Transfer Credit Policy

Policy Number: 3.3.6
Effective Date: March 26, 2026
Revision History: January 17, 2025; December 18, 2024 (Interim Policy Effective Date)
Policy Contact: Executive Director of Registration Services

I. Purpose and Policy Statement 

The purpose of the Transfer Credit Policy at Georgia Gwinnett College ("GGC") is to establish clear standards for evaluating and awarding academic credit earned outside the institution. This policy ensures that transfer coursework, standardized examinations, military experience, and other prior learning are assessed consistently, align with accreditation and curricular requirements, and support students' progress toward the completion of their degree while upholding the academic integrity of the institution. 

II. Scope 

This policy governs the submission, evaluation, and awarding of transfer credit, including but not limited to: coursework completed at accredited institutions of higher education; international coursework and credentials; standardized examinations (e.g., AP, IB, CLEP, DSST); military training and experience; articulation agreements; and other approved prior learning experiences. This policy further prescribes the limits, conditions, and procedures under which transfer and examination-based credits may be applied toward degree requirements. 

III. Definitions 

Transfer Credit: Transfer credit is defined as coursework completed at another institution of higher learning prior to a student being accepted and enrolling for the first time as a degree seeking student at Georgia Gwinnett College. 

IV. Roles and Responsibilities 

1. Office of the Registrar: Administers the Transfer Credit Policy to ensure consistency and compliance with institutional and accreditation requirements. 

2. Faculty: Must be familiar with the Transfer Credit Policy to advise students appropriately in terms of degree progression and to understand how transfer coursework may impact their current curriculum. 

3. Academic Advisors: Must be familiar with the Transfer Credit Policy to advise students appropriately in terms of degree progression. 

4. Staff in the Office of Admissions: Must be familiar with the Transfer Credit Policy to appropriately assign a student type at admission. 

V. Compliance 

This policy has been developed in accordance with the policies of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia ("USG") and in compliance with the standards and requirements of the College's institutional accrediting bodies. 

VI. Requirements for Transfer Credit and Application of Transfer Credit at GGC 

1. When an applicant is accepted for undergraduate admission, courses from other institutions that correspond to the curriculum of Georgia Gwinnett College, in content, credit, and time, will be accepted for transfer credit.  

2. Georgia Gwinnett College will accept undergraduate transfer credit that meets the following requirements: 

   1. Credit must have been earned at institutionally accredited institutions of higher education recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Coursework completed at colleges and universities outside of the United States will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Students must have a recognized transcript evaluation agency provide an evaluation of the foreign transcript to Georgia Gwinnett College. Please contact Admissions Services for additional information about obtaining an evaluation of foreign credentials. 

   2. Only official transcripts from other schools may be used to evaluate and/or award credit. 

   3. Coursework must be college-level (generally numbered 1000 or above) at the institution taken and must not be vocational in nature. No transfer credit can be awarded for developmental or learning support coursework. 

   4. Only grades of "D" or higher will be accepted for transfer credit. Any grades below "D" will not be accepted for transfer credit. However, individual programs or courses may require a grade of "C" or better to satisfy requirements. 

   5. Coursework taken on a pass/fail basis with a grade of "pass" will be considered for transfer credit. 

3. Application of Transfer Credit Hours at Georgia Gwinnett College 

   1. Transfer credits will be added to the student's Georgia Gwinnett College record, and those grades will calculate into their overall GPA, but grades will not be used in determining the student's institutional GPA. 

   2. Transfer credits based on a quarter system are converted to semester credit hours using the formula that ¼ hour equals 2/3 of a semester credit hour. Fractional transfer credits will be awarded. No more semester credit hours can be awarded at Georgia Gwinnett College than were awarded at the original institution. 

   3. Transfer credits awarded by Georgia Gwinnett College based upon fraudulent information or documents will be withdrawn from the student's record and the student will be subject to dismissal. 

VII. Transfer Credit for Core IMPACTS Courses 

1. Students will be granted credit for all Core IMPACTS courses if they hold one of the following: 

   1. A baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher learning accredited by U.S. Department of Education or Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 

   2. For those who graduated from a non-U.S. institution, the equivalent of a baccalaureate degree from a U.S. institution as certified by an approved foreign credential evaluation service. 

   3. An associate's degree designed to transfer to a baccalaureate program from a USG institution. 

   4. The exception to this policy is if a student has not completed courses deemed equivalent to HIST 2110 United State History I/HIST 2111 United States History II or POLS 1101 American Government. 

2. Students who hold any other associate's degree, such as an associate's degree from a non-USG institution or an associate's degree not designed to transfer to a baccalaureate program will be granted transfer credit for Core IMPACTS courses on a course-by-course basis. 

3. Georgia Gwinnett College will accept general education courses for transfer to satisfy Core IMPACTS requirements as articulated in the TCSG USG Course Transfer Chart. 

VIII. Credit by Exam 

1. Georgia Gwinnett College recognizes that learning can take place in various modes and places other than the traditional college classroom. Knowledge gained through experiential learning and other means is evaluated for possible college credit through examination. Advanced Placement ("AP"), International Baccalaureate ("IB"), and College Level Examination Placement ("CLEP") are the most commonly used tests for this purpose. These are standardized examinations administered internationally each year. The maximum credit that can be earned by AP, IB, or CLEP or any combination therein is limited to 30 semester hours. Please note that credit earned by exam and traditional transfer credit (i.e. credit for coursework completed in the classroom) cannot be duplicative. Therefore, if a student has earned traditional transfer credit for a course, they cannot earn additional credit by exam for the same course. Credit by exam listed on a previous institution's transcript will only be awarded at the time of admission to Georgia Gwinnett College. The scoring charts below are subject to change, with notice of such updates available from Registration Services. 

2. College Board Advanced Placement Examination: Official test scores should be sent directly from the College Board to the GGC Admissions Office for review. Please see the chart below for credit awarding: 

International Baccalaureate Examination: Georgia Gwinnett College awards credit for IB examinations, except for English as a Second Language, provided that the academic departments judge the examinations to be comparable to courses at Georgia Gwinnett College. IB diploma completes will be granted college course credit for Standard Level courses with assessment scores of 5 or higher- and Higher Level courses with assessment scores of 4 or higher. For students who did not complete the IB diploma but were awarded a certificate for completion of a specific subject area, credit will only be given for Higher Level courses with an assessment score of 4 or better. Official International Baccalaureate transcripts should be sent directly from International Baccalaureate Organization to the Admissions Office for review. The IB Counselor from the respective high school should be able to assist with this process. Please see the chart below for credit awarding: 

SL = Standard Level  

HL= Higher Level 

College-Level Examination Program: Georgia Gwinnett College offers credit for prior or experiential learning via the College Board's CLEP Exams. Official test scores should be sent directly from the College Board to the Admissions Office for review. Please see the chart below for credit awarding: 

Credit for DANTES ("DSST") Examinations: Georgia Gwinnett College will evaluate subjects based on American Council of Education ("ACE") recommendations and recommendations from the appropriate school dean or the designated school representative. The student's score must be a minimum of 400 for exams taken in 2008 or later and a minimum of 45 for exams taken prior to 2008 to receive credit. Students may apply no more than 30 semester hours of work earned through DANTES toward the requirements for an undergraduate degree. 

3. Credit for End of High School Examinations from Countries Other than the United States: Georgia Gwinnett College will consider awarding college credit for subject examinations taken at the end of high school in countries other than the United States. To be eligible for consideration, the examinations must be given nationally and must report scores by subject (not just a total score). Students who wish to have their subject examinations considered for credit should contact the Registrar's Office. Students may apply no more than 30 semester hours of work earned through end of high school exams toward the requirements for an undergraduate degree. 

IX. Credits Through Transfer Under an Articulation Agreement 

Georgia Gwinnett College has articulation agreements with several partners. The amount and type of credit transferred to Georgia Gwinnett College based on work completed at one of the articulated partner schools is governed by the formal agreement that exists between Georgia Gwinnett College and the partner institution. 

X. Credit for Correspondence or Extension Programs 

Students may apply no more than 30 semester hours of work earned through correspondence or extension programs of other institutions toward the requirements for an undergraduate degree. Students are cautioned to consult their mentor for additional department regulations on correspondence or extension work. Students must obtain the permission of the dean of their school, or the designated school representative, prior to taking correspondence courses to be applied toward the completion of the degree program. 

XI. Credit for Georgia Public High School Early Childhood Education Career Pathway 

1. Incoming undergraduate degree seeking students who graduated from any Georgia public high school who have successfully completed an Early Childhood Care and Education Pathway and submitted the required documentation from their high school will be awarded 3 credit hours for EDUC 2110 Critical and Contemporary Issues in Education. 

2. To be eligible for EDUC 2110 credit, a student must have the following documentation sent to the Admission's Office from their high school: 

   1. A transcript showing satisfactory completion of the three (3) Early Childhood Education Pathway courses* with a grade of "C" or better: 

      1. 20.52810 - Early Childhood Education I 

      2. 20.42400 - Early Childhood Education II 

      3. 20.42500 - Early Childhood Education III OR 20.42600 - Early Childhood Education Practicum 

   2. A formal letter composed on school system letterhead and signed by a designated certifying official from that school system to verify the completion of all coursework and portfolio requirements, and a passing score on the approved statewide "end of Pathway" assessment. 

*Course numbers indicated above may vary slightly, but they will begin with the "20" prefix and bear the names noted above. 

XII. Credit for Massive Open Online Courses ("MOOC(s)") 

At Georgia Gwinnett College, the granting of credit for MOOCs taken at other institutions is governed by the rules for transfer credit and credit by examination. If a MOOC was taken and transcripted at an accredited institution of higher education, decisions about credit for the MOOC are made according to the rules for transfer credit. 

XIII. Credit for Military Experience 

Credit earned for military experience or education from the U.S. Armed Forces branches that furnish the Joint Service Transcript ("JST") will be transferred and evaluated for applicability toward your current degree program. The Registrar's Office will review all the experience and coursework list on a JST along with the ACE military evaluations program recommendations to determine if transfer credit can be awarded. Only military training and experience with a credit recommendation at the lower-division and upper-division baccalaureate degree category level is evaluated. Students may apply no more than 30 semester hours of work earned through military experience toward the requirements for an undergraduate degree. Students should submit their official JST transcript for evaluation prior to the add/drop period of their first term of matriculation at Georgia Gwinnett College in order to allow for accurate academic advisement and accurate determination of financial aid eligibility. 

XIV. Credit for Proficiency by Institutional Examination 

In some cases, students may demonstrate proficiency by completing an institutional proficiency exam given by a member of Georgia Gwinnett College's faculty. If a student is able to demonstrate proficiency in a subject matter that allows them to register for a course that would otherwise require the student to complete a prerequisite, the student may be granted credit for the respective prerequisite(s). Students may apply no more than 30 semester hours of work earned through proficiency by institutional examination toward the requirements for an undergraduate degree. 

XV. Related Regulations, Statutes, Policies, and Procedures 

BOR Policy Manual Section 03.03.05 University System and Technical College System of Georgia Articulation Agreement 
BOR Policy Manual Section 03.03.06 Academic Credit Earned Through Extra-Institutional and Prior Learning