
Private Study
In exceptional cases, a candidate for graduation who critically needs a course may take a desired course through private study with an instructor. The student must petition the Committee on Advanced Standing and Degrees. The student is responsible for all fees above and beyond regular tuition. For information, the student should consult his/her advisor, a faculty member and the Dean of the College.
International Study
Augustana regularly offers programs for both language study and multidisciplinary study in a variety of regions of the world. Recent, current and upcoming programs include Austria, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and Vietnam. The quality of instruction on these sponsored and affiliated programs meets college standards and the curricula are consistent with on-campus academic programming [see Special Academic Opportunities].
Students who wish to study abroad in other programs should consult with the Office of International Programs. The following policies apply:
- Once students are selected/approved to participate on an Augustana international study program, they follow the normal college registration procedures.
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Study abroad in non-Augustana programs should be planned for the junior or senior year. Prior to leaving campus, students interested in participating in these programs must work with the Office of International Programs in filling out appropriate petitions for transferring coursework back to Augustana. Petitions are available in the Office of the Registrar and in the Office of International Programs. (1) Courses that meet general education requirements should have the signature of the student's advisor. Courses that meet major or minor requirements need the signatures of the advisor and the appropriate department chair. (2) Submit completed application to the Office of International Programs for the signature of the Director of International Programs. (3) Petitions are forwarded to the Advanced Standing and Degrees Committee for a final decision. (4) Students returning to Augustana following a non-Augustana study abroad program should re-apply for admission with the Dean of Students Office (see Special Designations #2, next page).
Special Designations
Students who are away from the campus for special reasons are designated as follows:
1. Augustana students in non-resident programs. Students are registered at Augustana and have all the privileges and responsibilities of regular resident students including financial assistance, ID cards, insurance, etc. They are included in statistics reporting Augustana students, even though they may pay tuition at a different institution. Continuance at Augustana upon their return is contingent upon meeting academic standards comparable to those in effect at Augustana while away. Examples of non-resident programs are the Augustana international study programs, including summer language study, and Augustana internships.
2. Augustana students on leave. Students travel individually to study in a foreign country or engage in some special educational program. They take a leave of absence from Augustana and Illinois state financial aid programs, and are not entitled to any student benefits or privileges contingent upon enrollment. Students who return must complete a brief readmission application with the Dean of Students. Work submitted for advanced standing or transfer credit is subject to normal review procedures for transfer work. Examples are approved programs of foreign or domestic study and international exchange programs such as those in China and Germany.
