Advanced Standing

Upon admission of a transfer student, the Office of the Registrar will issue an evaluation of previous work for advanced stand­ing delineating the number of credits transferred, unless the student is a first-year student. Additional policies for pre-enrollment credit apply for prospective first-year students, see below. Students are required to release their complete prior academic record to the college for evaluation. 

To be transferred, coursework taken at another institution need not be an exact match to courses offered at Augustana, but should be in an academic program and at an academic level comparable to examples from the Augustana curriculum and consistent with a liberal arts degree. Stricter criteria may be applied to a course for it to fulfill a general graduation requirement or a requirement for a major. Augustana does not accept transfer work under any circumstances after an Augustana degree is awarded. See also the section on awarding official military credits that are transcribed by ACE as noted in the section below. 

Augustana does not accept technical or specialty courses such as: welding, truck driving, vehicle repair, CDL/transportation, CAD, HVAC repair, industrial coursework, cosmetology, medical/dental/veterinary assistant/technician, massage therapy, EMT, specialized military training, nursing/phlebotomy, safety, childcare, hotel and restaurant management, food preparation, agriculture or agri-business, greenhouse/hydroponics/gardening, computer repair/networking, continuing education, office certificate or competency courses from Microsoft/LinkedIn Learning, crime investigation/police work, forensics, paralegal, clerical studies, typing/keyboarding, transcription, medical coding, human resources, etc. Courses taken at community colleges are by-nature lower-level (100-200) credits as applied to the Augustana record. To maintain our accreditation standards, only in rare circumstances will community college credit count toward upper level (300-400) credit. 

Only a summary of credits accepted from other institutions with a grade of C or higher will be noted on a student’s Augustana transcript, grades will not be noted. Specific information on transfer credit is recorded in the student’s permanent file and included in degree audits. By sending official scores and official transcripts to Augustana College, individuals consent to post all eligible coursework to the academic record. In accordance with legal regulations and best practice standards, coursework posted to the record may not be removed. Students are required to release/disclose their entire academic record to Augustana when applying for admission and requesting work be accepted for transfer. Students who choose not to disclose all prior educational experiences may be turned in to the Honor Council and are subject to the consequences outlined in the Honor Code, which may include forfeiture of all transfer credits, a reduction in financial aid or scholarships, suspension or dismissal. Students are required to petition all coursework for transfer in advance of sending transcripts for evaluation. The Office of the Registrar will not do partial evaluations on transcripts where petitions are missing. Coursework approved for transfer credit after a student enrolls at Augustana is treated in the same manner. 

Augustana does not accept the following coursework:

• DANTES courses - College Level Exam Program (CLEP) exams or DSST 
• Straightliner or StraightlinerLine
• Sophia Learning, LLC or Sophia.org
• Portage Learning (if you have coursework transcripted by Geneva College, arrange to have your official transcripts sent).
• Coursera.org
• Study.com
• HiSET exams or credits by ETS
• Credly badges or certificates
• Credits for life or work experience or any prior learning not officially transcripted.

The process for transfer work evaluation is based on the criteria set-forth in the catalog and within the published transfer initiatives/policies noted in the college catalog and on the college website. The processes and protocols for transfer evaluation are strictly followed and adhere to industry best-practice standards established by AACRAO. When necessary, the college will follow guidance outlined by CHEA. The following processes are followed: 

• Official transcripts and scores should be sent to the college according to the timeline established by the Academic Calendar and the Admissions Office;
• Only coursework that appears on an official college transcript for credit will be applied to the student record;
• On behalf of the faculty, official transcripts and official score reports are evaluated by the Office of the Registrar and applicable coursework is posted to the academic record;
• Transfer credits are awarded according to the maximum credits displayed on an official transcript, unless an academic department wishes to award fewer credits based on an Augustana course that has fewer credits. See also Policies on Awarding Credit;
• Equivalent, qualifying coursework will be posted to the record using a direct equate to the Augustana course and any applicable general education designations if approved by the faculty. In some instances a semi-equate applies only some institutional requirements and designations; 
• Comparable, qualifying coursework without a direct equate will be posted according to faculty policy, which may include applying coursework as an elective within a department that may or may not apply toward a major/minor and will not include a general education designation;
• Courses and scores that the Office of the Registrar has determined are not faculty approved for credit, are below college-level coursework, are neither comparable nor equivalent, or coursework/scores where the student has earned Augustana credit will not receive credit for transfer;
• Courses/scores not previously evaluated for transfer and with which the Office of the Registrar has no previous evaluation experience will be forwarded to the appropriate academic department chair for evaluation (students may choose to provide a syllabus and additional assignments/tests from the transfer course directly to the department chair as supporting documentation);
• Students who have official college transfer work and/or credit from official scores posted to their academic record may not repeat those courses for credit at Augustana. See Grading for more information about the policies on repeating coursework for credit;
• Students will have all applicable coursework and credits applied to the record, students may not pick and choose what prior credit they will have applied to the record, except under the Pre-Enrollment Policy noted below; 
• Once credits from transfer work and scores are posted to the official educational record, coursework will not be removed or edited. Under the regulations of the Department of Education, the Higher Learning Commission, and best practices established by AACRAO, the official academic record shall not be altered or amended unless a documented clerical error has been proven. See the policies governing the Academic Record for more information. 

After enrollment with the college, transfer students (*) who have a question about how transfer coursework was applied to their record may follow these steps to obtain a further review of the coursework. Students should wait for the results of the review following each step below before pursuing the next step: 

1. Contact the Office of the Registrar for a review of the transfer coursework (for credits and requirements).
2. Send a syllabus to the appropriate department chair (for credits and requirements). Do not send links to institutional webpages.
3. Appeal the transfer evaluation to the Committee on Advanced Standing and Degrees ; 
4. Request a full transfer course vetting by following the General Education Designation online guide (only for request of additional General Education designations).

(*) This additional review process is only available to new transfer students after their initial enrollment with the college. After first enrollment with the college all current Augustana students are required to follow the pre-approval process prior to taking coursework elsewhere. That approval process will clearly identify how transfer coursework will be applied to the record. See below.

1. Please also see the "Pre-Enrollment Policy" noted below
2. Students seeking a degree at Augustana as a transfer student 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.
3. To be transferable, coursework should be completed at an accredited institution. Schools in Illinois and surrounding states should be accredited by the applicable Higher Learning Commission (230 S. LaSalle St., Suite 7-500, Chicago, Ill., 60604) regional accrediting body. A directory of accredited institutions is available on-line at https://www.hlcommission.org/Directory-of-HLC-Institutions.html.
4. Only coursework from other colleges and universities awarded the grade of “C” (i.e., 2.00) or higher will be evaluated for transfer credit.
5. Institutions without accreditation cannot provide a reliable, third -party assurance that they meet or exceed minimum academic standards. Therefore Augustana does not routinely accept coursework from institutions who are not regionally accredited. On behalf of and along with the faculty, the Office of the Registrar may take special steps to validate credits that have been previously earned at unaccredited programs or institutions if requested by the student in advance of their enrollment.
6. 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)].
7. Repetition of courses: Once credit has been earned for a course at another institution, it cannot be earned again at Augustana. The same is true for Augustana courses. If a student earns credit for a course at Augustana, an equivalent course may not be transferred in from another institution. 
8. 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. 
9. Residence requirement: At least 60 credits (exclusive of physical education activities) must be earned at Augustana. The last 12 credits applied to the degree must be earned at Augustana.
10. Upper-division credits: Except under rare circumstances, no lower level transfer coursework will be equated to 300/400 level Augustana courses. Lower-level courses from another institution may be equated to a lower-level transfer elective instead. A major/minor substitution for the elective transfer course may be requested to substitute for the Augustana requirement at the discretion of the department. Students who have unique circumstances where they feel an upper-level equate is necessary may request the department and AS&D approve a waiver and will be limited to no more than two courses (6-8 credits) applied toward the degree. [updated by faculty 12.6.23]
11. Credit by examination, including Advanced Placement, credit for experience, and correspondence coursework are transferable to the extent that Augustana standards are met.
12. Mathematics credit: No credit is given for work in mathematics below the level of college algebra. A Quantitative (Q) designation is not awarded for college algebra. 

Enrollment is defined as the date which an individual becomes a student. The college defines a student as attending their first day of coursework at Augustana. The above policies also apply to transfer work taken after initial enrollment unless specific exceptions are noted here: 

1. Prior approval: Transfer credit is only awarded when­ approval by the Committee on Advanced Standing and Degrees has been approved prior to a course being taken. An official petition form for this purpose is available through secure Arches login or clicking HERE (network login required). 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.

2. Repetition of failed courses: Students who fail an Augustana course are expected to repeat the course at Augustana if they wish to repeat the course. Students may not retake failed Augustana coursework at another college or university. Under very rare and unusual circumstances, a student may seek approval of the Committee on Advanced Standing and Degrees for an exception. 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.

3. Concurrent registration: Full-time Augustana students (those enrolled in 12 or more credits in a semester or enrolled for one J-term course) are prohibited from enrolling concurrently (carrying coursework) at any other institution. Students who feel they have an unusual circumstance that requires concurrent registration must request prior approval of the Committee on Advanced Standing and Degrees. The Department of Education has restrictions and limitations on concurrent enrollment, so exceptions are rarely approved. 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 Augustana classes during this period. The following guidelines also apply:

• Only students who have earned 61 credits or more and have a strong academic record will be considered for concurrent registration.
• Students assume the risk for understanding that violations to Department of Education regulations may result is students having to return dispersed funds to the college or the government. 
• Petitions for this privilege are approved only if the committee judges that the student’s valid educational objectives for an Augustana degree can be met only through concurrent registration.
• Career objectives and enrollment goals beyond Augustana will not be considered as a valid rationale for concurrent registration. 

Students who seek to take coursework between terms when they are not enrolled at the college (i.e. summer or J-term if not enrolled at Augustana) must seek prior approval of the coursework through the regular transfer policies and procedures. The dates of the proposed transfer course (start and end dates) may not overlap with any dates a student is enrolled full time at Augustana. Full time is defined as 12 credits during a semester and one course for J-term.

4. Online and Distance Coursework: While students may choose to take online coursework for transfer during the summer or any other period they are not enrolled at Augustana, prior approval is required and all other policies governing transfer credits and graduation requirements apply. (updated 3.16.22)

5. Final Official Transcripts Required: All transfer work must be validated through an official transcript sent directly to the Office of the Registrar (mail or an approved e-service vendor.) Transcript must include the number of credits earned and a final grade. It is the responsibility of the student to verify an official transcript will be released documenting completion of the coursework and to arrange to have those transcripts sent to the college.

6. 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 apply 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 in the Office of the Registrar. (Approved by Senate on 5-5-11)

Augustana generally accepts the recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) for accreditation of military service training and experience if Augustana offers the equivalent coursework. One physical education (HEPE) credit is given for military experience of more than one year. This credit may be used to partially satisfy the physical education (PEA) graduation requirement.

Clarifying language added on 5-1-19

Augustana regularly offers programs for both language study and multidisciplinary study in a variety of regions of the world including Augustana-approved programs and exchange programs. For a complete list of programs, visit the international internship opportunities site. The quality of instruction on these sponsored and affiliated programs meets college standards and the curricula are consistent with on-campus academic programming.

The following policies apply to Augustana-approved and sponsored programs:

• Once students are selected/approved to participate on an Augustana international study program, they follow the normal college registration procedures.
• 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 and Off-Campus 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 and Off-Campus Programs.
  • 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.
  • Submit the completed application to the Office of International and Off-Campus Programs for the signature of the International and Off-Campus Programs Coordinator.
  • Petitions are forwarded to the Advanced Standing and Degrees Committee for a final decision.

Students who wish to study abroad in other non-approved programs programs will not be an Augustana student during the time they are enrolled elsewhere. Students who desire to pursue this option should consult with the Office of International and Off-Campus Programs and the Office of the Registrar before leaving the college. Students are required to notify the Dean of Students Office they are leaving the college and are required to petition to transfer these courses in advance. All transfer policies apply for this coursework. 

Students returning to Augustana following a non-approved study abroad program should re-apply for admission with the Dean of Students Office.

Students who are away from the campus for special reasons are designated as follows:

1. Augustana students in non-resident and consortial 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 statistical report­ing as 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 not returning. Students who travel individually to study in a foreign country or engage in some special educational program, are processed as a non-returning student from Augustana and are not entitled to any student benefits or privileges contingent upon enrollment. Students who return must complete a brief readmission application. 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.