FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long will my transfer credit evaluation (TCE) take?

Transfer credit evaluations are completed in approximately 2 weeks after you submit your TCE application and all items listed in your Document Log have been received. You can view our current evaluation processing times here.

What are the steps of the TCE process?

After you are enrolled, you can submit your transfer credit application to initiate the evaluation process. Detailed instructions are located here.

How much does a transfer credit evaluation cost?

There is no fee for any type of transfer credit evaluation. During the initial evaluation, students may have to pay for official transcripts if their previously attended institution does not allow third parties to request official transcripts. Please note that after the initial evaluation has been completed, it is the student's responsibility to provide all official transcripts.

Do I need to enroll to see how much transfer credit you will accept?

No! If you haven't had an official transfer credit evaluation completed, we will be happy to complete a preliminary review (or unofficial estimate) for you to see how your credits would apply to 2 degrees of your choice. More information about this process can be viewed here.

How do I submit new transcripts or documents for another TCE?

To have any additional documents evaluated for transfer credit after an initial TCE has been completed, you will need to submit a TCE Update Request Form via the ecampus. Additional information on this process (and where to send documents) can be found here.

I submitted my new documents over 3 weeks ago, where are my results?

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us, and we will be happy to review your information and identify and correct any issues that may have caused a delay in our process. You can email us at [email protected] or call 877-755-2787 Monday-Friday 8-4:30 EST.

Why aren't my previously-awarded transfer credits appearing on my degree plan?

If you recently changed your degree, were readmitted to the university, or are starting a new program, a new transfer credit evaluation will be automatically initiated to review your credit toward the new requirements. All items marked as received in your Document Log by the start of your evaluation will be included. Please view the current processing times to see when you can expect your credit to be applied.

What grade must I receive for a course to be reviewed for transfer credit?

For undergraduate programs (associate/bachelor's), a grade of C or higher is required.

For graduate programs (master's), a grade of B or higher is required.

For more information, visit our undergraduate and graduate pages about academic credit.

How much total/overall transfer credit can be accepted for undergraduate programs?

For associate programs, the maximum is 45 semester hours.

For bachelor's programs, the maximum is 90 semester hours.

Certificate maximums vary between 9-21 semester hours depending on the specific requirements.

For more information, please refer to our undergraduate-level transfer credit guidelines.

How much total/overall transfer credit can be accepted for graduate programs?

For master's programs, the maximum is 15 semester hours.

Certificate maximums vary between 6-12 semester hours depending on the specific requirements.

For more information, please refer to our graduate-level transfer credit guidelines.

What is traditional credit?

Credit earned through an institution of higher learning accredited by the US Department of Education. Classroom-based military training is generally considered traditional and displays as JST-School or CCAF-School on your Academic Plan.

What is non-traditional credit?

Non-academic credit earned based on an assessment, competency testing, self-paced coursework, experience, and/or determination of knowledge. Common examples of non-traditional transfer credit include certifications, CLEP or AP exams, basic law enforcement academies, etc. Credit awarded for Military Occupations, which display as JST-MOS and CCAF-MOS on your Academic Plan, is also non-traditional.

How much non-traditional credit can be accepted?

For associate programs, the maximum is 30 semester hours.

For bachelor's programs, the maximum is 60 semester hours.

For master's programs, the maximum is 9 semester hours.

For certificates, the maximum is 9 semester hours.

Does my bachelor's credit count toward my master's degree at APUS?

Undergraduate transfer credit (associate and bachelor's-level) may only be applied toward undergraduate degrees and certificates at APUS. Additionally, graduate transfer credit (master's and doctoral-level) may only be applied toward graduate degrees and certificates at APUS.

What is ACE?

The American Council on Education (ACE) publishes recommendations on the amount, type, and level of transfer credit that a university should consider when evaluating an individual's military or civilian training and experience.

You can research your training and experience in the ACE National Guide or the ACE Military Guide to determine if it carries an ACE Credit recommendation.

How is military credit evaluated?

We accept many forms of professional military education, non-academic experience, and training. The American Council on Education (ACE) presents credit recommendations and detailed summaries for formal courses and occupations offered by all branches of the military. These credit recommendations appear on the servicemember’s Joint Services Transcript (JST). For Airmen, credit is awarded based on your Community College of the Air Force/Air University transcript. 

Some military training also qualifies for Transfer Credit Recommendations, which award credit beyond the ACE Military recommendations. Generally, these are more commonly available for intelligence, recruiter, or medical-related training. You can learn about undergraduate level military policies here, or graduate level military policies here.

I already have a degree - will my general education requirements be fulfilled at APUS?

If you have earned an associate or bachelor's degree from an institution that is nationally or regionally accredited as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and you are transferring into an undergraduate degree program at APUS, your degree may satisfy up to 30 credits of the general education requirement. The amount of transfer credit awarded may vary based on specific degree program requirements.

What exams will the university review for transfer credit?

We will review any exam or self-paced course that has been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) and a credit recommendation is listed in the ACE National Guide. Examples include (but are not limited to) Advanced Placement (AP) exams, College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams, and SOPHIA Learning courses.

You can see how several of these transfer in our TCE Center.

What are Transfer Credit Recommendations?

APUS has several undergraduate and graduate Transfer Credit Recommendations (TCRs) that can be awarded if you meet the eligibility requirements. Some of the more commonly awarded TCRs include Basic Law Enforcement Training for students who have completed a basic police academy, Firefighter Certifications issued by an IFSAC or ProBoard accredited agency, CompTIA certifications, and Project Management Institute Project Management Professional (PMI-PMP) certificate. Credit awarded based on TCRs will display on your Academic Plan as IR/MOU followed by the name of the policy. If you intend to transfer from APUS to another institution, please note that TCRs are APUS-specific policies. All credit transfer policies are dictated by the receiving institution.

Your transfer credit website resources indicate that recommended transfer credit has "no university equivalent." What does that mean?

How do I get credit for my work or life experience that relates to my degree?

Our students come to us with a vast array of work experience and training, and we recognize that not all learning has resulted from traditional classroom attendance. The Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) program provides you with the opportunity to earn credit for learning outside the confines of a traditional classroom. You can find additional information on the PLA program page. For additional questions, please reach out to the PLA team at [email protected].

Can international students receive transfer credit?

We accept coursework completed at non-US institutions for transfer, but a course-by-course evaluation report issued by an accredited agency is required for review. You can learn more about international transcript requirements here.

I'm a Courses For Transfer student. How do I get my transfer credit evaluated?

The transfer credit evaluation process is only available for students pursuing degree and certificate programs. You will need to change your program to a degree or certificate and submit the transfer credit application thereafter.

What courses can I take to fulfill my CCAF general education requirements?

We offer a number of courses that will fulfill the 15 semester hour general education requirement for your CCAF AAS degree. The approved list of General Education Mobile (GEM) courses you can take at APUS is available here.

How will my APUS courses transfer to another school?

Courses completed at APUS are generally acceptable for transfer at other institutions based on our accreditation; however, each institution determines how coursework will be accepted for transfer based on their own policies and degree requirements. You will need to contact the institution you plan to transfer to and have them confirm how the course(s) would apply.

Who can I contact about missing transcripts from another institution?

Please contact [email protected] for information if you are missing items in your Document Log.

How do I have my APUS transcript sent to another school?

You can order your official APUS transcript by completing the APUS Transcript Order Form. If you are unable to access your ecampus or need assistance to order your transcript, please contact [email protected] or call 877-755-2787 to speak with a member of the Office of the Registrar.

What documentation can I use for promotion points if I can't order an official transcript yet?

A free degree progress report is available anytime through the ecampus. It shows your academic plan and lists all courses, grades earned, and your GPA. This can be downloaded by selecting Download Degree Plan near the top of the Academic Plan.

Why does my Document Log say Student Action Needed?

This indicates you are required to submit an item. More information on what action is needed can be found here.

It says my electronic transcript was received/accessed, but it is not showing in my document log.

It can take our Documents team 3-5 business days to upload official electronic transcripts to your account. You will receive an auto-email to your email address on record whenever a document is marked as received in your Document Log.

If you have questions about the status of your transcript, please contact [email protected].

Can you provide me with documentation that confirms courses at another institution will transfer toward my APUS degree?

You likely need a Parent School Letter (for Veterans Affairs [VA] funding) or a Transient Letter (for Tuition Assistance [TA] funding). These requests can be sent to [email protected]. 

Transfer credit from multiple schools is showing on one of my official transcripts. Why can't this be used for my transfer credit evaluation?

A separate official transcript from each institution you have attended is required to award transfer credit to your APUS degree. We must be able to verify the course prefix, number, title, grade earned, and amount of credit are listed accurately.

How do I transfer my APUS courses to another school?

Each school has its own process to evaluate transfer credit, and specific instructions can usually be located on their website. You will likely need to have an official APUS transcript sent directly to them for review.

You can order your official APUS transcript by submitting the APUS Transcript Order Form. If you are unable to access your ecampus and need assistance to order your transcript, please contact [email protected] or call 877-755-2787 to speak with a member of the Office of the Registrar.

Please note that all credit transfer policies are dictated by the receiving institution.

Where can I send my official transcript from a previous institution?

If your previous school sends official electronic transcripts directly from the registrar, you can request that they send a transcript to: [email protected]. Transcripts emailed from students will not be considered official. We can also receive official transcript in the original sealed envelope sent to

APUS Administrative Offices

Attention: Document Services

303 W. 3rd Ave.

Ranson, WV 25438

What exams or self-paced courses can I take for my degree?

Transfer information for exams and self-paced courses we can accept can be viewed here.

How can I tell if a course I want to take at another school will apply to my degree?

You can access our Transfer Equivalency Database to see how a course we have previously evaluated will transfer to APUS.

I was awarded partial credit for a course (2/3 semester hours or 3/4 semester hours). What does this mean?

If you have transfer credit that is at least 2 semester hours, it may still be considered equivalent to an APUS course. For example, if you have credit for a course that is equivalent to our MGMT101 course, but is 2 semester hours instead of 3, you will see 2/3 at the end of the entry. Your degree section totals are adjusted to account for this, and no additional coursework is needed to meet this degree requirement. This is most commonly seen when converting quarter hour courses to our semester hour credit format, or credit awarded for military training.

Why was my 4 semester hour course only awarded as 3 semester hours?

Most APUS courses are 3 semester hours. An equivalent course from another institution that was greater than 3 semester hours must be split into separate entries on your academic plan: the main 3 semester entry, and another entry for the remainder with an additional notation of "-S" for "split."

My transfer credit has been applied to my degree. How do I know which courses I have left to take?

Courses accepted for transfer or completed at APUS will show in red on your  Academic Plan. Courses that are still needed in your degree plan will be linked in blue and the far right column will show 0/3 or 0/4.

You may see courses applied as a substitute for a degree requirement. This is denoted by the required course showing as gray, and the substitute course will be indented below this with an asterisk in red.

If you have questions about what degree requirements are left to complete, please contact your advising team.

I have Gen Ed Block or TC Junior Advantage credit on my Academic Plan. What is this?

If you have an eligible conferred associate or bachelor's degree, your degree completion may result in an award of General Education Block or Transfer Credit Junior Advantage credit toward your APUS general education requirements. The amount of transfer credit awarded may vary based on specific degree program requirements.

I have IR/MOU credit on my Academic Plan. What is this?

APUS has several undergraduate and graduate Transfer Credit Recommendations (TCRs) that can be awarded if you meet the eligibility requirements. Credit awarded based on TCRs will display on your Academic Plan as IR/MOU followed by the name of the policy.

I have OMNI credit on my Academic Plan. What is this?

Omnibus credit is upper-level transfer credit that applies to a student's specific area of study within their Concentration requirements, but for which APUS does not offer an equivalent course. Please be aware that changing your degree may result in previously awarded omnibus credit applying as an Elective only.

The maximum amount of omnibus credit we can apply varies by degree level and specific degree requirements.

I transferred information technology related coursework. Why isn't it showing as an APUS equivalent course?

Various disciplines are subject to credit age limitations, and equivalents can only be awarded if they were completed within a certain number of years. For more information, please refer to the Time Limitations of Coursework policy.