The University sets time limits on students to ensure that they have reasonably current knowledge in those courses that comprise the graduate program and for which a graduate degree is awarded. When coursework taken at the University of Memphis is too old to be included in a graduate program, the academic unit may allow the student to validate that coursework by examination, subject to the following regulations: The necessary form is available online.

• Only students fully admitted to graduate programs and who are in good standing are eligible.
• Not more than 12 hours of the total credits in a master's program may be validated. Not more than one-third of the total credits in a doctoral program may be validated.
• Only courses with fixed content are eligible for validation. (Independent study, research, special topics courses, and workshops are ineligible.)
• Only those courses still being taught are eligible for validation.

Maximum Combined Credit Hours to Fulfill Degree Requirements

For Master’s students, the maximum amount of combined hours of transfer credit, credit by examination, course validation and experiential learning that can be used to fulfill degree requirements is twelve hours or one-third the number of hours required for the degree, whichever is greater.

For doctoral students, the maximum amount of combined hours of transfer credit, credit-by-examination, course validation and experiential learning that can be used to fulfill degree requirements is one-third the number of hours required for the degree.

• Fill out the top of the form and obtain the signatures of the major advisor, department chair, and college director of graduate studies.
• Pay the fee and attach the receipt to the form.
• Take the form to the department chair, who will sign it after the exam has been taken and a satisfactory grade earned.
• When the department chair returns the completed form to the Graduate School, the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies or designee will authorize the posting of the credit to the student's record.
• The form of the examination, the method of administering it, and the time of examination are left to the discretion of colleges and academic units.
• To receive credit, the student's validation grade should be equivalent to at least a "B" (3.0). Credit is indicated on the student's record as "S" but is not figured in the GPA.

The only remedy of an unsuccessful validation is to repeat the course.

For additional information about course validation procedures, contact the Graduate School Academic Advisor at mstout@memphis.edu or the Graduate School Office.