A satisfactory citizenship record, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale on all college work attempted, and eligibility to re-enter the institution last attended are required for transfer admission. Transfer applicants who were not eligible for admission to Kentucky State University when they graduated from high school must present a minimum of 24 semester hours of college credit. All transfer students who have completed 24 or more semester hours of college work must have earned a cumulative GPA of 2.00.
Also a letter of good standing must be sent directly by the registrar of the college last attended (may be sent with official transcript).
Official college transcripts may be faxed directly to the Office of Admissions from the institution. The transfer student is not at liberty to disregard any part of his/her previous college or university records. Failure to report enrollment at another institution may result in dismissal and/or loss of credits earned at KSU. In the event of academic suspension/dismissal from any institution previously attended or currently being attended, an applicant must provide a letter of good standing from the last institution attended. Credits earned from a non-accredited institution will not count toward the degree but will be evaluated in the same manner as those earned at an accredited institution. However, final acceptance of such credits is contingent upon the equivalent of one semester of full-time study (12 or more semester credit hours) with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above for all course work attempted.
The Dean of Students or the Vice President of Student Affairs, regarding the student’s social/disciplinary status at the previous college or university attended, must send a transfer letter of recommendation. This letter may be faxed to the Admissions Office from the sending institution.
Entrance examinations may be required of applicants transferring into Kentucky State University.
Guidelines for Implementation of the General Education Transfer Policy
I. Introduction
Following adoption by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education of a policy for the transfer of general education credits at public colleges and universities in the Commonwealth, a committee was established to oversee the implementation of the policy. These Guidelines represent a condensation of the Council’s policy and attempt to address frequently asked questions. The Guidelines should assist students and their academic advisors in planning programs of study.
To participate fully at the program level, students must be graduates of Associate in Arts/Associate in Science (AA/AS) transfer programs which contain 48 hours, including the Core Transfer Component, of lower- division general education, or complete 60 hours of study which meet the same conditions.
The Core Transfer Component represents common elements of current general education programs at Kentucky institutions. Students will benefit to the extent that their program of study reflects the composition of the Core Transfer Component or individual categories in the Component. Graduates of Associate in Applied Science (AAS) programs will participate in this transfer policy by comparing the Core Transfer Component to their respective programs of study.
The Policy on General Education Transfer was established to:
- Emphasize those aspects of general education requirements, which are common among public institutions in Kentucky, and to encourage completion of approved AA/AS transfer programs;
- Promote the acceptability of general education credits as students transfer from one public institution to another;
- Enhance cooperation among institutions with respect to academic advising for undergraduates who plan to transfer from one public institution to another; and
- Serve as a framework for developing pre-major transfer programs for specific majors.
II. Basic Assumptions and Principles
- The transfer of general education credits is predicated on the acquisition of competencies in broad academic areas rather than on a comparison of individual courses taken at one institution or another. The issue is not how particular general education courses at the sending institution match up with general education courses at the receiving institution, but how the competencies in various general education programs are similar to one another. Universities will recognize the completion of a Council-approved AA/AS transfer degree by admitting students to junior-level standing and accepting the corresponding general education credits as meeting institution-wide lower-division general education requirements at the receiving institution. Students are encouraged to complete an approved AA/AS transfer program prior to transferring.
- Each institution recognizes the professional integrity of all other public institutions in the acceptance of their general education program.
- The General Education Transfer Policy is limited to lower division requirements and applies only to transfer students (as distinct from transient students).
- The general education requirements covered in this policy are not intended to fulfill general education requirements for particular majors. Specifically, the general education requirements of a specific major will not be set aside by this policy. This is a most important distinction and should be noted by students and their advisors.
- When fully implemented, the transfer system at all institutions will include an audit process through which the sending institution will certify to the receiving institution the general education categories which the student has completed.
- Close cooperation and communication among colleges and universities will be established to facilitate the transfer process for students and to enable the participating institutions to maintain timely and comprehensive information. Particular attention will be paid to academic advising on each campus and to interaction among campuses in order to inform students about the nuances of general education requirements at the various institutions.
- Each receiving institution will provide a process for students to appeal decisions related to the transfer of general education credits.
- The General Education Transfer Policy became effective at the beginning of the spring term in 1996. Students transferring after this date may request an audit from the sending institution.
III. Certification of General Education Blocks
- Fully Certified. Students who have completed a general education program of 48 semester hours which includes the 33-hour Core Transfer Component (see below), have received an approved AA or AS transfer degree, or have earned sixty hours of undergraduate credits and hold a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better will be "Fully Certified" for purposes of transfer. If the receiving institution’s general education program requires more than 48 hours, the student will be required to earn additional general education credits.
- Core Component-Certified. Students in good academic standing who have completed a core of courses (33 hours) in the areas listed below will be "Core Component-Certified" for purposes of transfer. Individuals in this category must fulfill the remaining general education requirements of the receiving institution, which have not been satisfied through the Core Component.
- Category-Certified. Students who have completed some, but not all, of the five categories in the 33-hour Core Component, will be "Category-Certified" for purposes of transfer. Individuals in this situation must fulfill all of the remaining general education requirements of the receiving institution, which have not been satisfied through "Category" Certification.
Communications—9 Written Communications—6 Oral Communications—3 Humanities—6
- The discipline(s) represented must be different from those in Behavioral/Social Sciences.
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Courses may be chosen from, but not necessarily limited to, the following:
Fine Arts (excluding studio and performance)
Philosophy
Literature
History
Cross-Cultural
Foreign Language (same language)
Inter/Multi-disciplinary (includes literature, history, art, etc.)
Mathematics—3
Minimum: college algebra
Natural Sciences—6
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Courses may be chosen from, but not necessarily limited to, the following disciplines:
Biology
Astronomy
Chemistry
Geology
Physics
Physical Science
Behavioral/Social Sciences—9
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At least two disciplines must be represented and must be different from those in the Humanities.
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Courses may be chosen from, but not necessarily limited to, the following:
Psychology
Inter/Multi-disciplinary
Sociology
Cross-Cultural
Economics
Political Science
History
Geography
Anthropology
IV. Questions Commonly Asked about the General Education Transfer Policy
How will credits earned through CLEP, Advanced Placement, or other examinations be handled?
If the sending institution certifies such credits for application to its general education requirements (either with or without the granting of credit hours), the receiving institution will recognize these requirements as having been fulfilled.
How will credits earned in private or out-of-state institutions be treated?
If a public sending institution endorses the use of such credits for satisfying a general education requirement, the receiving institution will accept this decision.
What happens in the case of D grades in general education courses?
Grades of D are accepted at most public colleges and universities for purposes of fulfilling general education requirements. However, in granting transfer credit, some institutions do not accept D grades; students should check with individual advisors or admissions officers at the schools to which they are transferring. Where D grades do not receive transfer credit, certifications by sending institutions of course work, which includes D grades, may not be fully accepted.
Will credits earned at colleges or universities not accredited by a regional accrediting agency be applicable to the General Education Transfer Policy?
The SACS standard on the transfer of credits must be followed, and each transfer is subject to evaluation in accordance with the SACS standard.
What information can a receiving institution expect from a sending institution regarding a student’s general education certification?
The sending institution will indicate, either on the transcript or as an attachment to the transcript, whether the student is Fully Certified, Core Component-Certified, or Category-Certified in general education.
Will information about the completion of transfer credits at one institution be automatically sent to another institution, or must students request this service?
Some institutions have the capability to include general education certification on the transcript by using an automated process. Other institutions do not. Students should request a general education audit when they submit a transcript request.
Who will receive the documentation certifying general education transfer?
A centralized office on each campus will receive the transfer information. Normally, the Office of Admissions will handle this task.
Does this policy affect general education requirements for specific majors?
No. The General Education Transfer Policy does not add to, subtract from, or change any general education courses required for a major. Students need to work closely with their advisors to determine what relationship, if any, exists between requirements for general education and requirements for a specific major. This is a most important issue and should be carefully noted.
What appeal do students have in case of misunderstandings or disagreements?
Each institution has a process for appeals related to the General Education Transfer Policy. Also, each institution appoints a person to serve as the official institutional liaison with respect to the Policy. Students in need of assistance should contact that individual.
Who are considered transfer students?
Transfer students are those who transfer from one public higher education institution (sending institution) to another public higher education institution (receiving institution) with the intention of completing their educational program at the receiving institution.
Who are transient (or visiting) students?
Transient students are students in good standing in any recognized institution who enroll in another institution with the intention of transferring the credits earned to their home institution.
Does the Transfer Policy allow students to receive duplicate credit by taking courses at one institution and repeating equivalent or similar courses at another institution?
No. The General Education Transfer Policy does not impact the policies of the respective institutions with regard to duplicate course credit. Students should work closely with their academic advisors to make appropriate course selections before and after transferring from one institution to another.
POLICIES
Transcript evaluations at Kentucky State University are carried out in accordance with guidelines published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
All credits earned with a grade of "C" or better from a regionally accredited institution of higher education will be accepted for transfer. The transcript evaluation will determine the applicability of these credits to degree requirements at Kentucky State University. Credits that do not fulfill degree requirements will be accepted as free electives if grades of "C" or better were earned.
Kentucky State University will not give upper-level credit for courses completed at junior and community colleges without validation that the courses are equivalent to upper-level University courses.
PROCEDURES
Responsibility for the initial evaluation of transcripts for transfer credit rests with the University's Office of the Admissions. A transfer applicant is responsible for ensuring that all transcripts of previous college or university course work are sent to the Office of Admissions. The admission decision cannot be made until all transcripts of previous college or university course work, except for any course work currently in progress, are received. In the event of academic suspension/dismissal from any institution previously attended or currently being attended, an applicant must submit a letter of good academic standing from the last institution attended, stating that he or she is eligible to return to that institution. Further, an applicant must submit a letter of recommendation from the Dean of Students of each institution attended.
Transfer credit from another institution accepted by the University will be placed on a student's academic record following completion of the student's first semester at the University. Transfer students will not have a University cumulative grade-point average until they have completed one semester of course work at Kentucky State University. Quality points will be awarded only for work completed at KSU.
Upon completion of the initial evaluation of a transfer applicant's transcript(s), the Office of the Admissions will inform the applicant in writing as to the transferability of previously completed course work. The student will then need to meet with their advisor who will determine the applicability of these credits to degree requirements at the University. For students with an undeclared major, applicability of University-accepted credits to specific degree requirements will occur as part of the declaration of major process.