Policies

Advertising The Richmont School of Ministry will consider awarding advanced standing to students who complete the Renovaré Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation, the National Institute of Christian Leadership, the Mission School of Ministry, the Free Chapel School of Discipleship, the Bethel Bible Series, the Sustainable Faith School of Spiritual Direction, and the Transforming Center. Policies for awarding advanced standing are governed by standard transfer of credit policies. Completion of each program is necessary to be eligible for advanced standing. If a student does not complete the program, individual courses that were completed are not eligible for transfer credit.

Transfer of Credit Policies Students should be aware that transfer of credit is always the responsibility of the receiving institution. Students with coursework from another regionally accredited graduate institution may apply for transfer of credit to a Richmont degree program. The number of credit hours and the specific course credits that may be transferred from other institutions are limited to protect the student’s best interest as well as the integrity of Richmont’s programs. The following policies will be applied to evaluate all requests for transfer of credit. The student will be notified in writing by the Records Office regarding the decision, and the transfer of credit will be documented in the student’s file once the student has matriculated. Transfer of Credit Policies: School of Counseling • Transferred credit must be from another graduate institution accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and must carry a grade of B or higher. • If the graduate program is comparable in mission, content, and focus, a maximum of one-third of the total hours required for the respective Richmont graduate degree are allowed as transfer credit. • Credits will be transferred only for students currently enrolled at Richmont. Prospective students may request a preliminary review and an informal response for transfer of credit by the Records Office, but credits are formally transferred upon actual matriculation at Richmont. • Transfer credits may only be used toward one Richmont degree. • Transfer credit is not included in the computation of the GPA for the degree being sought at Richmont. • Transfer credits are counted when measuring the maximum timeframe for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to complete the degree program but do not impact GPA. • Richmont reserves the right to assess competency and knowledge for any coursework for which students request transfer of credit. Transfer of Credit Procedure: School of Counseling 1. Students should first consult with their advisor before requesting transfer of graduate credits earned and before taking additional graduate courses which they may want to transfer to Richmont.

2. Students must submit to the Records Office a transfer of credit application packet, including an official transcript showing the course(s) to be transferred, a syllabus of the course(s) in question, and a completed Request for Transfer of Credit form. The Records office will communicate the results of the transfer of credit. 5. If a student does not enroll within one year of the transfer of credit evaluation, the evaluation expires and a new packet and evaluation are required. Transfer of Credit Policies: School of Ministry • Transfer credit must carry a grade of B or higher. • If the graduate program is comparable in mission, content, and focus, a maximum of one-third of the total hours required for the respective Richmont graduate degree is allowed as transfer credit. • Credits will be transferred only for students currently enrolled at Richmont. Prospective students may request a preliminary review and an informal response for transfer of credit by the Records Office. • Transfer credits may only be used toward one Richmont degree. • Transfer credit is not included in the computation of the GPA for the degree being sought at Richmont. • Transfer credits are counted when measuring the maximum timeframe for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to complete the degree but do not impact GPA. • Richmont reserves the right to assess competency and knowledge for any coursework for which students request transfer of credit. Transfer of Credit Procedure: School of Ministry 1. Students must submit a Request for Transfer of Credit form to the Dean of the School of Ministry. 2. Students must submit a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) for evaluation and approval by the Dean of the Richmont School of Ministry. The Records Office is responsible for communicating the transfer of credit results to the student. 4. If a student does not enroll within one year of the transfer of credit evaluation, the evaluation expires and a new packet and evaluation are required.

Students cannot have outstanding transfer credit documentation and participate in commencement. With the exception of decorated caps (which are permitted), non-permitted accoutrements that draw attention to an individual and detract from the occasion can compromise the image we seek to project as a university, and are not acceptable.

Transfer credits are counted when measuring the maximum time frame for SAP to complete the degree or but do not impact GPA.

Students who completed the Master of Arts in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling degree at Richmont can transfer credits for DMIN7113: Helping Relationships, DMIN8113: Relating Faith & Spirituality in Counseling, and DMIN8123: Theodicy and Trauma Counseling assuming those students were required to take the courses that the School of Ministry considers equivalent at the time of their enrollment.