Transfer Policies

Students who have been enrolled in another post-secondary institution and who seek admission to the University in any of its programs must have official transcripts submitted directly from the issuing institution to Thomas More University. Credits completed at the previous, post-secondary institution(s) that meet the criteria outlined below are considered transferable and will be posted to the student’s record at Thomas More University. Grades earned will not be used in the calculation of the Thomas More University G.P.A. After submission of these transcripts, students may be admitted as transfer students under one of the following conditions:

  1. Students who have earned any amount of transfer credit from a post-secondary institution prior to high school graduation must meet the applicable admissions requirements previously listed for students who have been out of high school less than five years or for students who have been out of high school for five years or more.
  2. A student who has achieved a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher (on 0 – 4 quality point scale) at the previous, post-secondary institution(s) and has completed less than 12 transferable semester credits at the post-secondary institution(s) must meet the applicable admissions requirements previously listed for students who have been out of high school less than five years or for students who have been out of high school for five years or more.
  3. A student who has achieved a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher (on 0-4 quality point scale) at the previous, post-secondary institution(s) and has completed at least 12 transferable semester credits at the post-secondary institution(s) will be admitted.
  4. A student who has not achieved a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher (on 0-4 quality point scale) at the previous, post-secondary institution(s), no matter how many credit hours were earned, may be admitted to the University (at the discretion of the Admissions Committee). Thomas More University will, however, respect the academic sanctions applied by other institutions.
    1. Students who have been placed on probation at another institution may be granted conditional admission to Thomas More. The Admissions Committee will determine the conditions to be met before the student’s status may be changed to unconditional. Failure to meet those conditions would result in dismissal from the University.
    2. A student suspended or dismissed by another institution will only be considered for admission to Thomas More University under the same criteria applied to its own students. (Cf. Suspension and Dismissal.) The Admissions Committee may elect to grant conditional admission to such students.

Transfer Credit

A. Transfer Credit Prior to a Student’s Matriculation to Thomas More University

Thomas More University recognizes that courses taken at other post-secondary institutions prior to a student’s admission to Thomas More may qualify for transfer, but the University reserves the right to determine the acceptability of transfer credits in accord with its mission and goals. Usually, the following regulations and guidelines are employed in identifying university-level learning for transfer, but these are not all-inclusive of the considerations that must be weighed in reviewing an official transcript for the awarding of transfer credit at Thomas More University. It is the student’s responsibility to request the issuance of transcripts from other institutions to Thomas More University. Only official transcripts sent directly from the issuing institutions to Thomas More will be accepted. No other copies will be used in the official determination of transferable credit.

I. Number of credit hours that may be accepted in transfer

1. Thomas More University accepts up to 90 semester – hour credits and equivalency credits in transfer and allows them to be applied to a bachelor’s degree; it allows as many as 44-semester hour credits and equivalency credits which are accepted in transfer towards an associate’s degree; and as many as 12 semester – hour credits and equivalency credits, which are accepted in transfer to be applied to a certificate. No more than 64 semester hours will be awarded in transfer from a two-year institution. Students must earn at least 25% of their credit hours through instruction offered by Thomas More University, exclusive of transfer credit and credit earned through the consortium program.

2.Of the above number of credits, the maximum number of credits awarded for “extra-institutional learning” (as defined in Section II. C. below) which may be applied to a bachelor degree is 60, to the associate’s is 30, and to the certificate is 8. (Please note that RECALL credit is limited to 32 semester hours for a baccalaureate degree and 16 semester hours for an associate’s degree.)

3.In order to earn a degree in a specific major, a student must complete at least 18 of the hours required in that major for a bachelor’s degree and 9 hours for an associate’s at Thomas More University.

II. Institutions from which credit hours may be accepted in transfer

1.Thomas More University accepts credit attached to courses taken at any post-secondary degree-granting institution of higher education accredited by one of the Regional Accrediting Associations. Effective Fall 2014, the completed courses must carry a grade of C- or better (1.667 or higher on a 0-4 quality point scale). Grades earned will not be used in the calculation of the Thomas More University G.P.A. Courses with a Pass/Satisfactory grade will ordinarily be accepted as general elective credit only. Courses not awarded credit by the student’s previous institution(s) cannot be transferred. A quarter-hour taken at schools operating on the quarter calendar system will convert to .667 semester hours at Thomas More University.

2.Courses taken at a post-secondary institution of higher education not accredited by one of the Regional Accrediting Associations will be considered on an individual basis by the appropriate Academic Department, the Office of the Registrar, and the Office of Academic Affairs.  Students who apply for admission from other countries are required to have their credentials evaluated by American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) International or the World Education Service.   The applicant is responsible for the fees charged for this service.

3.The award of credit for “extra institutional learning” will be based on the recommendation of the American Council on Education (ACE), as stated in their current publications. “Extra-institutional learning” includes but is not limited to ACE, CLEP, Dantes, Challenge Tests, and credit for work or professional training, including military training.  Credit by examination cannot be awarded for a lower level course in a discipline than one for which the student has already earned credit.  A student may also not earn credit by examination for a course if they have earned credit for a course with similar content.  If the credit is transferred to meet a major requirement, the department may require supplemental learning to meet the Thomas More University equivalency.  Courses not approved by ACE will be considered on an individual basis by the appropriate Academic Department, the Office of the Registrar, and the Office of Academic Affairs.

III. Types of courses for which credit hours may be accepted in transfer

1.Credit is granted for academic work comparable to that offered at Thomas More University. Remedial level courses will not be accepted in transfer.

2.Transfer equivalencies are evaluated by those academically qualified to make the necessary judgements, typically the department chair (or their designee) of the equivalent course or discipline.  Transfer equivalencies are tracked and applied by the Office of the Registrar.  A student’s major department determines whether credit applicable to departmental requirements will be accepted in transfer.  The Office of the Registrar evaluates transfer courses for acceptance of general elective credit.

B. Transfer Credit for Current Students at Thomas More University

To help ensure the achievement of its objectives, Thomas More University normally requires that a matriculated student complete his/her study at the University; however, a full-time student at Thomas More University may register through the University for courses at any college or university in the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities. In addition, a student may be given permission to take up to 18 credit hours at other institutions at the discretion of the Provost. In all situations involving study at another institution, the student must provide, in advance and in writing, academic justification for his/her request and obtain permission from the Provost after obtaining the signature of the Chairperson of the department of the course in question. Courses taken in violation of this policy will not be accepted in transfer.