Transfer Credit Policy

Transfer Credit Evaluation Criteria And Limits

Undergraduate Transfer Credit Policy

MIU accepts up to 90 credits in transfer toward its bachelor’s degree programs from any college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission or one of the other US regional accrediting associations. MIU also accepts credit from foreign colleges and universities with comparable governmental accreditation and from other foreign institutions that are approved by the Registrar. On a case-by-case basis, MIU may accept transfer credit from institutions that are accredited by bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and then only for elective credit. Credit is generally awarded for academic offerings, but up to 16 units of technical/vocational postsecondary coursework may be used as elective credit in undergraduate programs.

Transfer credits are accepted for courses completed with a grade of C (2.00 GPA) or higher. Transfer credit is evaluated on a course-by-course basis. Credits applied toward undergraduate major requirements will be determined by the faculty in those majors. Undergraduate degree students may apply to transfer credits for up to half the coursework in the major. Credits not approved as satisfying major requirements may be applied as elective credits toward MIU degrees.

The total of transfer credits accepted from other institutions is posted on the student’s MIU transcript without the grades given in those courses. Grades earned at other institutions are also not included in calculating a student’s Maharishi International University grade point average. Maharishi International University converts transfer credit from quarter system institutions using the formula that one quarter-hour equals two-thirds of a semester-hour.

Prospective students may find out the total number of allowable transfer credits from their admissions counselor. Current undergraduate students can apply to their graduation advisor for evaluation of transfer credit towards general education or to their departmental academic advisor for transfer credit towards major or minor requirements.

Estimates of transfer credit based on unofficial transcripts are subject to change, but a final determination of transfer credit awarded will be made within the first semester on campus, if not during the admissions process.

Any exceptions to these policies must be approved by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

Graduate Transfer Credit Policy

A graduate student who wants to transfer graduate credits from another institution must submit a request to the director of their MIU degree program. The program director will read the student’s transcript to identify courses completed at a prior institution in which the student has earned a B or higher. Transfered courses must include content similar to an MIU course.

For a course to be eligible for transfer credit, it must not have been applied in the fulfillment of degree requirements for an earned degree from the institution where the course was taken.

Unless a more restrictive policy is stated in the requirements for a specific degree, MIU allows a maximum of eight (8) transfer credits toward a graduate degree. Transfer credit may not be used for capstone, dissertation proposal, or thesis courses.

Credit for Prior Learning, Standardized Exams, and Waived Courses

Undergraduate Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) and Standardized Exams

Credit toward a bachelor’s degree may be accepted through the following tests and evaluation services:

• The American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT®)
• U.S. Armed Services courses recognized through the Joint Services Transcript Service and from the American Council on Education
• College Board Advanced Placement (AP) examination credits with scores of 4 or higher*
• College Board College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests, with scores of 50 or higher*
• International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IB HL) exams with scores of 5 or higher*
• DSST tests (formerly DANTES Subject Standardized Tests), the credit-by-examination tests originated by the United States Department of Defense’s Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) program

*Some degree programs and programs with entry-level mathematics requirements may have specific minimum score requirements for AP, CLEP, and IB HL exams.

Students may receive 4 credits for each exam, up to a maximum of 32 credits. This credit may allow the student to waive courses at Maharishi International University as appropriate and may be applied toward general education requirements, undergraduate major requirements, or general elective credit.

Up to half of the credit toward one’s major program may be earned through transfer credit or CPL at the discretion of the program director. Official determination as to how many and which courses will be accepted in transfer or as CPL can be made during or after the admissions process, when the university has received all official transcripts from prior coursework and official validation of prior learning from approved evaluators.

Waiving Courses And Earning Credit For Prior Learning In Graduate Programs

Waiving Graduate Required Courses (Without Credit)
A student may ask to waive a course if they believe they possess the competencies listed for a particular course and they demonstrate their competency in a written or oral examination, or in demonstration of skills, behaviors, or other knowledge that clearly reveal mastery in the area. A waiver of a required course indicates the student has met the course requirements and associated competencies that are associated with this course. However, they still need to take additional courses to make up the credits for the course(s) waived. The program director will examine the student’s performance and specify courses that can be waived in their degree.

Graduate Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)
Students can gain graduate-level knowledge and competencies, meriting academic credit, from experiences outside postsecondary education. This is called Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) and is documented through a process called Prior Learning Assessment. CPL is given for learning that is equivalent to the learning outcomes of specific courses in a degree program. To gain CPL credit for a course, students must submit to their program director a portfolio that includes: 1) the name, credits, catalog description and learning outcomes of the course for which CPL is being requested, 2) a description of the personal academic history and work experience through which the student gained knowledge toward the objectives of that course, and 3) documentary evidence of the student’s achievement of those objectives (e.g., a project report, a publication, a web site, etc.)

The program director will examine the student’s CPL portfolio, meet with the student, and write a letter to the Registrar specifying the courses for which CPL is being given and the number of credits earned towards the student’s degree program for each course.

A graduate student may receive credits for prior learning in an amount up to 25% of the regular course credits required for the degree (i.e., 12 credits in a 48-credit MFA, 10 credits in a 40-credit MBA, or 8 credits in a 30-credit MA.) CPL may not be used for capstone, dissertation proposal, or thesis courses. CPL credits may be used in addition to credits obtained through transfer.

Credit For The Tm Teacher Training Course (TTC)

When verified in writing, students may be granted transfer credits for The Maharishi Foundation TM Teacher Training Course (up to 12 credits for twelve in-residence weeks), and up to eight units of internship credit for teaching the Transcendental Meditation technique full time as an employee.

Mathematics Transfer And Exam Credit Policies

Entry-level Mathematics Requirements

Students who intend to earn an MIU bachelor’s degree, specialization, or minor in mathematics, computer science, or physics must prove entry-level competency in mathematics at the level of MATH 162 - Functions And Graphs 2  as a prerequisite to the following required courses:

• MATH 281 - Calculus 1  
• MATH 272 - Discrete Mathematics  
• CS 201 - Procedural Programming  

This entry-level competency in mathematics equivalent to MATH 162  may be proved in one of three ways:

1. Transferring qualified credits in a course equivalent to MATH 162 , MATH 281 , or MATH 282  earned at an eligible institution.
2. Demonstrating proficiency equivalent to MATH 162  or higher in the on-campus Mathematics Placement Assessment.
3. Submitting official proof of minimum qualifying scores achieved within 3 years prior to enrollment at MIU on specified standardized college-level calculus and/or mathematics exams offered by College Board Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IB HL).

To be eligible for credit to fulfill a mathematics course, the student must take the official AP Calculus AB and/or BC exam within 3 years prior to enrollment. At the time of the AP exam, student must designate MIU’s school code as an automatic recipient of the official score report. A student who has already completed an AP exam within the past 3 years must go to apscore.collegeboard.org to request that scores be sent directly to MIU from College Board. Official AP, CLEP, and/or IB HL scores and transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing organization to MIU in a sealed envelope. Copies made and/or sent by the student will not be accepted.

Transfer Credit Policy for Entry-level Mathematics

Transferred credits for a mathematics course completed at an eligible prior post-secondary educational institution will be evaluated to determine if the transferred course fulfills the entry requirement equivalent to MATH 162 .

Definition of an Eligible Institution for Transfer Credit
Transferred credits for a mathematics course will only be evaluated for eligibility to fulfill the entry requirement equivalent to MATH 162  if the course was completed at a postsecondary institution that meets the following criteria:

• The institution has regional or national accreditation
• The institution is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
• The institution defines a credit hour equivalent to the standard set by the U.S. Department of Education

Timeframe, Grade, and Department Criteria for Transfer Credits to Fulfill MATH 162
Transferred credits for mathematics courses completed at an eligible prior postsecondary educational institution will be evaluated to determine if the transferred course fulfills the entry requirement equivalent to MATH 162  if the course meets the following criteria:

• The course was completed within two (2) semesters prior to admission at MIU
• The course shows a final posted grade of B or better on the student’s transcript
• The course was offered and taught by a mathematics department at the prior eligible institution

A student seeking approval for transferred credits to fulfill the entry requirement equivalent to MATH 162  may also be required to provide supporting documentation requested by the mathematics department including, but not limited to, course descriptions, course syllabus, institutional catalog, course catalog, or course projects. There is no guarantee that transferred credit will be approved to fulfill the entry requirement equivalent to MATH 162 . Transferred credits to fulfill the entry requirement equivalent to MATH 162  may not be approved for courses requiring up-to-date knowledge of course topics, trends, technology, software, and/or hardware. Transferred credits will not fulfill any requirement for MATH 051 , MATH 152 , MATH 153 , or MATH 161 . If any of these courses are required, they must be fulfilled either by taking the course and passing it or by passing the Mathematics Placement Assessment at that level.

Entry-level Mathematics Placement Assessment

Students with no transferred credits approved to fulfill the entry requirement equivalent to MATH 162  or MATH 281  must take the on-campus Mathematics Placement Assessment to determine their level of proficiency in mathematics. If the demonstrated level of proficiency is MATH 162 , the student may take any of the following courses required for their program: MATH 281 , MATH 272 , or CS 201 .

If the student’s demonstrated proficiency is lower than MATH 162 , the assessment may be repeated up to 3 additional times for a higher placement. After the 4th attempt, a student placing below MATH 162  must complete designated prerequisite mathematics courses in sequential order. Successfully completing all mathematics courses required for a placement level lower than MATH 162  may add one or two semesters of prerequisite mathematics study to the program. A practice Mathematics Placement Assessment and learning preparation modules are available online on request.

Transfer Credit and Exam Waivers for Mathematics and Computer Science

Students may be awarded transfer credit to fulfill mathematics and/or computer science course requirements other than MATH 162  in one of two ways:

• Transferring qualified credits equivalent to the required course(s) earned at an eligible institution.
• Submitting official proof of minimum qualifying scores achieved within 3 years prior to enrollment at MIU on specified college-level, standardized exams offered by College Board Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IB HL).

Transfer Credit Policy for Mathematics Courses Required for a Major

Transferred credits for mathematics and computer science courses completed at eligible prior post-secondary educational institution(s) will be evaluated to determine if the transferred course(s) fulfills requirements for courses other required for a degree, specialization, or minor in Mathematics and/or Computer Science. A student seeking approval for transferred credits to fulfill mathematics course requirements may also be required to provide supporting documentation requested by the mathematics department, including, but not limited to, course descriptions, course syllabus, institutional catalog, course catalog, or course projects. There is no guarantee that transferred credit will be approved to fulfill MIU mathematics course requirements. Transferred credits to fulfill these requirements may not be approved for courses requiring up-to-date knowledge of course topics, trends, technology, software, and/or hardware.

Definition of an Eligible Institution for Transfer Credit
Transferred credits will only be evaluated for eligibility to fulfill the requirements of the BS in Mathematics and/or Computer Science if the transferred course was completed at a post-secondary institution that meets the following criteria:

• The institution has regional or national accreditation
• The institution is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
• he institution defines a credit hour equivalent to the standard set by the U.S. Department of Education

Timeframe, Grade, and Department Criteria for Transfer Credits
Transferred credits for a course completed at an eligible prior post-secondary educational institution will be evaluated for equivalency with a required mathematics and computer science course other than MATH 162  if the transferred course meets the following criteria:

• The course was completed within three years prior to admission at MIU.
• The course shows a final posted grade of B or better on the student’s transcript.
• The course was offered and taught by a mathematics, physics, computer science, or business department, respectively, at the prior eligible institution

Transferred credits for computer science courses will be evaluated for equivalency with CS 201  and/or CS 203  if the transferred course meets the following criteria:

• The course was taught using JAVA (not another language)
• The course was completed within three years prior to admission at MIU.
• The course shows a final posted grade of B or better on the student’s transcript.
• The course was offered and taught by a computer science department at the prior eligible institution

Transfer Credit Limits
Approved transfer credits may fulfill a maximum of 50% of the credits required for the BS in Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science Track. Students who have taken equivalent courses at a prior institution and applied the credits to an earned bachelor’s degree will not be awarded transfer credit. If qualified, some courses may be approved to fulfill the equivalent major requirements.

Credit for Standardized Exam Scores in Mathematics or Calculus

Credit for MATH 281 - Calculus 1  can be earned if the student officially submits minimum scores on one of the following exams taken within 3 years prior to enrolling at MIU:

• College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB score of 4 or higher
• College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus BC score of 4 or higher
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) score of 60 or higher
• International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IB HL) Mathematics Applications & Interpretation or Analysis & Approaches grade of 5 or higher

Credit for both MATH 281 - Calculus 1  and MATH 282 - Calculus 2  can be earned if the student officially submits an official AP Calculus BC score of 4 or higher. To be eligible for credit, the student must take the official AP Calculus AB and/or BC exam within 3 years prior to enrollment. At the time of the AP Calculus AB and/or BC exam, student must designate MIU’s school code as an automatic recipient of the official score report. A student who has already completed an AP exam within the past 3 years must go to apscore.collegeboard.org to request that scores be sent directly to MIU from College Board. Official AP, CLEP, and/or IB HL scores and transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing organization to MIU in a sealed envelope. Copies made and/or sent by the student will not be accepted.

Transferring Miu Credits Out to Other Institutions

Each institution has its own policies governing the transfer and acceptance of academic credits from other institutions. In addition, each institution has its own policies governing the acceptance of degrees and/or diplomas from other institutions. Maharishi International University does not guarantee that credit hours or degrees completed at MIU will be accepted by or transferable to any other institution. The transferability of and acceptance of credits earned at Maharishi International University is at the complete discretion of the institution to which a student may seek to transfer. If the credits earned at MIU are not accepted at the institution to which a student seeks to transfer, the student may be required to repeat some or all coursework at that institution. A student seeking to transfer academic credits or degrees earned at MIU to another institution should contact the institution to determine if credits earned at MIU will transfer.