Guidelines for Evaluating Credit

• Credit is ordinarily considered acceptable for transfer if it is comparable to coursework offered by Aurora University or generally considered to be part of a liberal arts based curriculum.
• Only credit earned at regionally accredited schools or at schools accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognized accrediting bodies is considered for transfer through the normal process.
• A transfer course must be the equivalent of a C- or higher.
• A maximum of 90 semester hours in transfer from any institution (this also includes any credit through AP, CLEP, or DSST exams).
• Developmental (remedial courses) are not transferable for credit.
• We recognize AA/AS, AAS or BA/BS degree from regionally accredited institutions.
• Students should be aware that some programs of the university have time limits for transfer of credit into the major, although there is no general time limit for the university.
• Grades earned at other schools are used to determine transferability of credit, and as a criterion for transfer admission, but are not included in the student’s AU grade point average.
• External courses that are approved to transfer into Aurora University will transfer the same amount of credits that were originally earned at the external institution. For example, if a student completed PSY-100 Introduction to Psychology at their previous institution and earned 3 semester hours, they would be granted 3 semester hours of credit for the Introduction to Psychology course at Aurora University.
• Current Students: When a student wishes to register for college work at another institution, or to take a correspondence course or a CLEP examination, he/she must file a Petition for Prior Approval seeking approval from the Registrar to make sure that the work he/she plans to do will be transferable and applicable toward his/her degree. This petition must be submitted for review prior to registering for coursework at other institutions.

• All international transcripts must be evaluated by ECE or WES before they can be reviewed by AU.
• The Registrar’s Office at AU will use the results of the evaluation report to determine transfer of foreign credit to the university.
• You are responsible for all fees associated with credential evaluation.

A portfolio assessment program is available to students who have significant prior learning through career achievements and lived experiences. Those interested in completing a portfolio for evaluation must submit the request form and enroll in the non-credit, free Credit by Portfolio online course. The Portfolio Submission course is self-driven and must be completed within 90 days of the approved application. The completed portfolio will then be evaluated for additional credit by the department chair, admission personnel, or the individual deemed to have expertise with the course content. If approved, credit will be awarded by the Registrar's Office. 

There is no guarantee that a submitted portfolio will result in an award of credit. Portfolio reviewers base their evaluation on national standards established by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and on expertise in the subject matter. Appeals may occur when the institution denies the student credit for their claim. An appointed officer in the Office of Academic Affairs will review appeals. The decision of the officer is final. To appeal, the student must demonstrate one of the following criteria applies:

• The standard assessment process was not followed.
• Feedback from the portfolio assessor was not sufficient. 
• Evidence of bias in the review process.