Transfer Credit - Earn Credit for What You Know

At Colorado Technical University, many of our future students begin their education with past college, military or life experience that may be applied toward their degrees. Part of the admissions process includes retrieving transcripts which define those transfer credits prior to a student’s first term of study. Use the following guide to learn more about our transfer credit policies and how we evaluate and apply previously earned credit. Take the next step in your degree now.

View our Transfer Credit Guide to learn more about transferring credit to CTU.

Transferring College Credit¹, Standards For Transfer Credit

Certain degree programs permit you to transfer in external credits - that is, credits from accredited schools other than CTU. That may include international schools as well.

1. A student must complete a minimum of 25% of the total credit hours for an undergraduate degree program at CTU (75% of credits may be transferred in).
2. A student must complete a minimum of 25% of the total credit hours for a Master’s degree program at CTU (75% of credits may be transferred in).
3. A student must complete a minimum of 25% of the total credit hours for a Doctoral degree program at CTU. Core and concentration courses may be transferred, but research and writing courses must be completed at CTU (75% of credits may be transferred in).

The residency requirement of the university outlines that not all credits may be accepted and it dictates the amount of transfer credit that can be used toward any degree program. It’s important that credits be for classes that are equivalent to those in your degree program. To determine whether your credits can apply, your prior school(s) will be required to send official transcripts to CTU.

Obtaining Your Transcripts

The university understands that it may take significant time to receive transcripts requested from other colleges and universities. Please begin the process of requesting transcripts as early as possible.

If you begin an undergraduate degree program pending the receipt of an official college or university transcript(s), you have until the end of the first quarter or you may be prohibited from further attendance in your degree program, which in turn could result in a grade level change.

As a Master’s or Doctoral degree-seeking student admitted without an official baccalaureate transcript on file, you will be admitted as a non-regular student and will be financially responsible for all associated costs of attending the university. If you do not have your official transcripts for your Bachelor’s degree on file by the end of the first session, you will be administratively withdrawn. This means that you are unable to continue your studies at CTU until the required documentation is received. Please refer to the University Policies at coloradotech.edu for more information.

Once your official transcripts have been received by CTU, a Prior Learning Assessment evaluator will help guide you through the transfer-in credits process. Keep in mind that transcripts and records presented for evaluation become part of your permanent record. You can find out if we have received your official transcript by contacting CTU’s Registrar’s Office, or in the Virtual Campus.

International transcripts must be translated to English and may require official evaluation by an accepted agency at your expense. It is the student’s responsibility to coordinate and pay for English translation, and any other international transcript evaluation. A PLA evaluator can provide more information on the international credential evaluation process.

Will My Credits Be Accepted?

CTU operates on a quarter schedule. Incoming credits from institutions that use semester hours are converted as follows: one semester hour is considered equivalent to 1.5 quarter credit hours. If institution uses semesters, at least 2 semester hours are considered equivalent to 2 quarter hours.

Transfer credit will be accepted upon evaluation and at the discretion of CTU. Specific requirements for the evaluation and award of transfer credit include but are not limited to:

• Only courses with a “C” grade or 2.0 or better GPA (undergraduate) or “B” grade or 3.0 or better GPA (graduate/doctoral) will be eligible for transfer credit.
• No transfer credit will be awarded for courses that were failed, withdrawn, or have not met the transfer credit criteria. Grade point averages earned at other postsecondary institutions are not combined with grade point averages earned in classes taken at CTU.
• Only college level, post-secondary, degree applicable courses can be eligible for transfer credit Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are not accepted at CTU as transfer credit, however they may be accepted as Professional Training/Certification credit. Speak with your PLA evaluator for more information.
• Courses which are considered remedial or below college level are not eligible for transfer. This is true even if those courses were considered remedial at the institution at which they were taken or are considered equivalent to CTU’s remedial courses.
• Duplication of course transfer is not permitted in any degree program.
• Transfer credit may be permitted at the graduate level upon the discretion of the Academic Affairs and Prior Learning Assessment Departments. Any exceptions allowed must be justified and approved by an appropriate senior academic official.
• Transfer credit for Doctoral program may be applied to the program at the discretion of the appropriate Doctoral Dean.

Transferring Other Types of Credit

Another way to achieve credit toward your degree (Associate, Bachelor’s or Master’s) is to provide evidence of job experience either by test or by providing certified results of previous testing. As with the transfer of previously earned credits, these results must be evaluated by the university through official documentation and must meet the established Prior Learning Assessment criteria and guidelines for transfer credit.

With the exception of Fast Track^TM1, advanced standing options must be completed no later than one session prior to the start date of the course(s) for which you wish to earn credit.

Once you are in the last session of your degree program, no advanced standing credit will be awarded.

The following items are eligible for evaluation toward academic credit through CTU:

1. CTU Fast Track^TM
   CTU Fast Track challenge exams give you the opportunity to earn college credit for what you already know. By passing multiple CTU Fast Track exams, you can graduate up 30% faster and save up to 30% on tuition.
2. Experiential Learning
   In some cases, you may receive course credit for experiential learning gained through non-collegiate school-based learning, employment or other appropriate learning experiences. To earn this credit, you must show a direct alignment with courses in your academic program and demonstrate the results of your skills that can be documented. The maximum amount of life experience credit accepted toward graduation is 16 quarter credit hours for an Associate degree, 32 quarter credit hours for a Bachelor’s degree, and 8 quarter credit hours for a Master’s degree.
3. Professional Training/Certification
   You may have earned formal training from a non-accredited institution or company that offers professional training. Typically this is in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEUs), but other documented clock hours may be eligible. You may be required to submit a learning narrative as part of the evaluation process.
4. Standardized Assessment
   You can demonstrate knowledge competency by having taken an Advanced Placement (AP) exam, a College-level Examination Program (CLEP) exam, or a DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST) exam.

Get Started: Connect With Us

Join the over 80,000 CTU graduates who make up a powerful, professional network that you can use the rest of your career. Take the next step toward accessing CTU’s innovative learning technology to earn your master’s degree.

If you have questions along the way, we’re here to help. Call or visit us online to learn more.

Call: 855.230.0555
Visit: coloradotech.edu/admissions/prior-learning-assessment

¹Not all credits eligible to transfer. See the university’s catalog regarding CTU’s transfer credit policies.

^*The ability to reduce time in school and/or reduce tuition depends on the number of Fast Track tests successfully passed. Fast Track program credits are unlikely to transfer. Not all programs are eligible for possible 30% reduction in time and money. CTU cannot guarantee employment or salary. Find employment rates, financial obligations and other disclosures at www.coloradotech.edu/disclosures. Not all credits eligible to transfer. See the university’s catalog regarding CTU’s transfer credit policies. Courses eligible subject to change.

^**Financial aid is available for those who qualify. Not all programs are available to residents of all states. 4435 N. Chestnut Street | Colorado Springs, CO 80907 3151 South Vaughn Way | Aurora, CO 80014. 852-1234567 0870253 03/15