Policies

Advanced Placement credit may be granted upon presentation of a score of 3 or above.

International Baccalaureate credit may be granted upon presentation of a score of 5 or above.

Ferrum College will accept scores from the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) in accordance with the recommendations set forth by the American Council of Education (scores of 50 or higher are required).

Transfer students with more than 24 hours of transfer credit may be exempt from submitting high school transcripts and college entrance tests. Students with transferable credit will not be required to repeat equivalent course content at Ferrum College. Therefore, transfer credit does not enter into the grade point average for honors designations. Transfer students may be eligible for academic merit scholarships.

Course credit as well as advanced standing may be earned through the Advanced Placement Test Program of the College Entrance Examination Board, the International Baccalaureate Program, and the College Level Examination Program.

This will be described as “Electives in the program.” A total of 60 hours of coursework are required for the degree, with at least 25% of credits being earned through Ferrum College (no more than 75% accepted as transfer credit from other institutions).

For example, a student who enters the College with 30-41 transferable hours will be considered to have completed three semesters; consequently, his or her first Ferrum College semester will be considered the fourth, and he or she must meet the appropriate Grade Point Average (in chart below) based only on coursework at the College. Ferrum College only accepts transfer credits for courses in which the student has earned a grade of “C” or better. Readmitted students who have taken courses at other institutions after leaving Ferrum College will not be considered transfer students for the purpose of determining satisfactory academic progress. These students will be evaluated individually by the Office of the Registrar in consultation with the Office of Admissions to determine their readmission status (good standing, academic warning, or academic probation). Total Transferable Credits (excluding Dual Enrollment) 9-18 19-29 30-41 42-54 55-67 68-90 81-93 Semester equivalency 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Required GPA upon completion of semester 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0

Transfer Credit Policy Ferrum College will accept credit, towards graduation, for all courses that correspond to those offered at the College, that have been passed with a “C” or better grade, and that have been earned from an appropriately accredited college or university. However, degree recipients must complete at least 25% of the hours required for major(s) and minor(s) at Ferrum College. Transfer students are required to meet the General Education requirements as outlined in the catalog. All nondevelopmental courses above 100 level which have been passed with a “C” or better grade, will be accepted for credit as necessary for graduation. Students with transferable credit will not be required to repeat equivalent course content at Ferrum College. Students must meet the number of upper level hours required for graduation by the student’s major program and the College. Only credit hours, not grade point average, transfer to Ferrum College, therefore transfer credit does not enter into the grade point average. Students who earn an associate’s degree at an accredited institution with a minimum 2.0 GPA may transfer all credits as part of that degree to Ferrum and allow them to be applied towards the 120 credit hours required for graduation. This would include courses for which a grade of “D” or higher was earned. Students that transfer to Ferrum College with junior status or higher, defined as having earned a minimum of 56 credits and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, may appeal to the registrar to have coursework with an earned grade of “D” also transfer even lacking a completed associate’s degree . The registrar, in communication with the Academic Standards Committee, would then evaluate the student’s transcripts as a whole for evidence that the student has successfully demonstrated academic success in the previous coursework in order to determine if any “D” credits may be transferred.

Credit By Exam Currently enrolled, qualified students demonstrating satisfactory academic competency in particular subjects may earn credit by successfully completing a departmental exam. No more than 10% of a student’s coursework at Ferrum College may be earned by credit by exam. Credit by exam is not available for all courses taught at the College. In general, courses that are experiential (such as labs, physical activity, and those designated writing or speaking intensive, etc.) are not available in credit by exam format. Credits awarded by credit by exam may apply toward graduation requirements and will become part of the student’s permanent record. Courses completed in credit by exam format will be noted on the transcript as such. (Quality points are not factored into transfer work.) Federal Financial Aid may be affected by repetition of courses (see Financial Aid Policies - Repeating Courses ). Drop-Add Procedure Students are allowed to add a course to their schedules or change sections of a course, in consultation with their academic advisor, during the add period of each semester.