Transfer Students and Transfer Credit Policies

Transfer Students

Transfer students must present the same application forms and transcripts as those applying for freshman standing. The Office of the Registrar has final authority for the release of transfer credits into Biola University.

Transfer students with fewer than 15 semester credits of regular college work must qualify for admission on the basis of both their high school and their college record. Those transferring with 15 semester credits or more of college work will be considered primarily on the basis of their college grades. A cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required for admission to Biola. A minimum grade average of “C-” (1.67) is required to transfer college credits into Biola on each course attempted at the college level. Students are advised that some professional and graduate programs have a “C” minimum requirement, and students should contact their major advisor about the need to retake any courses that Biola accepted with a “C-”.

Transfer students will not be required to take the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT or submit high school transcripts if 15 or more semester credits of college level coursework is completed prior to enrollment.

Transfer students coming from institutions which are not accredited or recognized may be given the opportunity to validate credits through the College Level Examination Program, prior learning assessment (PLA), or through consultation. Information on this procedure is available from the Office of the Registrar. Provisional credit for liberal arts courses from non-accredited institutions will be granted in accordance with the policies of state colleges or universities of the state in which the institution is located. Provisional credit is considered validated only when the student performs at the “C” level or better following enrollment in Biola University.

College-level credit earned during the 9th through 12th grades will be given credit. A combined maximum of 32 credits will be awarded for all forms of advanced credit options including AP, CLEP and IB.

Undergraduate Transfer Policy

1. Biola University will accept credit for equivalent courses from schools accredited by regional or national agencies recognized by CHEA (Council for Higher Education Administration), including distance education courses.
2. Biola University measures all courses in semester credit hours. Quarter credits are converted to semester credits by reducing the quarter credits by one-third. Such a reduction does not mean loss of credit. Quarter credit hours are converted as follows:
   
   5 quarter credit hours = 3.335 semester credit hours
   4 quarter credit hours = 2.668 semester credit hours
   3 quarter credit hours = 2.001 semester credit hours
   2 quarter credit hours = 1.334 semester credit hours
   1 quarter credit hour = 0.667 semester credit hours
   Students may complete a degree requirement with a quarter system course that converts to at least two-thirds the credit of the requirement. For example, a 3-credit Biola requirement requires at least 2.001 credits and a 4-credit Biola requirement requires at least 2.668 credits.
   If the course requirement is found within the Core Curriculum requirements of the degree program, credits will not need to be made up (with the exception of foreign language; foreign language can only be satisfied with the full number of credits indicated for the student's degree program). If this requirement is found within the major requirements or Core Bible requirements, the credits will need to be made up through major electives or Bible electives to ensure that the full number of credits for the degree is still met.
3. Biola University accepts up to 70 transfer credits from accredited community colleges or up to 90 transfer credits from accredited four-year colleges and universities. No more than 90 transfer credits will be accepted.
4. Incoming transfer students may fulfill their Core Curriculum (GE) requirements by completing Biola University's Core Curriculum (GE), completing the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), or completing CSU Breadth. 
   
   The completed IGETC/CSU Breadth model for either the University of California (UC) or the California State University (CSU) systems is accepted by Biola University with the following provisions:
   1. First Year Seminar: The Biola Experience cannot be completed by the IGETC/CSU Breadth certification.
   2. The current foreign language requirement for all bachelor’s degrees cannot be completed by the IGETC/CSU Breadth certification.
   3. The current ENGL 313 (Writing in the Disciplines) requirement cannot be fulfilled by the CSU Breadth certification (note: full IGETC certification at admission fulfills ENGL 313).
   4. The minimum of 120 credits for graduation will remain the same.
   5. In addition to IGETC/CSU Breadth certification, students must take all major-specific Core Curriculum (GE), prerequisite, and support courses if not met through IGETC/CSU Breadth.
   6. Official documentation certifying IGETC/CSU Breadth completion must be received by the Office of the Registrar by the graduation petition deadline (March 15 for Spring, November 15 for Fall) prior to receiving commencement and/or graduation clearance.
5. ​Partial IGETC, CSU Breadth, or General Education Coursework Completion: If a student at a California community college transfers before full completion of the IGETC or CSU Breadth transfer patterns, all coursework taken at the community college to meet the pattern guidelines will transfer to Biola University in satisfaction of Core Curriculum (GE) requirements for that area, with the exception of upper division, modern language, or program-specific requirements. Similarly, with the same exceptions, coursework taken at any regionally or nationally accredited institution to meet the general education guidelines of that institution will, in most cases, satisfy requirements for the comparable subject area in Biola's Core Curriculum.
6. In addition to Core general education requirements, most students who transfer to Biola University will be required to take thirty (30) credits of Bible/Theology. (See the Bible Minor section for more information.)
7. Once admitted, continuing students are subject to Biola University's Core Curriculum and program-specific requirements as essential to the mission, vision, values, as well as institutional learning outcomes. No more than 15 transfer credits will be accepted after a student matriculates (defined as the first day of a student’s first semester of coursework). Continuing students should consult with their departments, academic advisors, and submit Transfer Petition Forms to the Office of the Registrar, before considering coursework outside Biola for potential transfer credit. 
8. All students are required to take a minimum of 24 credits of upper-division coursework in their major, 15 of which must be taken at Biola University.
9. A minimum of 24 of the last 30 credits must be earned at Biola University (i.e., only 6 credits may be transferred in during this time). 
10. Biola has a biblical studies residency requirement for all students. Students in most traditional programs must take at least 15 Bible credits at Biola (6 of which must be upper-division). Students in select high-credit majors and/or transfer students with 45 or more transferable credits completed after high school graduation at the time of enrollment must take at least 9 Bible credits at Biola (3 of which must be upper-division).
11. Grades do not transfer — only earned credit amounts. A student's grade point average is computed only on work completed at Biola University.
12. Courses may not transfer for several reasons: repeat of work already taken, low grades ("D+" or lower), technical or vocational courses, remedial courses, etc.
13. College-level credit earned during or subsequent to the 9th–12th grades will be given credit, including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP and ACTFL exams.
14. A music major is limited to a maximum of three semester's worth of previous study in applied music (not including ensembles). The maximum number of transferred applied music credits for each program is as follows: 
    • B.M. Music Performance: 6 credits
    • B.M. Music Composition: 3 credits of primary instrument, and 6 credits of applied composition
    • B.M. Music Education: 3 credits
    • B.M. Music Therapy: 3 credits
    • B.M. Worship Arts: 3 credits
    • B.A. Music: 3 credits
    • B.A. Music, Commercial Music: 6 credits
    • Contemporary Worship Minor: 3 credits
    • Music Minor: 3 credits
      Applied music proficiency will be determined in the first semester of private study at Biola and further transfer applied music credits may or may not be granted as of that point. A non-music major is limited to a maximum of 8 credits in applied music (including ensembles).
15. A non-physical education major is limited to 8 credits in physical education or skill courses.
16. The combined total of transferred credits plus completed Biola credits determines student level:
    • Freshman: 0-26 credits
    • Sophomore: 27-56 credits
    • Junior: 57-87 credits
    • Senior: 88 credits and above
17. Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree will have the Writing Competency Requirement and all Core Curriculum requirements (except those that are program-specific) waived. 

Transfer of Credits

Upper-division credit cannot be allowed for courses taken at a community college. Upper-division transfer credit will only be given for upper-division courses from bachelor’s degree granting institutions which have a published course numbering policy that defines upper-division at that institution. If no published policy exists, all courses will transfer as lower-division. Final authority for the acceptance of transfer credits into Biola University rests with the Office of the Registrar. Current students taking courses at local community colleges while enrolled at Biola should request written prior approval of courses in order to assure that transfer credit will meet the needs of their curriculum. No course below a “C-” (1.67) grade will be transferred from another institution. Students are advised that some professional and graduate programs have a “C” minimum requirement, and students should contact their major advisor about the need to retake any courses that Biola accepted with a “C-”. Vocational or technical courses will not be accepted for university credit. Admissions counselors are prepared to give academic advisement to those attending, or planning to attend, community colleges with the intention of transferring into Biola University.

Transcripts must be official transcripts from an accredited institution or approved non-accredited school¹ sent directly from the institution to Biola or physically delivered in an untampered envelope sealed by the institution in order to be recognized and officially evaluated for credit transfer. Any transcript that is hand carried or mailed from the student must be sealed by the sending institution without signs of tampering. Any opened transcript or envelope with signs of tampering will be considered unofficial and the student will need to re-order a new transcript. Credits will only be applied to a student’s record after receipt of an official transcript. Submission of unofficial transcripts will result in an unofficial evaluation. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of an unofficial evaluation, the transfer of credits indicated on an unofficial evaluation does not constitute a contract between Biola University and the student and is not guaranteed.

Courses taken as a Pass/Fail or Credit/No-Credit grade are not recommended, as they may not meet the grade requirement for transfer of “C-” or better. 

A course taken at a community college or a lower-division class from a four-year school will not be given upper-division credit toward graduation requirements, even if the course content is approved by a Substitution Request.

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A list of approved non-accredited institutions is available upon request from the admissions office. In some cases, students from approved non-accredited schools may need to submit evidence of prior learning. For students who wish to receive transfer credit from a non-accredited institution that is not approved by Biola, a review of prior learning will be required. Transfer of credit in these conditions is only granted upon faculty review and approval of demonstrated achievement of the relevant course learning outcomes.

CCCU/Acadeum Courses

Students may take courses toward degree requirements at Biola from institutions that are part of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and found on the Acadeum course sharing platform. Biola will transcript these courses for a fee and they will be considered Biola courses, not transfer courses. Consortium courses may count toward the residency requirement required for graduation and will be taken into account when determining academic standing.

The Office of the Registrar holds final authority on registration of consortial courses. The cost for consortial courses will be the same tuition rate as Biola with the addition of a $150 processing fee per course.

Students are responsible for knowing start, end, and drop deadlines of any courses they take. These may or may not line up with Biola’s academic calendar. As such, the posting of final grades, GPA, academic standing, etc. at Biola is subject to the grading deadline outlined by Acadeum. A student’s standing and eligibility at Biola may be postponed until all grades have been received. Grades are given by the teaching institution according to that institution’s grading scale. The letter grade given by the teaching institution will be entered on the student’s Biola record even if the grading scale is different than Biola’s standard grading scale.

Consortium courses that are dropped before the teaching institution’s drop date are eligible for a refund. Consortium courses that are dropped after the teaching institution’s drop date will not be eligible for a refund.

Alternative Credit

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)/Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)

Biola University follows the guidelines developed by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) to award credit or advanced standing for documented and experiential learning. CPL/PLA is designed to assist adult learners in attaining academic and career goals by validating college-level experiential learning through demonstrating mastery of course-level learning outcomes. 

• PLA methods at Biola consist of challenge exams and portfolio. 
• Select courses may be fulfilled by CPL/PLA. Visit the PLA website and contact the Office of Educational Effectiveness for details.
• Undergraduate Degrees - A maximum of 25% of an undergraduate degree may be fulfilled through all forms of PLA (excluding external standardized examinations such as AP, CLEP, IB, etc.). The process for PLA credit must be completed prior to the beginning of the student’s last semester required for degree completion.
• Graduate Degrees - Graduate degrees require a minimum of 24 credits to be taken at Biola University in the degree program. Credit for prior learning may be awarded above and beyond the minimum 24 credits. 

In order to be eligible for credit through PLA, students must:

1. Be fully admitted into a Biola degree program.
2. Have discussed PLA options with an academic advisor, success coach, and/or department chair.
3. Apply and be approved to participate in PLA.
4. For PLA portfolios, students must successfully complete the Biola LEARN course Designing Your Experiential Learning Portfolio.
5. Enroll in the appropriate challenge exam or portfolio course and pay the assessment fee.

PLA Portfolio Appeals Process

Students who have been denied credit or waiver of course requirement based on their original portfolio submission may appeal within 30 days of the decision. To appeal a student must complete the following steps: 

1. Students must complete the PLA Appeals Form. 
2. Upon approval of the PLA Appeals Form, students must submit their PLA portfolio with clarification in the learning narrative and/or additional supplemental documentation.
3. Students are required to pay a fee for resubmission of the PLA portfolio. 

Advanced Placement Program

Biola University, as a member of the College Entrance Examination Board, recognizes the merits of the Advanced Placement Program and will grant credit for Advanced Placement exams taken in high school. Credit will be given when the Advanced Placement examination grade is 3 or better.

A maximum of 32 credits can be awarded for all forms of advanced credit (AP, CLEP, IB, ACTFL, etc.). Torrey students: Math and/or science credits are needed for Core Curriculum credit. All other AP credits will count as elective credits toward graduation.

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Many medical schools do not accept AP credit in lieu of college-level course credit to fulfill admission requirements.

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Chemistry, biochemistry, physics, engineering physics, and engineering majors receive credit as follows:

• 5 on Calc AB can cover MATH 150. 
• 4 on Calc BC can cover MATH 150 only.
• 5 on Calc BC covers both MATH 150 and MATH 151.

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A maximum of 8 credits may be counted for Calculus AB/BC.

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Math and Computer Science majors must have a score of 4 or 5 for MATH 150 credit. 

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Math and Computer Science majors must have a score of 4 or 5 for MATH 150 and MATH 151 credit. 

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Psychology majors must have a score of 4 or 5.

College Level Examination Program

Biola University recognizes the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) of the College Entrance Examination Board. Students should take CLEP exams as early as possible in their college program to receive their maximum value.

Biola University reserves the right to determine the score at which credits will be released and the amount of credit awarded.

Students are not permitted to take English composition through CLEP for credit. English composition through CLEP does not meet the English Composition requirement.

To obtain credit for a foreign language CLEP exam, the student must seek a higher level of language than previously completed in high school or through college.

Students who withdraw during the term to take CLEP will be refunded according to the tuition refund schedule and will not be eligible for a full refund. 

A maximum of 32 credits can be awarded for all forms of advanced credit (AP, CLEP, IB, etc.). If the same course is taken at the college level, elective credits cannot be given for the CLEP exam. Biola accepts a minimum credit-granting score of 50 or higher (a higher score required where designated, see below).

Please contact the Office of the Registrar with further questions.

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Nursing majors may not use the General Chemistry exam to meet the organic/biochemistry requirement.

International Baccalaureate Program

Biola University will grant credit for IB exams taken in high school. We accept only the higher level exams when the grade is 5 or better. A maximum of 32 credits can be awarded for all forms of advanced credit (AP, CLEP, IB, ACTFL, etc.).

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) is a national organization dedicated to the improvement and expansion of the teaching and learning of all languages at all levels of instruction.
 
Credit will be awarded for ACTFL assessment results toward satisfaction of foreign language requirements as designated below. Students wishing to earn language proficiency credits through the ACTFL should take the assessment as early as possible but no earlier than two years prior to matriculation to Biola. English language proficiency through ACTFL does not meet the Core English or Writing Competency Requirements (WCR). Biola University reserves the right to determine the score at which credits will be released and the amount of credit awarded.
 
A student may take the ACTFL foreign language exam without pre-approval from the Office of the Registrar. To obtain credit, the student must seek a higher level of language than previously awarded language credits. A maximum of 32 credits can be awarded for all forms of advanced credit (AP, CLEP, IB, ACTFL, etc.). If the same course is taken at the college level, elective credits cannot be given for the equivalent ACTFL exam.
 
Specific ACTFL tests in any language would receive credit as follows:

• Intermediate Low on OPI (or OPIc) and WPT covers LANGUAGE 100 (4 credits)
• Intermediate Mid or above on OPI (or OPIc), WPT, and LPT covers LANGUAGE 100 & 200 (8 credits)