Transfer Credit Policies

• Transfer Credit Policy
• Current Students Seeking Credit on Another Campus
• Reverse Transfer Policy
• Special Procedures for International Credit
• Study Abroad Credit
• Retroactive Credit Policy
• General Education Information for Transfer Students
• Institutional Closure Transfer Policy

Transfer Credit Policy

Loras College accepts baccalaureate-level, academic coursework from accredited colleges and universities in accordance with the guidelines included in this policy. “accredited” refers to those institutions that have been granted accreditation by a U.S. Department of Education recognized institutional accreditor, such as the Higher Learning Commission. Coursework accepted for transfer must be from curricular areas generally recognized for credit at Loras and have content similar to Loras College coursework. 

An official transcript from the awarding institution is required for all credits accepted for transfer. 

Official Transcripts

An “official transcript” should be understood to be a transcript printed on specially prepared paper, sent in a sealed envelope. Students who have completed coursework at another institution should contact each previous school’s Office of the Registrar to have an official transcript sent to:

Office of the Registrar
Mail #1
1450 Alta Vista Street
Dubuque, IA 52001

Loras College also accepts electronic copies sent through a secure server. To be regarded as official an electronically transmitted transcript must be from the original sending institution, or a verifiable third party vendor such as Avow, Script Safe, Speedy EDI or other recognized vendor. Since electronic transcripts are not considered official once printed, the printed copy must be accompanied by a copy of the email from the sending institution with annotation of verification or from the third party vendor with the login and password for retrieval of the transcript. The designated person in Admissions who is trained in identifying official transcripts will print off both the email and the transcript, verify as official, initial and date the documents.

Electronic transcripts NOT processed in this manner will be regarded as unofficial. Electronic copies may be sent to: registrar@loras.edu.

Once the transcript is received, it will be evaluated to determine which courses will transfer. The transcript(s) should be provided prior to the beginning of the student’s first semester at Loras. Failure to provide the transcript(s) by the beginning of the student’s first term may result in denial of transfer credit and/or a hold on registration for future terms. Transfer applicants who have completed or supplied all expected paperwork are eligible to receive a continuing student registration permit for priority registration.

It is the student’s responsibility to provide official transcripts within the stated time limits in order to ensure that transfer credit is evaluated and appropriate academic advising can take place. It is also the student’s responsibility to confirm that transfer credit has been transferred to the Loras College transcript. Students are encouraged to check their online transcript to verify that the transfer credit has been awarded. It is also the student’s responsibility to provide a course description, syllabus and examples of coursework to the Office of the Registrar to assist in determining if a course is transferable. 

Credit Value

The number of credits granted for any course accepted for transfer may not exceed the number of credits granted on the official transcript by the originating institution.  In addition, a student will receive the same number of transfer credits as was earned at the previous institution, even if the equivalent course at Loras carries a different number of credits.  Thus,

• A 3-credit course may satisfy a four-credit requirement at Loras, but only three credits of transfer will be granted for the course.
• If the transferring course exceeds the number of credits of the Loras equivalent course, the student will be awarded the additional credits as elective credit. (e.g. a student completes a 5-credit course equivalent to the 3-credit Loras course ABC 100. The student transcript would show 3 credits of transfer for ABC 100 and 2 credits of general elective).

Loras College credit is calculated in semester hours.  Credit from schools using a quarter system will be converted to semester hours based on the following table:

Credit from schools using other systems for awarding credit (e.g. course units) will be evaluated on an individual basis and converted to semester hours.

Required grades for transfer credit
Only collegiate-level, academic coursework with a final grade of “C” or better will be considered for transfer credit. A course with a grade of “P” or “S” may be awarded transfer credit at the discretion of the Office of the Registrar. 

Maximum transfer credit awarded
Total Transfer Credits Applied to Graduation

The following guidelines apply to the total number of credits that may be applied to the minimum of 120 credits needed for graduation:

• A maximum of 30 exam credits may be accepted towards completion of a baccalaureate degree.
• A maximum of 64 total credits from a community college/junior college/two-year college and/or examination credit may be awarded toward the total number of hours needed for graduation.
• A maximum of 90 credits from a four-year institution may be awarded toward the total number of hours needed for graduation.
• A maximum of 90 credits from two-year and four-year institutions combined may be awarded toward the total number of hours needed for graduation (not to exceed the previous stated maximums).

Total Transfer Credits Applied to a Major

Students must complete at least 1/4 of the credits required for a major in residence at Loras College.  Thus, no more than 3/4 of the credits applied to a major may be from transferred credits.  For example, for a major requiring a total of 40 credits, no more than thirty transferred credits may be applied to the major.

Total Transfer Credits Applied to a Minor

Students must complete at least 1/3 of the credits required for a minor in residence at Loras College.  Thus, no more than 2/3 of the credits applied to the minor may be from transferred credits.  For example, for a minor requiring a total of 18 credits, no more than 12 transferred credits may be applied to the minor.

Coursework that may be awarded transfer credit
Credit awarded for internship, practicum, or field experience completed at institutions other than Loras may be awarded transfer credit at the discretion of the Office of the Registrar and the Dean/Associate Dean of the School which corresponds to the coursework. Similarly, applied technical coursework completed at a regionally accredited institution may also be awarded transfer credit at the discretion of the aforementioned offices.

Military Occupational Specialty courses are evaluated on a case-by-case basis using ACE-approved JST military transcripts. Coursework that is found to be similar in content to Loras College Courses may be awarded transfer credit.

Coursework not awarded transfer credit

Regardless of the awarding institutions accreditation status, credit awarded for non-collegiate level coursework that was intended to be a review of secondary material (for example, but not limited to, English, mathematics or reading enrichment courses), intercollegiate athletic participation, physical education activity courses, vocational/technical training, and continuing education units (CEU’s) will not be accepted for transfer.  In addition, Loras does not accept credit awarded for prior learning.

Only, coursework that is found to be similar in content to Loras College courses may be awarded transfer credit. Transfer credit taken ten (10) years or more prior to admissions will generally not be accepted.  Exceptions to the age of credits will be reviewed on an individual basis by the Registrar and the Academic Dean.

Current students seeking credit on another campus

Any matriculated Loras student wishing to transfer in course credit from another institution must obtain the permission of the appropriate School Dean/Associate Dean and the Office of the Registrar prior to enrollment in that course. Students may seek approval to take a course on another campus other than Clarke University or University of Dubuque by completing the online form found on the IQ Main Page (Request to Take a Course on Another Campus). The student must submit the official transcript to the Office of the Registrar within six months of completion of the course in order to have the course considered for transfer credit. Failure to make a formal request and provide the transcript(s) by the stated time limits may result in denial of transfer credit.

If a Loras student has received a passing grade in a required course for his/her major but has not met the specific grade requirement in the course for the major, the student must seek prior written approval from the School Dean/Associate Dean to complete this course at another institution to demonstrate content competency and fulfill this requirement of the major. The original course taken at Loras College, however, will remain on the student’s transcript and the course taken at another institution will not be transferred for credits toward the degree.

It is the student’s responsibility to provide official transcripts within the stated time limits in order to ensure that his/her transfer credit is evaluated and appropriate academic advising can take place. It is also the student’s responsibility to confirm that transfer credit has been transferred to the Loras College transcript. Students are encouraged to check their online transcript to verify that the transfer credit has been awarded. It is also the student’s responsibility to provide a course description, syllabus and examples of coursework to the Office of the Registrar to assist in determining if a course is transferable.

Transfer credit on the Loras College transcript
Courses awarded transfer credit will be indicated on the Loras College transcript by the name of the College attended and the total number of credits accepted for transfer. Transfer courses are not calculated into the Loras College grade point average.

If a student completes a course at Loras College that had previously been awarded transfer credit from another institution, the transferred course will be removed from the transcript and the student will only receive credit for the Loras course.

Appealing a Transfer Equivalency Decision

If, upon review of the official transfer equivalency form, an accepted student disagrees with the equivalency decision, that student may appeal the decision by following the instructions below:

1. The student must arrange for the course syllabus to be sent to the Office of the Registrar.
2. The Registrar will work with the appropriate faculty to determine a) if the original decision is accurate and b) why the decision either is or is not accurate.
3. If the original decision is accurate, the student will be notified that no change to their transfer equivalency decision has been made.
4. If the original decision is inaccurate, the student’s record will be updated to reflect the updated decision and the student will be informed of the update.

If any change to the student’s transferred equivalencies results in duplication of credit, the transfer credit is forfeited.

Reverse Transfer Policy

The reverse transfer policy allows students to work toward a bachelor’s degree at Loras College while completing the courses needed to complete their associate’s degree.

Students who earn an Associates of Art (A.A.) or Associates of Science (A.S.) degree through reverse transfer may be considered to have their general education requirements met (with the exceptions outlined in the General Education Requirements - A.A. & A.S. Degree Holders policy) if the following conditions are met:

1. All remaining credits for completion of the associate’s degree must be completed in the first semester (fall or spring) of enrollment at Loras College.
2. The official transcript, designating completion the of the associate’s degree from the awarding institution, must be received by the Loras College Registrar’s Office no later than the midterm grade due date of the student’s second semester of enrollment.

Note: The student is responsible for ensuring that credits completed at Loras College are accepted by the community college to meet any remaining associate’s degree requirements.

Special Procedures for International Credit

International credit must be evaluated by an independent evaluation service (with the exception of credit that was earned through an approved study abroad experience) and a course-by-course evaluation must be submitted in order to be considered. Loras College accepts evaluations directly from either Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (https://www.ece.org/ECE) or Scholaro (formerly known as Foreign Credits, Inc.) (https://www.scholaro.com/). Courses that are found to be similar in content to Loras College courses may be awarded transfer credit. Students seeking to transfer international credit should consult with the Center for Inclusion and Advocacy to determine an appropriate independent evaluation service provider.

Study Abroad Credit

Students studying abroad on Loras College-sponsored semester programs and affiliate study abroad programs in which students remain enrolled at Loras will adhere to the following requirements:

• Students must register and complete the Loras College equivalent of full-time study at the host institution. Failure to do so may result in retroactive adjustments to student aid for the term abroad.
• Students must ensure submission of an official transcript from the host institution to the Office of the Registrar to receive credit for the international coursework.
• International coursework must receive a letter grade unless prior approval for a pass/fail grade has been documented in the Registrar’s office.
• International coursework must earn an equivalent grade of C or better in order to receive passing credit. This equivalency is determined by the Center for Experiential Learning based on standard best practices.

To support the above requirements, the following procedures will be followed:

• Students will be registered for 12 “placeholder” study abroad credits at Loras College during their semester abroad. Some students will be less than 12 because they also register for Loras courses.
• Upon receipt of the student’s official transcript, the “placeholder” credits will be replaced with the appropriate course titles and credits. The grades earned abroad will not be transferred to the Loras transcript as they appear on the host institution’s transcript. Rather, if the student earned a grade of C or better, then the grade corresponding to that course will be recorded as a P. If the grade earned was less than a C, then the grade earned and recorded will be an F and will negatively impact the student’s GPA. All attempted international coursework will be transcribed in this manner.

Retroactive Credit Policy for Spanish

The Retroactive Credit Policy for Spanish at Loras College is intended to assist qualified students who have taken Spanish language courses in high school and already have some Spanish language proficiency, in pursing advanced language study.

Overview

The intermediate language sequence in Spanish at Loras College follows a sequential structure in which each course builds directly upon the linguistic skills developed in the previous course.  Therefore, a student who places into L.SPA 202 - Intermediate Spanish II  or L.SPA 203 - Spanish Communication I  and earns a grade of B- or better, has demonstrated proficiency in the content of the courses offered earlier in the sequence and may be awarded retroactive credit in recognition of that proficiency in accordance with the table below:

Eligibility for Retroactive Credit

To be eligible to be awarded retroactive credit a student must:

1. Complete the Loras College Spanish Placement Exam.  Placement into an initial Loras College Spanish course is based on a student’s first attempt on the placement exam. 
2. Based on the placement, enroll in, and complete with a grade of B- or better, SPA 202: Intermediate Spanish II or SPA 203: Spanish Communication I, before the student has earned 60 undergraduate credits.
3. Submit the Retroactive Credit Approval Form and pay the associated Retroactive Credit Fee. 

Additional Information

• Retroactive credit is awarded based on the student’s first attempt at SPA 202: Intermediate Spanish II or SPA 203: Spanish Communication I.  Repeat attempts in SPA 202 or 203 courses are not eligible for retroactive credit consideration.
• Retroactive credits will not be awarded based on coursework taken at other institutions, even if the credit is transferable to Loras.
• Retroactive credit is only available if a student does not have equivalent credit via Advanced Placement or previous college coursework.
• Retroactive Credit earned at Loras College may not be transferable to other institutions.
• Retroactive credits are not automatically awarded and may not be awarded after the degree has been conferred.  Students planning to request retroactive credit should do so at least one semester prior to graduation to ensure inclusion on the final transcript.
• This policy is in effect for students who matriculated to Loras in fall 2023 or later.

Note: In fall 2023, SPA 270: Advanced Communicative Modes was offered in place of SPA 203: Spanish Communication I.  Students placed into SPA 270 in fall 2023 who earn a B- or better are eligible for retroactive credit as would have been awarded for SPA 203 in accordance with the policy above.

General Education Information for Transfer Students

In Fall 2019, Loras College began the implementation of the new Foundations, Explorations, & Vocations (FEV) general education curriculum and the phasing out of the Advanced General Education (AGE) general education curriculum. Transfer students who entered Loras prior to 2021-2022 should refer to the Undergraduate Bulletin in effect at the time of transfer for guidance on which general education curriculum they should follow. Transfer students entering Loras in 2021-2022 will be required to complete the FEV curriculum.

A.A./A.S Degree Holders

Transfer Students

Students who transfer to Loras College with an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree from a U.S. Department of Education recognized institutional accreditor are considered to have met the requirements of the general education curriculum with the exception of the integrative capstone (IN) in the student’s major area of study and one May term course.

Transfer students who are nearing completion of their Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree may be considered to have their general education requirements met - with the exception of the integrative capstone and one May term course - if they complete their associate’s degree within one semester of enrollment at Loras College, in accordance with the reverse transfer policy.

First-time first-year Students

First-time first-year students who enter Loras College with an earned Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associates of Science (A.S) degree from a U.S. Department of Education recognized institutional accreditor are considered to have met the requirements of the general education curriculum with the following exceptions:

• One course in the first-year experience Engaging course sequence
  • LIB 102: Engaging Communities (FC), for students who begin in the fall semester
  • LIB 101: Engaging Differences (FD), for students who begin in the spring semester
• The integrative capstone (IN) in the student’s major of study
• One May term course

Transfer Students who do not hold an Associate Degree

Unless a waiver is granted in accordance with the policy outlined below, transfer students who do not hold an A.A. or A.S. degree must fulfill all general education requirements in order to earn a baccalaureate degree from Loras College. Requirements in the Foundations, Explorations, & Vocations General Education Curriculum may be met through equivalent transfer credit or via course substitution in accordance with the following guidelines:

Foundations Courses

Explorations Courses:

Vocations Courses:

Integrative Capstone

May Term Requirements:

Transfer students entering Loras College with 30 or more transfer credits will receive a waiver for one May term requirement.

Transfer students entering Loras with fewer than 30 credits are required to successfully complete at least two Loras College May term courses.

Institutional Closure Transfer Policy

Loras College is committed to providing pathways for transfer for students impacted by the closure of another institution of higher education. The purpose of this policy is to outline clear criteria for eligibility and detail policy revisions/waivers that support undergraduate students who transfer to Loras following the closure of their prior institution.

Eligibility for Transfer Policy Revisions/Waivers for Institutional Closure

Special consideration and waiver of certain transfer policy limitations may be granted in instances where the following guidelines are met.

1. The closing institution is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized institutional accreditor, such as the Higher Learning commission, and has formally announced plans for permanent closure (Note: this applies to institutional closures only, not branch or additional location closures).
2. Loras College offers a degree program in a comparable curricular area (e.g. a major) to the degree program the student pursued at the closing intuition.
3. A formal teach-out agreement is not in place between Loras College and the closing instruction.
4. The student has a minimum of a 2.500 cumulative GPA (on a 4.000 scale).
5. The student matriculates to Loras in the semester immediately following the closure of the closing institution.

Loras will maintain of list of closing institutions and the term of entry into Loras required for student eligibility.

Transfer Policy for Students Impacted by an Institutional Closure

Students who meet the criteria outlined above will be waived from the following transfer credit policies:

• The required grade (“C” or better) for transfer credit.  Loras will provide 100% transfer for all credits earned at the closing institution.
• The minimum number of credits applied to a major or minor that must be completed in residence at Loras College.  Loras will not require the student to complete additional courses in their major or minor areas to meet the minimum credits in residency requirement.

All other components of the Transfer Credit Policy as well as other academic policies and requirements published in the Undergraduate Bulletin remain in effect for these students.

Closing Institution and Term of Entry Listing