Policies

There is no time limit on the coursework accepted for undergraduate transfer credit. Grades made in transferred courses are not considered in computing the GPA at Western Carolina University, but transferred hours are added to earned hours and will affect the student's overall academic standing. However, transfer students who have not attended any institution for a period of two or more years prior to the intended semester of enrollment will be considered for admission subject to a review of specific circumstances by the Director of Admissions. The academic records of transfer students will be evaluated by the Office of the Registrar and the department head/program director of the student's major.

Coursework taken in Fire Science, Emergency Medical, and Emergency Preparedness programs at North Carolina community colleges may transfer into the major (a maximum of 18 elective credit hours). Note that transfer students may exceed the minimal 120-hour requirement in order to obtain this degree due to the transfer of credits from other institutions.

Registration Course Information Guide to Course Prefix Credits, Grades, and Quality Points Withdrawal Policies and Procedures Course Withdrawal Post-Deadline Course Withdrawal due to Extenuating Circumstances Term Withdrawal Post-Deadline Term Withdrawal due to Extenuating Circumstances Documentation Guidelines for Extenuating Circumstances Class Attendance Final Examination Schedules Graduation and Certification Academic Integrity Policy Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Student Health Insurance Requirement Academic Honors Dean’s List Chancellor’s List Honors at Graduation Academic Standing Academic Good Standing Academic Warning Academic Suspension Academic Dismissal Academic Action Appeal Policy Final Grade Appeal Procedures Program Dismissal Appeal Procedures Grade Replacement and Course Repeat Policy Academic Re-Evaluation Policy Transfer Credit and Placement Policy Transfer of Credit Transfer Students with Two or More Years Away from their Previous Academic Institution Advanced Placement and Exam Credit World Languages Credit by Examination Experiential Learning Credit for Emergency Medical Care Students Credit for Military Personnel and Veterans of Military Service Distance Education Each annual undergraduate catalog issue of The Record becomes effective at the opening of the fall term. Absences Related to Individual Courses, Programs, or Organizations Field trips, field research, service learning, conferences, performances, or other activities related to individual classes, programs, or organizations, are not considered institutional events but may be integral components of the curriculum or important for student learning or professional growth. Students can request an alternative to this course if they were admitted as a transfer student with more than 30 transfer credits, if they will be part-time during the term of Academic Warning, or if they are part of a distance education program. If the two-year rule is applied, all courses completed before the interruption are treated as if they were transferred from another institution. Transfer Credit and Placement Policy Evaluation of transfer, exam and advanced placement credit, armed forces service school credit, college-level courses completed prior to graduation from high school, and credit recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) are coordinated through the Office of the Registrar. Transfer of Credit . An evaluation of credits offered in transfer is completed after admission and after all official records are received directly from each institution previously attended. The applicability of transferred credits toward degree requirements is determined by the Registrar’s Office and the department head of the student’s major. Only work passed with a grade of C (2.00) or better may be transferred. Transfer credit is accepted from institutions accredited by the following: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and the American Council on Education (ACE). Department of Education as an Institutional Accrediting Agency may be considered for transfer provided the credits are not of a vocational, trade, or technical nature, and are not outside the scope of WCU’s mission as a regional comprehensive university. This agreement provides that students who enroll at an NCCC institution fall of 1997 or later are guaranteed that those hours will be applied toward a baccalaureate degree at any UNC institution. In addition, the CAA also guarantees that when students complete the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Engineering degree, 20-21 hours of pre-major work with a grade of C or better will be transferred and applied toward those students’ baccalaureate degree at a UNC institution, provided that they remain within their major. In addition to those credits accepted as equivalents of the university’s freshman and sophomore courses, a maximum of 30 hours of credit may be allowed toward graduation for freshman and sophomore courses completed at other institutions that are normally offered above the sophomore level at Western Carolina University. There is no time limit on the coursework accepted for undergraduate transfer credit. Grades made in transferred courses are not considered in computing the GPA at Western Carolina University, but transferred hours are added to earned hours and will affect the student’s overall academic standing. However, transfer students who have not attended any institution for a period of two or more years prior to the intended semester of enrollment will be considered for admission subject to a review of specific circumstances by the Director of Admissions. The academic records of transfer students will be evaluated by the Office of the Registrar and the department head/program director of the student’s major. Advanced Placement and Exam Credit . Credit obtained through Advanced Placement, College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), Cambridge AICE, International Baccalaureate, and DANTES will be evaluated similarly to transfer credit from other institutions. World Languages Credit by Examination . A student may apply to be examined in any language course offered through the World Languages department. No fee will be assessed if the examination is being used to validate transfer credits or when the student is enrolled full-time during a fall or spring semester. In addition, university policy states that students who have served on active duty for at least one continuous year, or the equivalent to a year of non-continuous service for those in the National Guard, are eligible to be granted seven (7) hours of general elective credit.

Baccalaureate, and DANTES will be evaluated similarly to transfer credit from other institutions. World Languages Credit by Examination.

Up to 15 hours of transfer credit can be applied to this category as EDM 19x or EDM 39x credit.

12 hours of 300- or 400-level physics courses or courses from the following list are required: CHEM 352 - Physical Chemistry: Chemical Thermodynamics Credits: 3 CHEM 453 - Physical Chemistry: Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy Credits: 3 EE 321 - Electromagnetic Fields Credits: 3 EE 322 - Electromagnetic Waves Credits: 3 ENGR 352 - Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer Credits: 3 ENGR 353 - Thermodynamics Credits: 3 GEOL 330 - Geophysics Credits: 4 or PHYS 330 - Geophysics Credits: 4 MATH 420 - Partial Differential Equations Credits: 3 ME 321 - Fluid Dynamics Credits: 3 ME 332 - Heat Transfer Credits: 3 Add to My Favorites (opens a new window) Share this Page Facebook this Page (opens a new window) Tweet this Page (opens a new window) Print (opens a new window) Help (opens a new window) T All catalogs © 2026 Western Carolina University.

12 hours of 300- or 400-level physics courses or courses from the following list are required: CHEM 352 - Physical Chemistry: Chemical Thermodynamics Credits: 3 CHEM 453 - Physical Chemistry: Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy Credits: 3 EE 321 - Electromagnetic Fields Credits: 3 EE 322 - Electromagnetic Waves Credits: 3 ENGR 352 - Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer Credits: 3 ENGR 353 - Thermodynamics Credits: 3 GEOL 330 - Geophysics Credits: 4 or PHYS 330 - Geophysics Credits: 4 MATH 420 - Partial Differential Equations Credits: 3 ME 321 - Fluid Dynamics Credits: 3 ME 332 - Heat Transfer: Analysis and Applications Credits: 3

Coursework taken in Fire Science, Emergency Medical, and Emergency Preparedness programs at North Carolina community colleges may transfer into the major (a maximum of 18 elective credit hours). Note that transfer students may exceed the minimal 120-hour requirement in order to obtain this degree due to the transfer of credits from other institutions.

Liberal Studies and Transfer Students Courses transferred from other institutions to fulfill Liberal Studies requirements will be evaluated by the Office of the Registrar in consultation with the appropriate department head, advising center designee, or based on university guidelines. However, if a student has completed the Associate of Applied Science Degree, Associate of Fine Arts, or other degree program in the North Carolina Community College System, the student’s academic transcript will be evaluated for transfer credit on a course-by-course basis.

WCU lower level course requirements can be satisfied by transfer credit from the North Carolina Community College System as indicated below as “CC Courses.” Courses transferred from other institutions besides the North Carolina Community College System are applied on a case by case basis.

For courses taken elsewhere, approved equivalents can be substituted.

System, the student's academic transcript will be evaluated for transfer credit.

Transfer Credit and Placement Policy Evaluation of transfer, exam and advanced placement credit, armed forces service school credit, college-level courses completed prior to graduation from high school, and credit recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) are coordinated through the Office of the Registrar. With the approval of the appropriate academic departments, the amount of such credit that may be applied toward a degree is subject to limitation only by the university's general residence requirement and the prescribed courses in the major field of study; the degree program may not exceed 45 semester hours of College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit. Credit toward a degree is not awarded for Continuing Education Units or for General Education Development tests (GED), or graduate-level credits. Transfer of Credit. An evaluation of credits offered in transfer is completed after admission and after all official records are received directly from each institution previously attended. The applicability of transferred credits toward degree requirements is determined by the Registrar's Office and the department head of the student's major. In some cases (e.g., with World Language courses), due to accreditation standards, validation of a course by successful completion of more advanced work in the same discipline or by examination may be required. Only work passed with a grade of C (2.00) or better may be transferred. Courses with other grading systems that are equivalent to a C or better may also be transferred. Except for consortium agreements, no credit for a course passed with a C- or less at another institution will be allowed toward graduation or toward fulfillment of major requirements. Credit will not be awarded for courses determined to be below the collegiate level at Western Carolina University. Transfer credit is accepted from institutions accredited by the following: Southern

Students transferring from any unaccredited institution, if admitted, may be placed on academic probation and may be permitted to validate transfer credits by attaining satisfactory grades at Western Carolina University or successfully completing validation examinations. The academic records of transfer students will be evaluated by the Office of the Registrar, the Advising Center, and the department head of the student’s major.

Students transferring from any unaccredited institution, if admitted, may be placed on academic probation and may be permitted to validate transfer credits by attaining satisfactory grades at Western Carolina University or successfully completing validation examinations. The academic records of transfer students will be evaluated by the Office of the Registrar, the Advising Center, and the department head of the student's major.

Graduates with any other degree MUST satisfy the Liberal Studies program with either transfer credit or WCU courses. Only work passed with a grade of C or better will be accepted for transfer.