Policies

For more details, review our Transfer Credit Policy.

For more information on the SAP regulations, visit financialaid.appstate.edu/apply/satisfactory-academic-progress . Students who do not maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average and are placed on academic probation will be allowed to continue within the limits prescribed below: An undergraduate, whether admitted as a first-year, a transfer , or a special (non-degree seeking) student, will be allowed to enroll for a maximum of two (2) semesters (fall or spring) while carrying a cumulative grade point average below 2.0. In instances where a student does not meet the GPA qualifying criteria listed (in residence or through transferable credit*), the Dean of their intended/declared major may provide an exception to allow the use of Academic Renewal. *Transferable credit is defined as: Coursework which can be used for graduation purposes at Appalachian AND which does not repeat an Appalachian course for which credit has been earned.

Appalachian State University grants “external credit by exam” in conjunction with the AP, IB, CLEP, and the Cambridge A/AS Level Exams. Each credit policy can be viewed at https://testing.appstate.edu/credit-by-exam-ap-ib-clep-as-a . Credit for Prior Learning and Experience Credit for Prior Learning and Experience may be awarded if the credit sought is related to the student’s degree program (i.e. Persons interested in having their Prior Learning and Experience reviewed should contact the Transfer Admissions & Engagement Office ( transfer@appstate.edu or 828-262-7877). All approved Credit for Prior Learning and Experience will be awarded after a student has been admitted to the University. Note: Anyone receiving Credit for Prior Learning and Experience must be either a candidate for an undergraduate degree at Appalachian or taking courses for teacher licensure. Credit for Prior Learning and Experience cannot be used to repeat a course or for internship credit, nor can it be used to meet the University’s residency requirements for graduation.

Students with transfer credit in a language who wish to continue in the same language are not required to take the placement exam. However, students with transfer credit are encouraged to consult with the faculty advisor for that language.

BSW graduates have full professional status and may be eligible for admission to an Advanced Standing master’s degree program in social work. Our regular and Advanced Standing MSW students benefit from our unique crossover design that enables them to select one concentration area, Individuals and Families (I & F) or Community and Organizational (C & O) Practice, while integrating courses from the complementary practice area.

Credit Hours: Must have completed or have in progress at least 24 transferable credit hours.

This program recognizes prior learning and clinical competencies as part of the undergraduate curriculum.

Credit by Examination cannot be used to meet the University’s residency requirements for graduation.

This includes Appalachian and transfer credit. Transfer of Credit: Coursework with a minimum grade of “C” (2.0) (grades of “C-” and below will not transfer) from a regionally accredited institution that is comparable to the course offerings at Appalachian State University is acceptable as transfer credit. See “Transfer Credit Policy” at www.transfer.appstate.edu/credit .

Dual-Listed Courses FERPA - Privacy and Release of Student Information Field-Based Programs GPA Requirements - Good Standing Grade Appeals Grades and GPA Graduation Graduation Requirements Harassment and Discrimination Policies Incompletes Independent Study Individual Study Internship, Practicum and Other Courses involving Field Experiences Minors National Board Certification Credit Non-Degree Coursework Off-Campus Courses Pass-Fail Option for Graduate Courses Probationary Status Product of Learning Proficiency Requirements Program of Study Qualifying Examination Registration Repeat Rule Research Credit (Courses Numbered 5989/7989) Second Master’s Degree Special Course Form Standards of Scholarship Study Abroad Substance Abuse Policy University and Community Resources Suspension and Dismissal Thesis - Master’s or Specialist Time Limit Requirements Transcripts Transfer Credits Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Level Courses Weather Policy Withdrawal Adding a Program Graduate students who are currently enrolled in an existing graduate degree or certificate program may request to add another degree or certificate program. Credit by Examination Upon the recommendation of a graduate student’s committee and with the approval of the chair of the department in which it is listed, one graduate course may be challenged by examination. Credit by examination may not be used to repeat a course. Anyone seeking to pursue credit by examination must be a degree- or certificate-seeking student at Appalachian or must be working towards credit for teacher licensure. The department chair will notify the Graduate School using the credit by examination form, to prompt the Registrar to enter the credit on the permanent record and notify the cashier to reimburse the faculty member who administered the examination. Students approved to pursue a dual degree program pairing two master’s degrees will be subject to the following requirements: If a dual degree pairing has been offered no more than two times in the last five years, the program directors can create an individualized program of study (POS) that adheres to the following requirements. No more than 50% of the courses, based on the program with the least required credit hours, may be shared on the dual degree POS, except when credit hours required for the larger program is 54 hours or greater. Students pursuing a dual degree who already have an earned master’s degree will be required to complete all requirements of the dual degree, because the reduction in hours allowed under the Second Master’s policy is already factored into the dual degree programs. No dual degrees will be awarded retroactively. No dual degrees will be awarded retroactively.

Dual-Listed Courses FERPA - Privacy and Release of Student Information Field-Based Programs GPA Requirements - Good Standing Grade Appeals Grades and GPA Graduation Graduation Requirements Harassment and Discrimination Policies Incompletes Independent Study Individual Study Internship, Practicum and Other Courses involving Field Experiences Minors National Board Certification Credit Non-Degree Coursework Off-Campus Courses Pass-Fail Option for Graduate Courses Prior Learning Assessment Probationary Status Product of Learning Proficiency Requirements Program of Study Qualifying Examination Registration Repeat Rule Research Credit (Courses Numbered 5989/7989) Second Master’s Degree Special Course Form Standards of Scholarship Study Abroad Substance Abuse Policy Suspension and Dismissal Thesis - Master’s or Specialist Time Limit Requirements Transcripts Transfer Credits Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Level Courses Weather Policy Withdrawal Adding a Program Graduate students who are currently enrolled in an existing graduate degree or certificate program may request to add another degree or certificate program. Credit by Examination Upon the recommendation of a graduate student’s committee and with the approval of the chair of the department in which it is listed, one graduate course may be challenged by examination. Credit by examination may not be used to repeat a course. Anyone seeking to pursue credit by examination must be a degree- or certificate-seeking student at Appalachian or must be working towards credit for teacher licensure. The department chair will notify the Graduate School using the credit by examination form, to prompt the Registrar to enter the credit on the permanent record and notify the cashier to reimburse the faculty member who administered the examination. No more than 50% of the courses, based on the program with the least required credit hours, may be shared on the dual degree POS, except when credit hours required for the larger program is 54 hours or greater. Students pursuing a dual degree who already have an earned master’s degree will be required to complete all requirements of the dual degree, because the reduction in hours allowed under the Second Master’s policy is already factored into the dual degree programs. No dual degrees will be awarded retroactively. No dual degrees will be awarded retroactively.

Dual-Listed Courses FERPA - Privacy and Release of Student Information Field-Based Programs GPA Requirements - Good Standing Grade Appeals Grades and GPA Graduation Graduation Requirements Harassment and Discrimination Policies Incompletes Independent Study Individual Study Internship, Practicum and Other Courses involving Field Experiences Minors National Board Certification Credit Non-Degree Coursework Off-Campus Courses Pass-Fail Option for Graduate Courses Prior Learning Assessment Probationary Status Product of Learning Proficiency Requirements Program of Study Qualifying Examination Registration Repeat Rule Research Credit (Courses Numbered 5989/7989) Second Master’s Degree Special Course Form Standards of Scholarship Study Abroad Substance Abuse Policy University and Community Resources Suspension and Dismissal Thesis - Master’s or Specialist Time Limit Requirements Transcripts Transfer Credits Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Level Courses Weather Policy Withdrawal Adding a Program Graduate students who are currently enrolled in an existing graduate degree or certificate program may request to add another degree or certificate program. Credit by Examination Upon the recommendation of a graduate student’s committee and with the approval of the chair of the department in which it is listed, one graduate course may be challenged by examination. Credit by examination may not be used to repeat a course. Anyone seeking to pursue credit by examination must be a degree- or certificate-seeking student at Appalachian or must be working towards credit for teacher licensure. The department chair will notify the Graduate School using the credit by examination form, to prompt the Registrar to enter the credit on the permanent record and notify the cashier to reimburse the faculty member who administered the examination. No more than 50% of the courses, based on the program with the least required credit hours, may be shared on the dual degree POS, except when credit hours required for the larger program is 54 hours or greater. Students pursuing a dual degree who already have an earned master’s degree will be required to complete all requirements of the dual degree, because the reduction in hours allowed under the Second Master’s policy is already factored into the dual degree programs. No dual degrees will be awarded retroactively. No dual degrees will be awarded retroactively.

External Credit by Exam AP, Cambridge AS & A Level, CLEP and IB credits may be accepted. Visit the Transfer Admissions and Engagement external credit by exam page to find the courses and acceptable scores for transfer purposes.

To receive transfer credit from a foreign university, transcripts must be evaluated in English by a NACES-accredited foreign credentialing agency such as: World Education Services ( www.wes.org ), Educational Credential Evaluators ( www.ece.org/ ), Josef Silny & Associates ( www.jsilny.com ) or Global Credential Evaluators ( www.gceus.com ), etc. and the student must provide course descriptions or syllabi (in English).

Transfer credit still requires a minimum grade of “B” (3.0), while AP credit requires a minimum score of 4 to be accepted.

To be considered for transfer credit for any INT course, a portfolio of all work must be submitted and received prior to Reading Day of the Fall or Spring Semester prior to entering Appalachian State University. Without significant transfer credit in interior design courses, the Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design will generally take four years to complete.

(Note: Credit for which a grade is not awarded will not be used in the determination of honors-e.g., APP, CLEP, credit by examination, credit for military service, credit for prior learning, etc.) Students who return to Appalachian State University under Academic Forgiveness are not eligible for Latin Honors.

If 50% of the degree program requirements are met using certificate hours, additional transfer credits are not allowed.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). For participating graduate programs, PLA is the means by which university credit can be awarded for learning gains resulting from experiences outside of the traditional university setting. A maximum of 9 credit hours may be earned via PLA, with the combined total number of PLA credit hours earned and credit hours transferred from another institution not to exceed 9 credit hours. A student’s eligibility for PLA will be determined by the department chair or their designee in collaboration with the subject area program faculty and approved by the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies. The graduate program will determine the number of graduate credit hours for which a student may request eligibility. A student’s eligibility for PLA must be determined before or within the first semester of admission to one of the University’s graduate programs. Note: Eligibility for PLA does not guarantee program admission. Anyone seeking credit via PLA must be either pursuing a graduate degree at Appalachian or taking courses for teacher licensure. Students cannot utilize credit by PLA for any currently enrolled course, nor can credit by PLA be used to repeat a course. The materials submitted for PLA determination must reflect quality that is equivalent to a “B” or better for credit to be awarded. Graduate credit earned by PLA will be noted as credit without a grade (CR) on a student’s Appalachian State University transcript, and will not be factored into a student’s GPA. Program faculty will determine the appropriateness of accepting PLA for their individual degree programs. Program faculty may also specify courses to be excluded or included for possible PLA credit. The procedure for seeking PLA credit is as follows: The student petitions the department chair or their designee of the subject area before or within the first semester of program admission for an opportunity to demonstrate competence in the learning outcomes associated with a particular course or set of courses listed in the University’s Graduate Bulletin. The department chair or their designee will provide guidance to the student regarding how competence must be demonstrated, the acceptable timeframe for demonstrating competence, and the process of review (previously determined by department chairs in conjunction with program faculty members). The student submits evidence of competence in the form and within the timeframe acceptable to the faculty of the program from which credit is sought. The evidence appropriate for each course under consideration for PLA will be determined by program faculty. Options include but are not limited to portfolios, exams, digital badges, or other means consistent with the learning outcomes of the course or courses at the program discretion. The program faculty members will determine acceptable dates of evidence submission for each course or set of courses for which credit is sought via PLA. The student will receive notification of performance results within a timeframe established by the program. Students may appeal PLA decisions by following the procedures established by the university grade appeal process.

Use of transfer credits must be approved by the program and by the Graduate School.

If 50% of the degree program requirements are met using certificate hours, additional transfer credits are not allowed. The program of study may not include more than six (6) hours of independent study (5500/6500/7500) and also no more than 25% of independent study (5500/6500/7500) and selected topics (5530-5549, 6530-6549, 7530-7549) coursework combined. The program of study may not include more than 25% transfer credits. Use of transfer credits must be approved by the program and by the Graduate School.

Use of transfer credits must be approved by the program and by the Graduate School. The program of study may not include more than six (6) hours of independent study (5500/6500/7500) and also no more than 25% of independent study (5500/6500/7500) and selected topics (5530-5549, 6530-6549, 7530-7549) coursework combined. The program of study may not include more than 25% transfer credits. Use of transfer credits must be approved by the program and by the Graduate School.

Students who have earned credit for any course taken at Appalachian State University may not then transfer credit to Appalachian State University for the same course taken at another institution at a later date.

The following types of courses, however, are not considered “in residence”: transfer credit, including courses taken through UNC Online, credit by examination, credit for life experience, credit for military experience, credit while enrolled in a non-degree status, and “institutional” credit.

To be considered for transfer credit for any ADM course, a portfolio of all work must be submitted and received prior to Reading Day of the Fall or Spring Semester prior to entering Appalachian State University. Without significant transfer credit in apparel design and merchandising courses, the Bachelor of Science degree in Apparel Design and Merchandising will generally take more than two years to complete.

To be considered for transfer credit for any IND course, a portfolio of all work must be submitted and received prior to Reading Day of the Fall or Spring Semester prior to entering Appalachian State University. Without significant transfer credit in industrial design courses, the Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design will generally take four years to complete.

Additional time limits specific to transfer credit are presented in the “Transfer Credits” section.

Students with fewer than 30 hours of transferable credit will be reviewed based on their high school GPA, completion of the Minimum Course Requirements (MCR), as well as SAT or ACT scores. All applicants claiming to be a resident of North Carolina must request a residency determination through the Residency Determination Service ( RDS ). Coursework with a “C” or better (grades of “C-” and below will not transfer) from a regionally accredited institution that is comparable to the course offerings at Appalachian State University is acceptable as transfer credit. See “Transfer Credit Policy” at transfer.appstate.edu . Students must have completed 30 transferable semester credits; or be in progress of completing a total of 30 transferable semester credits, to be considered for admission as a transfer student.

Transfer Credit All nursing courses must be taken at Appalachian State University. The Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) with North Carolina community colleges and other relevant university policies will be followed in evaluating non-nursing credits from North Carolina community colleges.

Transfer Credit from Another Institution Coursework with a grade of “C” (2.0) or better from a regionally accredited institution that is comparable to the course offerings at Appalachian State University is acceptable as transfer credit (grades of “C-” (1.7) and below will not transfer). Appalachian accepts credit under the guidelines of the North Carolina Comprehensive Articulation Agreement. (see Appalachian’s “ Transfer Credit Policy ”

Transfer Credit Policy The Walker College of Business (WCOB) does not award transfer credit for courses taken at the freshman or sophomore level toward courses offered at the junior or senior level at Appalachian State University. Transfer credit for courses that were taken at the junior or senior level from an AACSB International-accredited business program at a four-year university will be considered. Students must present the following to the departmental chair of the relevant academic program in the ASU Walker College of Business: the catalog course description and/or other course materials as requested by the departmental chair. Provided ASU’s Residency Requirements and course grade requirements are met, the final decision to award transfer credit rests with the departmental chair. Requests for exceptions to the WCOB’s transfer credit policy should be directed to the relevant departmental chair.

Transfer Credits A degree- or certificate-seeking student may, with permission of the program director, request approval from the Graduate School to transfer graduate course work to Appalachian from another accredited graduate school. This coursework must be at the same or higher level as the student’s program at Appalachian. Only courses in which the student earned a grade of B (3.0) or higher may be considered for transfer credit. Transfer credits may only be considered for courses in which the student earned a letter grade (i.e., courses with pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grades will not be accepted). Permission to use transfer hours on a program of study must be granted by both the student’s program and the Graduate School. Transfer credit should be reported to the Graduate School as soon as possible, but will not be applied to the student’s official Appalachian program of study until official transcripts are received. In order to be considered for transfer credit, coursework must have been completed no more than 5 years prior to enrollment in a graduate program. Students should arrange for official transcripts to be sent directly to the graduate records staff in the Graduate School as soon as grades are posted. Graduate course credits used toward any previously earned degree cannot be transferred to a program of study. Number of hours: The maximum number of hours of transfer allowed is 9 hours for degree-seeking students, and 25% of the number of hours required for certificate-seeking students.

Failure to do so may lead to scheduling difficulties and students may find that the subjects for which they wish to enroll are either not available or closed to students with advanced standing. Transfer of Credit: Coursework with a minimum grade of “C” (2.0) (grades of “C-” and below will not transfer) from a regionally accredited institution that is comparable to the course offerings at Appalachian State University is acceptable as transfer credit. See “Transfer Credit Policy” at www.transfer.appstate.edu/credit .

Failure to do so may lead to scheduling difficulties and students may find that the subjects for which they wish to enroll are either not available or closed to students with advanced standing. Transfer of Credit: Coursework with a minimum grade of “C-” (1.7) from a regionally accredited institution that is comparable to the course offerings at Appalachian State University is acceptable as transfer credit. See “Transfer Credit Policy” at www.transfer.appstate.edu/credit . Note: While a course may be eligible for transfer credit, it may not satisfy specific program minimum grade requirements. Students should consult their program of study and the academic bulletin to determine whether transferred courses meet minimum grade or prerequisite requirements.