Awarding of Transfer Credit – Undergraduate Programs

Students who have attended other post-secondary educational institutions and transfer to Strayer University may be eligible to receive transfer credit in one of Strayer’s degree, diploma or certificate programs, if appropriate. All applicants are considered on their individual merit. All students are required to meet Strayer’s academic requirements to be awarded a degree. Transfer students should follow the application procedures outlined in this catalog. Evaluation of transcripts and academic experience is conducted by the university registrar's office in accordance with university policy.

No more than 126 quarter hours of transfer credit from all sources may be applied toward a bachelor’s degree; no more than 135 quarter hours of transfer credit from all sources may be applied toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree; no more than 63 quarter hours of transfer credit from all sources may be applied toward an associate degree; no more than 22.5 quarter hours of transfer credit from all sources may be applied toward a diploma program. Credits from courses in accounting and computer-related areas are subject to a 10-year limitation when being evaluated. Students should request evaluation of transcripts and other previous learning immediately following acceptance to Strayer to avoid possible duplication of courses. An official transcript must be submitted prior to evaluation.

For students receiving VA education benefits, all prior transcripts must be on file and evaluated by their second term. VA students may not enroll in or receive credit at Strayer for a course in which they have earned credit at another institution. 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no more than 30% of credit in a student’s degree program may be awarded from life or work experience, including the Life Credit Portfolio, as follows: No more than 54 quarter hours of credit for a bachelor's degree; no more than 27 quarter hours for an associate's degree; no more than 13.5 quarter hours of credit for a diploma degree; and no more than 4.5 hours of credit for a certificate program. No more than 18 quarter hours of transfer credit from Accelerate Assessment may be applied toward a bachelor's degree. 

Incoming courses must be equivalent in content and outcomes to courses at Strayer. The university registrar's office will examine the content, outcomes and clock/credit hours for each incoming course. Incoming undergraduate courses must meet the following basic criteria in addition to those outlined above:

• For the Major, Concentration, and General Education Core, earned a grade of C or higher in the course. A grade of D or higher will be accepted if the student has earned an associate degree from the same institution as the proposed transfer course(s). Must be a minimum of 4.5 quarter hours/3.0 semester hours in length.
• For the Elective area, earned a grade of C or higher in the course. A grade of D or higher will be accepted if the student has earned an associate degree from the same institution as the proposed transfer course(s). Must be at least .5 quarter hours/.33 semester hours in length and may be up to 45.0 quarter hours/30 semester hours in length. (Does not apply to NJ and RN-BSN. All courses in NJ and RN-BSN must be a minimum of 4.5 quarter hours/3.0 semester hours in length.)
• Come from an institution that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or recognized by the American Council on Education, or be a Strayer-approved corporate training course.

Strayer works closely with employers and employees to determine if specific company training or other previous work/life experience can be articulated toward college credit at Strayer. When evaluating previous educational training, the university requires that the company provide the name and description of the course, information about the course duration, learning objectives, learning outcomes, and student assessment. An eligible transfer course must be equivalent to 45 contact hours per 4.5 quarter credit hour course and be similar in content and outcomes to courses offered at Strayer. For elective credit, the course being transferred must be the equivalent number of contact hours for credit awarded. Strayer uses guidelines set forth by the American Council on Education, Council for Adult and Educational Learning, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and other recognized agencies to evaluate corporate training. Specifically, Strayer examines the course content for subject matter and collegiate level work, course outcomes, and measures of outcomes.

Students in residence at Strayer who choose to take a course at another institution in order to transfer those credits into their program are required to submit a Request to Pursue Courses form to an academic administrator prior to enrolling at the outside institution.

Strayer accepts transfer credit from international institutions that is deemed equivalent to coursework in the United States. All international education documents must be reviewed by an approved third-party evaluation provider that is a National Association of Credential and Evaluation Services member and must meet the same criteria as listed above. 

Strayer accepts credits from acceptable organizations that have been reviewed by the American Council on Education, National College Credit Recommendation Service, California Law Enforcement Agency or other review bodies deemed appropriate by the university. Students are encouraged to submit transcripts from these organizations for review of credit.