Transfer and Award of Academic Credit

Statewide Transfer Initiatives

Associate Degree Waivers

Military Credit

Articulation Agreements

Transfer Single Articulation Pathways

Transfer Credit

General Policy. Indiana State University acknowledges the importance of recognizing demonstrated student proficiencies. In addition to taking courses at Indiana State University, students may earn academic credits at another institution that may be applicable to degree requirements. Credits are awarded on a semester-hour basis and may be awarded by the following methods:

Credit for Prior Learning. Indiana State University offers opportunities for students to earn credit toward a degree for knowledge and experience they have already acquired. Students can earn up to 63 credits towards a baccalaureate degree and up to one third of an undergraduate certificate. Students can earn credit for prior learning through military and industry training, assessment of certificates and licensures awarded by other entities, departmental challenge exams, and portfolio assessment. Students may also be eligible for credit through college equivalency examinations and college coursework in high school.

Individual Transfer Course Equivalencies. Undergraduates who complete course work at another accredited college or university may be eligible for earned transfer credit at Indiana State University if the following conditions are met:

• Course work must be completed at an accredited institution (recognized by CHEA) in the United States or at an officially recognized international institution.
• Course work must be college-level.
• Course work must reflect a final grade earned of D- or better (or equivalent).

Course equivalency means that a transfer course is a discipline-specific equivalent to a specific Indiana State University course or Foundational Studies requirement. Elective credit is assigned for courses that meet transfer requirements, but for which no equivalency is determined. If a student changes their program, the new academic area will review transfer work that applies to the program. Academic deans have final approval of the applicability of transfer credits to requirements within their college.

Placement Exam and Award of Back Credit. Indiana State University recognizes prior experiences in university-approved academic areas for students to earn back credit when exam results place them beyond the introductory level. Students must register and pass the academic course with a specific letter grade for back credit to be awarded.

Non-Native (Foreign) Language Placement 

Students who have satisfied the Foundational Studies non-native language requirement and who wish to take further course work in a language MUST take the Language Placement Examination in order to determine the level of language course work most appropriate for them. Depending upon the level of placement, students may receive credit for their knowledge of the language, some of which may count toward Foundational Studies Requirements. Indiana State University offers Language Placement Examinations in Latin, French, Japanese, German and Spanish.  NOTE:  The Language Placement Examination is NOT designed to be used as a test-out exam.  The Language Placement Examination should be taken before attending State Orientation. 

There is NO charge to take the Non-Native (Foreign) Language Placement. This is an online test which should take 30-60 minutes. 

Instructions for Placement Test 

Latin 
To take the Latin Placement Test, click here. 

French, German, Spanish, and Japanese 

• Instructions for French, German, Spanish, and Japanese Placement Test, click here. 

1. To get a test code and password to take the placement test, click here. 

1. After receiving you test code and password, take the placement test, click here. 

You may request a test code and password to take any of the language tests but are limited to taking each language test only once. 

Students MUST take a Placement Exam in order to be eligible for the following credits. 

• Student placed in 102 will be granted credit for 101 upon successful completion of 102, with C+ or better. 

• Students placed into 201 who complete 201 with a C or better will earn 9 credits for 101, 102 and 201. 

• Students placed into 202 who complete 202 with a C or better will earn 12 credits for 101, 102, 201 and 202 

• Back credit will be processed the semester following completion of the course the student placed into via placement Test 

• The student MUST take the placement exam and complete the course that the placement test recommends. 

Statewide Transfer Initiatives

Core Transfer Library (CTL).  Students who successfully complete CTL courses at Indiana public and participating private institutions can transfer those courses to Indiana State University to meet general education, or in some cases, major or elective requirements. For a list of participating institutions and to see how courses transfer, visit Transfer IN.net.

Indiana College Core (ICC).  Successful completion of the Indiana College Core at an Indiana public institution of higher education transfers as a block of 30 credit hours towards completion of Foundational Studies requirements at Indiana State University.  Students completing the Indiana College Core while enrolled at Indiana State University will have the ICC indication placed on their transcript.

Transfer Single Articulation Pathways (TSAP).  Transfer students who have completed an eligible Transfer Single Articulation Pathway (TSAP) program and have been admitted to the corresponding baccalaureate program at Indiana State University are granted a block of 60 credit hours from the respective associate degree. TSAPs are degree completion programs that enable students to earn a baccalaureate degree after completing an additional 60 credit hours as required by the respective major.  For more information about TSAPs at Indiana State University, see below.

Associate Degree Waivers

Undergraduates who earn an Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), or Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree, or have 75 or more transferable credit hours from an accredited institution will be eligible for applicable waivers to Indiana State University’s Foundational Studies requirements.

Military Credit

Credit will be granted by Indiana State University according to the guidelines of the American Council of Education (ACE). If ACE guidelines conflict with Indiana State University policies, the latter takes precedence. Students who have successfully completed college-level studies or DANTES exams while in the military may be eligible to receive credit if their official military transcript indicates attainment of college-level equivalency. Credit for military training and experience is granted based on official Joint Services Transcripts and/or discharge form (DD214). All service members qualify for 8-14 credits, based on completion of basic training and length of service as indicated on the DD214. Three credits are awarded for physical education along with CRIM 298 and CRIM 498 with completion of basic training. Additional elective credit is granted for service time as follows: 2 credits for 12-15 months service. 3 credits for 16-17 months service. 4 credits for 18-19 months service. 5 credits for 20-21 months service. 6 credits for 22 months or more of service. Credit from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) is applied per Indiana State University’s individual transfer course equivalencies guidelines.

Process: Students should submit their Joint Services Transcript and all other transcripts to the Admission’s Office. Once the coursework is entered into the Student Information System, the Office of the Registrar evaluates the course and ACE Military Guide recommendations for credit. The Registrar’s Office will enter this information into the Student Information System. The equivalencies will then be shown on a student’s MySAM account showing their degree progress. Students are notified via email once the process is complete.

Articulation Agreements

Articulation Agreements (Transfer Agreements)

These are agreements between Indiana State University and the respective institutions on pathways for students to transfer to Indiana State University or to transfer credit to Indiana State University. In addition to meeting any criteria listed in these documents, students must meet Indiana State University’s transfer criteria for their desired major. Look up the transfer requirements for your desired major at Indiana State University’s transfer guidelines. If you represent a college wanting to develop an articulation agreement with Indiana State University, the template for an AA or AS degree is here  and the template for an AAS degree is here .

Campus.edu

Community College of the Air Force (Montgomery, AL)

College of DuPage

Ivy Tech (All Locations)

Lake Land College (Mattoon, IL)

Piedmont Technical College

Vincennes University

TSAP (Transfer Single Articulation Pathways)

In 2013 the Indiana legislature enacted Senate Enrolled Act 182, thereby establishing the requirements for a Indiana College Core of at least 30 credit hours. The statue states that each educational institution, in collaboration with the commission for higher education, shall, not later than July 1, 2014, work together to create a single articulation pathway for each programmatic area and implement the single articulation pathways not later than May 15, 2015, for students entering state educational institutions in the fall of 2015. The areas for development must be in which significant numbers of students first obtain an associate of science or an associate of arts degree with the intent of obtaining a related baccalaureate degree.