Transfer Credit Policies

Nazareth University seeks to provide transfer students with the greatest possible recognition of your previous college work while maintaining the integrity of Nazareth's academic programs. Courses are evaluated for transfer regardless of mode of delivery.

  • Nazareth University awards transfer credit for courses completed at regionally accredited institutions. Transfer credit may also be awarded for courses recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE). Credit for courses taken at international institutions will be considered for transfer based on an equivalency evaluation conducted by a reputable evaluation service such as World Education Service.
  • Transfer students who have completed an Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.), or Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S) degree from a regionally accredited institution prior to registration at Nazareth University are ordinarily granted 60 semester hours of transfer credit and junior class standing upon enrolling at Nazareth University. This does not guarantee completion of the degree in an additional 60 credit hours, as there is no guarantee all credits awarded will satisfy specific degree requirements.
  • Grades of D+, D, D-, or pass/fail are not accepted in transfer unless they are situated in an A.A., A.S., or A.A.S. degree already earned. Note: With the exception of certain courses required for Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy programs, Nazareth will grant transfer credit for courses taken at other accredited colleges or universities in Spring or Summer 2020 with grades of S/P (Satisfactory/Pass). In some cases, if a grade of S/P is earned, students may need to complete a separate assessment to demonstrate the necessary proficiency to meet program standards or before advancing to the next course in a sequence.
  • Transcripts from regionally accredited institutions for applicants who do not possess the A.A. , A.S. or A.A.S degree are evaluated on a course-by-course basis. For these students, grades of D+, D, D-, and pass/fail will not be accepted for transfer. However, students may be granted up to 6-8 credits of course waivers if they earned a D+, D, or D- in courses equivalent to Nazareth degree requirements. This means up to 6-8 credits of requirements can be considered completed, but no credit is granted.
  • Transfer credit for specific courses may be awarded if Nazareth University offers a course that is equivalent to the course being transferred. Elective credit may be granted if Nazareth does not offer an equivalent course.
  • A maximum of 66 credit hours may be accepted from two-year colleges, and a maximum of 90 credit hours may be accepted in total.
  • A minimum of 30 credits, preferably the last 30, must be taken at Nazareth University, and the student should be matriculated prior to taking these credits.
  • CLEP, AP, IB, Military credit, or other proficiency exams may be used to earn credit. Please note that students may earn no more than 30 credits from any combination of proficiency exams and military credit. For advisement concerning these exams, see a Transfer Credit Evaluator.
  • Evaluation of transfer credits will be finalized and transfer credits awarded only after final official transcripts from each credit source (such as college transcripts, test scores, or military documents) have been received by the University. Any evaluation of credits received prior to that time is unofficial and not binding.
  • All associate degree holders must provide a final official transcript with the degree posted.
  • Only “credits” for acceptable coursework transfer and may fulfill requirements at Nazareth; Grade Point Average (GPA) does not transfer. Transfer grades will not appear on the Nazareth transcript.
  • Transfer students cannot receive credit twice for courses with different titles but with equivalent content, wherever taken.
  • Once received, transcripts become the property of Nazareth University and may not be sent from Nazareth to other colleges.
  • Students who have completed fewer than 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of college credit at the time of application must also submit an official copy of their high school transcript.
  • Transfer credit policies related to the Core curriculum:
    • Nazareth's full Core is waived for transfer students entering Nazareth with a previously earned bachelor's degree (from Nazareth or another institution). 
    • For transfer students entering Nazareth with a previously earned A.A., A.S., or A.A.S. degree, all Core requirements are waived except for ACS 090 Academic and College Success for Transfer Students and CME 050 Core Milestone Experience.
    • All transfer students without a previously earned associate's or bachelor's degree must complete the full Core, with the exception of the First Year Seminar (FYS), and will take ACS 090 instead of ACS 101.

These courses must be completed at Nazareth:

    • ACS 090 Academic and College Success for Transfer Students
    • At least 3 credits of Perspectives Enduring Questions coursework
    • CME 050 Core Milestone Experience

 These courses are acceptable in transfer:

    • College Writing, 6 credit hours
    • Perspectives-Enduring Questions courses, one course from each of the eight Perspectives areas, including a laboratory science. (Note: Even if you transfer in courses that fulfill all eight perspectives areas, you are still required to take at least 3 credits of Perspectives coursework at Nazareth.)
    • Integrative Studies transfer courses may be applied to the IS component. (These are not posted as such since the IS courses are not tracked on program evaluations.)
    • Health and Wellness requirement
    • Experiential Learning requirement