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.

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 forms 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. (See “Credit Hours and Maximum Load”)

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.