1. Transfer Credit for Previous Instruction 
Credit from post-secondary institutions will be granted and applied toward degree requirements only when it is for courses that are substantially equivalent to those offered at The University of Memphis. Credit not equivalent to courses at The University of Memphis may be posted to the student's record and may be used as elective credit or as determined by the dean of the college from which the student is to graduate. After the student has been approved for admission as a regular undergraduate, the Office of Admissions will evaluate credit for University-wide use. The office of the dean in each college has the authority for determining the use of acceptable credit toward specific degree programs in that college. 

The University of Memphis accepts transfer credit for college-level courses taken at accredited institutions of higher education.

Student petitions for transfer credit for courses completed at institutions that are not regionally accredited are considered on a case-by-case basis. The student must present a petition in writing to the Office of Admissions at The University of Memphis with a list of courses for which credit is desired. The student must provide transcripts from the institutions, documentation from each course that includes the course content, course level, contact minutes, the standards for assessing student work, and documentation of the academic credentials of the course instructor. Based on an examination of these materials and after consultation with the appropriate academic department or college, the Office of Admissions will review the student's petition and provide confirmation of those courses that have been approved for transfer credit.   

To determine how transfer courses can be applied towards the University General Education Program Requirements visit http://www.memphis.edu/gened/students.php.

2. Earning Transfer Credit after Enrollment at The University of Memphis 
After enrollment as regular undergraduates at The University of Memphis, students should obtain prior approval from the dean of the college from which they are to graduate before taking a course at another institution for the purpose of meeting degree requirements at The University of Memphis. The student who intends to take a course at another institution should consult with the Admissions Office and obtain a Transfer Credit Request Form from the Admissions Office for use in securing the dean's approval. Courses taken without prior approval are subject to possible disapproval when they are presented for evaluation at The University of Memphis. 

Before credit earned at another institution can be transferred and recorded on a permanent academic record, the student must have an official transcript from the institution mailed to the Admissions Office and must contact the college dean's office to request that the credit be posted. 
The maximum credit hour load allowed for any term includes all course enrollments both at The University of Memphis and any concurrent enrollment at other institutions. 

3. Transfer Credit for Distance Education 
Credit from other institutions for distance education courses taught by independent study, on-line computer instruction, or other methods, is evaluated in the same manner as transfer credit for classroom-based instruction. As with other transfer credit, students enrolled as regular undergraduates must seek prior approval from the dean of the college from
which they are to graduate before taking courses to meet degree requirements at The University of Memphis. 

Your Transfer Evaluation

The University of Memphis accepts university parallel courses from regionally accredited institutions at full credit value. Other types of course work will be evaluated on an individual basis, and no conclusions can be drawn until the evaluation is complete. When you apply for admission at The U of M as a degree-seeking student, your transcript will be evaluated and you will be receive a transfer evaluation of your courses. Even though the University accepts credit for transfer courses, transfer students must realize that there is a difference between accepting a course for credit and applying it to meet a given requirement.

Courses can be applied to your degree in three different ways. They may

• satisfy the requirements of the General Education Program

• satisfy the requirements of a major/program or college

• count for University credit towards graduation

On your transfer evaluation, you will find that some courses are transferred as U of M courses (for example, this commonly happens with courses such as English Composition), and these will automatically be applied to the appropriate requirements. However, there may be some additional validation required in the case of performance and studio courses. 

Other courses will be transferred as UNAS (an abbreviation for "unassigned"). This designation only means that there is no direct U of M equivalent course. For example, a course in Comparative Religion, which U of M does not offer, will be UNAS, but may satisfy a U of M requirement. The application of such courses to requirements is determined with the help of an academic advisor. If there is no U of M requirement the course satisfies, it will still count as credit hours towards graduation.

Validation Exams

In some cases, you will find that your lower division course has been accepted as the lower division equivalent of an upper division U of M course. In this situation, if you wish to receive upper division credit for the course, you must take a departmentally administered validation examination. However, you cannot be required to retake the course at the upper division to satisfy a U of M requirement (this is specified under "General Notes" at the beginning of each Course Equivalency Table, particularly items 3 and 4).

Non-Traditional Credit

Non-traditional credit refers to credit earned in ways other than completing a university-parallel course at a regionally accredited college or university. It includes, but may not be limited to, receiving credit for the following:

• Service in the Armed Forces
• Instruction in the Armed Forces
  • College Credit for Military Experience
• Non-Collegiate Sponsored Instruction
• Credit by Examination
• National Exams Standardized Examinations
  • College Level Examination Program [CLEP]
  • Defense Activity for Non-traditional Education Support [DANTES]
  • International Baccalaureate
  • Advanced Placement
• Upper Division Credit by Validation Examination
• Course Placement and Completion
• Portfolio assessment