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Transfer of Graduate Credit

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Effective Date: August 2024
Last Reviewed: April 2022
Last Revised: April 2024
Next Review: September 2028

Policy Statement

Graduate courses earned at another college or university may be transferred into a Kent State University graduate program. Students who wish to have those courses considered for transfer must petition administrators of the graduate program. The program can accept or reject such courses based on the program requirements, regardless of the discipline or institution in which the credits were earned.

The following conditions must be satisfied to transfer graduate credit:

  1. A maximum of 12 credit hours of transfer courses may be applied toward a master’s degree, the Educational Specialist degree or a doctoral degree. Some programs may have a lower maximum.
  2. The graduate credit was earned at an institutional accredited college or university (or international equivalent).
  3. The credit was not used for a previously awarded degree.
  4. The student earned, at minimum, a B or satisfactory (S) grade in each course for which credit is to be transferred.
  5. The transfer coursework satisfies a requirement in the student’s program.
  6. Time limits for transfer credit must follow established policy. Refer to policy for time limits for graduate degrees
  7. The student’s petition for transfer credit with an official transcript is filed with the program and college.
  8. The student’s program coordinator approves the petition.

Accepted transfer credits are posted on the Kent State University transcript in semester hours and count toward total credit hours earned for graduation at Kent State. Transfer credits and grades will not count toward the students’ Kent State Grade Point Average (GPA) and residence requirement; nor will a transfer grade replace a grade earned in an equivalent course at Kent State. Transfer grades, however, may be considered for prerequisites to a specific course or admission to and/or progression for a specific program.

Students who are enrolled in a Kent State graduate program and wish to take graduate credit at another college or university to be transferred back to their Kent State's program must obtain approval from their program coordinator prior to taking the courses.

Reason For Policy

This policy specifies where authority resides for decisions regarding transferability of graduate credit and outlines the conditions required for the transfer of credits to Kent State graduate programs from other institutions.

Procedures

Students who wish to transfer graduate-level credits into a Kent State graduate program must obtain approval from their program coordinator by submitting the Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form and including an official transcript of the courses.

Forms/Instructions

Additional Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Are Kent State courses taken for one graduate program considered "transfer" if I want to apply them to another Kent State graduate program?
    Courses completed at Kent State are not considered transfer. However, courses taken in one Kent State program may be applied toward another Kent State program with approval of that program’s coordinator.
  2. Is there an appeal process if my transfer request was denied?
    Yes, if a student wants to appeal a decision made on a transfer course, follow the administrative policy and procedure for student academic complaints
  3. Does the 12-credit limit include courses transferring from a certificate to a degree?
    The 12-credit limit pertains to any and all coursework taken at another institution regardless of program type. The limit does not pertain to coursework taken for a Kent State graduate program (major, minor, certificate) that is being requested to apply toward another Kent State program.
  4. Where do I start the transfer process?
    Meet with your faculty advisor and/or program coordinator to review the courses in question for applicability toward your degree program.

Definitions

Credit hour: Units based on contact hours in a learning environment that are acquired for completed coursework applied toward a degree or certificate.

GPA (Grade Point Average): An indication of a student's academic achievement at Kent State University, determined by the number of credit hours attempted at Kent State University and the grades received. The Kent State GPA is calculated to three places past the decimal point and not rounded.

Graduate credit: Courses earned for a master's, Educational Specialist or doctoral degree or for a graduate-level certificate program. Graduate credit at Kent State are courses numbered 50000-69999 for master's level and 70000-89999 for doctoral level.

Institutionally accredited college or university: Previously called regional accreditation, the primary form of accreditation for traditional colleges and universities in the United States. There are six institutional accrediting organizations recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education, including the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits Kent State University.

Related Information

Revision History

Amended August 2024: Revised policy clarified earned credits from other institutions may be used in Kent State University graduate programs. The revisions also clarified language that students changing from one Kent State program to another are not considered transfer of credit. 

Amended August 2023: Revised policy removes restriction that students with an earned Kent State graduate degree cannot transfer courses, with program permission, to another Kent State graduate degree.

Amended August 2015: Revised policy provides more guidance about the conditions associated with the transfer of credit at the graduate level, including the transfer of credit into the educational specialist (Ed.S.) degree; the transfer of credit that was earned at Kent State University; and the conditions surrounding the transfer of credits (e.g., role of the student, time limits, impact on the student’s GPA). Name of policy changes from "Admission–Transfer Graduate Student" to "Transfer of Graduate Credit."