Transfer Credit, Test Credit & Credit for Prior Learning

Transfer Credit Acceptance

• The accreditation status of the transfer institution - Butler accepts transfer coursework for transfer from accredited institutions only.
• The level of the transfer coursework - Transfer coursework is evaluated for content and rigor by faculty experts within the discipline, and the credit awarded at Butler is at a comparable level. For example, transfer coursework at the 100- and 200-level is generally assigned a 100- or 200-level Butler course equivalent.  Transfer coursework at the 300- and 400-level is assigned a 300- or 400- Butler course equivalent unless the coursework is equivalent to an existing Butler course at another level.  Remedial transfer coursework (i.e., transfer coursework below the 100-level) is not accepted for Butler credit.
• The degree of equivalency to Butler coursework - In some cases, transfer coursework is applied as specific Butler course equivalencies. In other cases, transfer coursework is applied as “elective credit,” either general elective credit or elective credit within a specific subject. 
• The grade associated with the transfer coursework - At the undergraduate level, only transfer coursework passed with a C- or better will be awarded transfer credit.  Some academic programs may require transfer coursework passed a grade of C or better to be awarded transfer credit in the major/minor.   At the graduate level, only transfer coursework passed with a B or better will be awarded transfer credit.  Transfer coursework taken pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory will not be considered for transfer credit. The exception is pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory transfer coursework completed during the pandemic that began in 2020, during which many institutions temporarily shifted to this type of grading.  Pass/fail and satisfactory/unsatisfactory coursework completed during this period should be documented on an institution’s transcript legend.   
• The age of the transfer coursework - At the undergraduate level, individual departments or programs may establish guidelines for the age of acceptable transfer credit according to the rate of change within their discipline over time and/or according to the guidelines of their discipline-specific accreditation.  At the graduate/doctoral level, individual programs may also establish guidelines for the age of acceptable transfer credit. For 30 credit hour graduate program, transfer coursework must have been completed within five years of the date of degree conferral; for 36 credit hour programs, transfer coursework must have been completed within seven years of the date of degree conferral.   At both the undergraduate and graduate/doctoral level, individual department chairs, associate deans and program directors may make exceptions to transfer credit age restrictions on an individual basis.

Transfer Credit in the Butler Core Curriculum for New Transfer Students Prior to Enrolling at Butler

• First Year Seminar (FYS):
  • Any 3-credit first-year composition or literature class, any first-year seminar course equivalent, or a writing or literature course at any level may be accepted, unless it was completed as dual credit before matriculating as a first-year student.
  • New transfer students may fulfill the FYS requirement through with any combination of Texts and Ideas courses or 200-level or above courses in writing, cultural studies, or literature.
• Analytic Reasoning: Any 3+ credit course above college algebra.
• Natural World: Any science course with a lab component that is 4 or more credits (or two science courses–one lab and one lecture–both courses must transfer to get Natural World credit at Butler).
• Texts and Ideas: Any 3-credit cultural studies, and/or great books, literature, text-based courses (religion, philosophy, etc.), or humanities-based courses.
• Perspectives in the Creative Arts: Any 3-credit arts-based lecture course (e.g., music appreciation) or artistic practices course such as creative writing, etc. 
• Social World: Any 3-credit social science course.
• Well Being: Any 1+ credit health and wellness course (physical or mental health; WB = well-being).
• Global Historical Studies (GHS): If a student enters as a first- year or sophomore transfer, they must take GHS at Butler unless completing an equivalent course as part of an existing articulation agreement or as approved by the Core Curriculum office. If a student enters as a junior or senior, any history (or international/global) course could count for a GHS course.
• Social Justice and Diversity: Must be completed at Butler.
• Indianapolis Community Requirement: Must be completed at Butler.

No single transfer course may double count within two or more areas of the Core Curriculum. For example, a transfer course may not count for both First-Year Seminar and Texts and Ideas.

Transfer Credit in the Butler Core Curriculum for Currently Enrolled Students

Currently enrolled Butler students who wish to take Core Curriculum classes off campus must obtain pre-approval.  To request transfer credit approval, students must complete the Undergraduate Transfer Credit Approval Form and submit the application to their college Dean’s office for approval.  In addition, student may be required to submit a copy of the syllabus and receive approval from the Core Curriculum area director (or the department chair if a Core Curriculum class is housed within a specific department).  Guidelines for each Core Curriculum area:

• Students starting at Butler as first-year students may not complete the First-Year Seminar (FYS) requirement elsewhere.
• Students starting at Butler as first-year students may not complete the Global & Historical Studies (GHS) requirement elsewhere without the permission of the GHS Core Director.
• Students starting at Butler as first-year students may not complete the Indianapolis Community Requirement (ICR) requirement elsewhere.
• Students starting at Butler as first-year students may not complete the Social Justice & Diversity (SJD) requirement elsewhere without the permission of the SJD Core Director.
• The remainder of the Core Curriculum Requirements may be completed elsewhere, typically during the summer months, if the course syllabus has been approved in advance.

Transfer Credit in Undergraduate Majors and Minors

Currently enrolled undergraduates who wish to take major or minor classes off campus must obtain pre-approval.  To request transfer credit approval, students must complete the Undergraduate Transfer Credit Approval Form and submit the application to their college Dean’s office for approval. 

For both new and currently enrolled students, each individual college and/or department will make decisions on whether to accept courses that are to count towards a student’s major and/or minor.  In addition:

• All students must complete at least 45 credits at Butler to earn a degree.
• The last 30 credits a student completes must be completed at Butler.
• At least 30 credits a student completes must come from the college awarding the degree.

Transfer Credit in Graduate Programs

The type, amount and age of graduate transfer credit accepted is determined by the graduate program:

• Students must earn a letter grade of B or better in transfer graduate coursework.
• Individual graduate programs establish guidelines for the age of acceptable transfer credit. For 30-credit hour graduate programs, transfer credit must have been completed within five years of the date of degree conferral.  For 36-credit hour programs, transfer coursework must have been completed within seven years of the date of degree conferral.
• The type, amount and age of graduate transfer credit accepted is determined by the program. A maximum of 12 credit hours may be transferred toward a 36-credit hour master’s program. A maximum of 9 semester hours credit may be transferred toward a 30-credit hour master’s program.  At least 75% of credits in a certificate program must be earned at Butler.

Transfer Credit Transcription

• Transfer credit will appear with a grade of “T” on the Butler transcript. At both the undergraduate and graduate level, no letter grade will be associated with transfer credit, and transfer credit will not be factored in the GPA.
• Transfer credit will not be granted for any course which duplicates one passed at Butler. A grade earned at Butler cannot be replaced with a higher grade earned elsewhere.
• Credits earned at an institution on the quarter system will be converted to semester hours at Butler University. Three quarter hours equal two semester hours at Butler; four quarter hours equal two-and two-thirds semester hours at Butler; five quarter hours equal three-and-one-third semester hours at Butler.
• Butler transfers the number of credits earned by the student which may, or may not, match the credit value associated with the equivalent course at Butler.
• Butler will post all eligible transfer credit to student transcripts, including credit that is considered elective within a student’s chosen degree program.  Students who change their major program may request a re-evaluation of their transfer coursework to determine if additional or alternative credit applies to the new major program requirements.

Transfer Credit Appeal

A student may appeal a transfer credit decision by submitting a Transfer Credit Equivalency Appeal form.  Staff in Registration & Records will work with the appropriate department chair, program director, and/or associate dean to review and consider the appeal. Upon review and consideration, the decision of the department chair, program director, and/or associate dean shall be final.  Staff in Registration & Records will notify the student of the appeal decision within 10 business days. 

Students with Previously Earned Associate or Bachelor’s Degree

Students who have completed an Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS) or other academically focused degree (not applied/technical degrees) will have the following Core Curriculum areas considered “met”:

• Two courses in First-Year Seminar (FYS) Please note that students admitted as first-year students who completed an associate degree as part of a dual credit program in high school are required to take First-Year Seminar as an integral part of Butler’s first-year experience. 
• All Areas of Inquiry: Analytic Reasoning (AR), The Natural World (NW), Perspectives in the Creative Arts (PCA), Well-Being (WB), The Social World (SW), Texts and Ideas (TI)
• The first four (of eight) Butler Cultural Requirements (BCRs)

The following Core Curriculum areas will be considered “not met” for academically focused associate degree holders unless specifically stipulated within an articulation agreement:

• Two courses in Global and Historical Studies (GHS) - Please note that students who have completed a history, international or global course as part of their transfer coursework could have this coursework count toward the GHS requirement.
• Social Justice and Diversity (SJD) - Please note that this Core Curriculum requirement could be met by a course in the Butler major.
• The Indianapolis Community Requirement (ICR) - Please note that this Core Curriculum requirement could be met by a course in the Butler major.
• The final four (of eight) Butler Cultural Requirements (BCRs)

Students who have previously completed a bachelor’s degree will have all Core Curriculum areas considered met.

Transfer Credit in Undergraduate Degree Completion Programs

Students who seek admission to one of Butler’s online undergraduate degree completion programs and: (1) who have completed an Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS) or other academically-focused (as opposed to vocational/technical) associate’s degree; OR (2) who have completed at least 60 transferrable credits that include general education courses reflective of five elements of the Core Curriculum Areas of Inquiry (Analytic Reasoning, the Natural World, Perspectives in the Creative Arts, the Social World, Texts and Ideas) and two courses in English composition (i.e., First-Year Seminar), will have the following Core Curriculum areas considered “met” through the block acceptance of transfer credit: 

• First-Year Seminar (FYS) 
• All Areas of Inquiry: Analytic Reasoning (AR), The Natural World (NW), Perspectives in the Creative Arts (PCA), Well-Being (WB), The Social World (SW), Texts and Ideas (TI) 
• The Butler Cultural Requirement (BCR) 

Students who have completed a vocational/technical/applied associate degree, or whose 60 transferable credits do not include the five Core Curriculum Areas of Inquiry or English composition requirements listed above, will be expected to complete these missing requirements as part of their degree completion program.

The following mission-critical Core Curriculum areas will be considered “not met” through the block acceptance of transfer credit:

• Global and Historical Studies (GHS) - Please note that students who have completed a history, international or global course as part of their transfer coursework could have this coursework considered to count toward the GHS requirement.
• Social Justice and Diversity (SJD) - Please note that this Core Curriculum requirement could be met by a course in the major at Butler.
• The Indianapolis Community Requirement (ICR) - Please note that this Core Curriculum requirement could be met by a course in the major at Butler.

Dual Credits Earned in High School

Apart from English composition credit (which cannot be accepted for First-Year Seminar for non-transfer students), dual credit coursework completed in high school shall be considered for credit within undergraduate programs in the same manner as other transfer coursework, provided the dual credit coursework appears on the official transcript of an accredited institution and carries a letter grade of at least C- (or C for some programs).

Competency-Based Transfer Credit

Some accredited institutions award non-letter graded, competency-based credit.  When competency-based transfer coursework from these institutions is presented for transfer credit consideration, faculty content experts will review the coursework along with supporting materials and may make credit recommendations.

Internship/Practicum Transfer Credit

In general, transfer internship/practicum coursework will not be considered for transfer credit at Butler.  However, department chairs and program directors may consider internship/practicum coursework along with supporting materials and make credit recommendations on a case-by-case basis.  

English as a Second Language (ESL) Credit

Coursework in English as a second language (ESL) offered by postsecondary institutions or language learning centers will not be considered for transfer credit at Butler.

Consortium Credit

Butler University participates in two course consortiums:

1.  Butler is a member institution in the Consortium for Urban Education (CUE), a consortium of colleges and universities in the Indianapolis area:

• Butler University
• Franklin College
• Marian University
• Indiana University - Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI)
• Martin University
• Ivy Tech Community College
• University of Indianapolis

By special arrangement among the member institutions, students are given the opportunity to enroll in courses at other CUE institutions which are not available at their home institution. Cross registration enables students to enhance their degree programs by taking a course at another CUE institution and receive graded credit at their Home institution upon successful completion of the course.  Because a student is enrolled at Butler, and because the student receives a letter grade, the CUE consortium is not transfer credit, but direct credit

2.  Butler also participates in the Acadeum online course share consortium. Through the Acadeum course share, Butler students may enroll in approved online courses offered at other accredited private institutions.  Like the CUE consortium, students participating in the Acadeum course share consortium earn direct credit, not transfer credit, meaning students are enrolled at Butler and receive a letter grade at the conclusion of the course.

Test Credit

Butler University offers academic credit in most subject areas covered by:

• AP (Advanced Placement)
• IB (International Baccalaureate)
• CLEP (College Level Examination Program)

Prospective or currently enrolled students must request that their AP, IB and/or CLEP scores be reported to Registration and Records. Students earning AP, IB or transfer credit ordinarily have these credits applied to major requirements, at the discretion of the department or as electives fulfilling Butler degree requirements. Using transfer credit to fulfill the Butler Core Curriculum also may be possible, provided the course is consistent with the learning objectives of the specific Core area.

In addition to gaining advanced course placement through AP, IB or CLEP credit, a student may be placed in an advanced course at the direction of a department chair or senior faculty member in the area. A student who wishes to receive credit for the course or courses bypassed should consult the appropriate dean and department chair or designated faculty member. Upon their joint recommendation, credit may be awarded based on the student’s performance in the advanced course.

Credit for Prior Learning

Butler offers undergraduate and graduate level credit for learning outside of the traditional academic context via Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) pathways. A PLA pathway awards academic credit for non-credit bearing experiences that have provided a student with competencies derived from prior learning in non-academic settings that align with program, college, and university learning outcomes. Prior learning can occur in a variety of settings, but some of the most common include employer training programs, on-the-job training, serving in the military, or completing a non-credit-bearing course or program.

Undergraduate PLA Pathways

At the undergraduate level, PLA pathways are conceptualized as standing or individualized.  A standing PLA pathway is one established for all students and publicly available for all students admitted to the university. An individualized PLA pathway is established for a single student, who presents evidence of prior learning not recognized within a standing Butler pathway but deserves academic credit. The following general principles govern the approval of undergraduate PLA pathways:

1. Academic credit for non-credit experience must be based upon documentable evidence of competencies aligned with course, program, college, and university learning outcomes.
2. PLA pathways should be available to any student, regardless of the program in which they are enrolled.
3. The construction and supervision of PLA pathways is the responsibility of faculty with academic expertise in the relevant areas of assessment.
4. Individualized pathways are subject to the same standards as standing pathways and may later serve as templates for the creation of standardized pathways.

Policies for PLA credit at the undergraduate level:

1. Admitted students may ask for a review of previously completed non-credit experiences prior to matriculating. For prior non-credit experiences to be eligible for credit evaluation, any such review must be requested prior to the end of the first semester in which the student is enrolled.
2. No grades reported in programs for which a student receives PLA credit will be counted toward their Butler GPA.
3. No more than 25% of hours required for completion of an undergraduate major may come from PLA credit.
4. No more than 25% of a student’s overall hours may come from PLA credit.

Graduate PLA Pathways

Policies for PLA credit at the graduate level:

1. The awarding of any academic credit for prior non-credit experiences must be based upon documentable evidence of competencies aligned to course or programmatic student learning outcomes of the graduate program to which the academic credit is being awarded.
2. Prospective and current graduate students may initiate a review of previously completed non-credit experiences for which they wish to earn credit at the beginning of the application process or during academic advising process as they matriculate through the program.For credit to be considered, the student must request the review before the first day of the related course(s).
3. Credit is awarded only where course or programmatic student learning outcomes have been met by previously completed prior learning experiences. Programs can either grant an applicant/student credit for:
   • Specific existing courses within the program curriculum when the PLA meets course specific student learning outcomes, or “general” elective credits when the PLA meets a combination of program-level student learning outcomes.
   • The level of credit awarded should be commensurate with standards established within higher education expectations and the overall number of credits awarded may not exceed the established maximum percentage allowable (see #6 below).
4. The prior learning experience will be counted as credit(s) towards program completion. If a grade was earned during this experience, it will not be factored into students’ GPA, but the experience will be counted as credit(s) towards completion.
5. A program determines the number of credits that can be awarded via prior learning experiences up to a maximum of 33% of the total program. Additionally, no more than 50% of total credit hours may be earned through a combination of non-credit experiences and transferred academic credit unless programs are specifically designed to align with bridge or pathway programs, consortiums, articulation agreements, or are otherwise designated as such in program admission policies.