In your transition to a new college, you are obviously concerned about receiving maximum credit for work completed at other institutions. At Providence College, we follow generally accepted practices for the transfer of credit:
- Courses were pursued at an accredited college or university;
- Upon evaluation by the appropriate departmental chairperson, courses proposed for transfer credit have been determined to be comparable in content to courses at Providence College;
- A grade of C or better was earned in the individual course - note that a C- grade does not allow for the transfer of credit. Courses taken Pass/Fail may be evaluated for transfer credit provided a student can offer official documentation of a letter grade of C or better earned in the course.
In order to be considered for credit, coursework must have been completed no later than ten years prior to matriculation. Exceptions to this regulation will be handled on an individual basis. No transfer credit is granted for physical education, health, correspondence or ROTC courses, or for such activities as internships, independent study, orientation, choir, band, or student service.
Students accepted for transfer to Providence College will usually receive a tentative class standing at the time of notification of admission. Students will then receive an evaluation of transfer credit at orientation once we receive an official, final transcript of any courses in progress at the time of acceptance, thereby confirming the advanced standing noted in the letter of acceptance. An entrance status of first semester sophomore, for example, projects the number of semesters of full-time study remaining to complete degree requirements (for instance six). Please note that a student's individual academic or personal circumstances could affect an anticipated graduation date.
Providence College does not enroll under any status a student who is not in good academic and disciplinary standing at a previous institution. Students seeking admission from two-year colleges are normally encouraged to complete requirements for the Associate Degree prior to transfer but are not required to do so. Students who originally applied as Providence College in the freshmen application process, but were not granted admission, are required to complete one full year of college course work in a full-time status before reapplying as a transfer student.
A maximum of 56 hours of transfer credit may be accepted toward the undergraduate degree. Students who have earned 56 credits through transfer coursework may enroll in additional transfer courses (e.g. summer) only with approval from the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. If you have taken Advanced Placement (AP) courses while in high school and have earned a score of 4 or 5 on the AP examination, please forward an official score report from the College Board for review for advanced placement/advanced standing. For courses applicable to your intended major, the Chairperson of the appropriate department makes the final determination of transfer credit.
Transfer students must complete a minimum of four semesters in full-time attendance (including junior and senior years) to be eligible to receive a degree from Providence College. This is sometimes called a residency requirement. Please note that the undergraduate day school of Providence College has a two-semester calendar and that all degree candidates must be enrolled as full-time students.