Transfer Policy

Transfer Policy
Transfer credit will normally be awarded for courses that are:

• Taken at accredited institutions.
• Academic and similar in nature to courses offered at Calvin.
• Completed with a minimum grade of C.
• Represented on an official transcript and authorized by the credit-granting institution.

Transfer Limits - Students may transfer a maximum of 70 semester hours from two-year institutions; there is no limit for transfer credit from four-year institutions. Students may transfer coursework at any time during their academic career.

A minimum of 4 upper-level courses in the major and 30 of the last 60 semester hours must be completed at Calvin. The following core must be taken at Calvin (transfer credit not accepted): one biblical/theological core course, developing a Christian mind core, cross cultural engagement core, integrative studies core (generally the major capstone course).

Military credits - Veterans will receive credit, as recommended by the American Council on Education, for liberal arts courses taken through the USAFI and for a maximum of 9 semester hours taken by correspondence courses from accredited universities in the program.

Transfer evaluation for prospective students - Individuals that apply to Calvin as transfer students will receive an official transfer evaluation with their acceptance letter.

Transfer process for current students - Current students must receive pre-approval for transfer work. A list of pre-approved courses is maintained by the registrar and is available online. Departmental chairs and advisors may approve coursework for majors and minors, if the courses are comparable to the Calvin course requirement. The registrar may approve transfer credit for core or for elective credit (hours taken for graduation semester hour minimums).

Transfer of Credit for Graduate Students - A maximum of 9 credits may be transferred from other regionally accredited institutions (or a recognized foreign institution) to satisfy graduate degree requirements at Calvin University. In consultation with the Associate Provost, program directors may set a lower maximum number of credits for their specific programs. Course credits may be transferred provided these conditions are met:

• The course earned graduate credit at the home institution and is comparable to Calvin University graduate level work;
• The student earned a grade of B or higher in the course (or the equivalent, if another grading system were used);
• The program director (or designee) approves the acceptance of the transfer course;
• The course has been taken within seven years of enrolling in the graduate program at Calvin; and
• The course was not applied at the undergraduate level or toward completion of a graduate degree at another university.

Transfer course work is not computed in the Calvin University grade-point-average. Note that this policy applies only to credits transferred from other institutions. It does not apply to credits transferred from courses taken at Calvin University. If necessary for their program, students will be prompted as part of the application process to submit supporting documentation of potential transfer credits.

​​​​​​​Graduate students may not apply transfer credits to a certificate completed outside a master's degree.