Transfer Of Credits

A maximum of six credit hours of appropriate coursework, taken on a graduate level at a regionally accredited institution prior to program admittance, may be transferred and applied toward masters degree or certificate requirements if it is recommended by the student's faculty advisor and school dean or designee, and approved by the Registrar. Transfer credit requests from non-regionally accredited colleges and universities are not acceptable for graduate degree programs. Students should contact each individual school for transfer credit policy. Adult Learning Division students of Lesley College should refer to criteria listed in the Adult Learning Division section on the following page. Ph.D. students should refer to the criteria listed in the Ph.D. Program section on the following page.

An official transcript from all colleges must be submitted with a Request for Transfer of Credit Form which is available by mail, or in the Registrar's Office, or the school/program office.

The Request for Transfer of Credit Form and all required documentation is due prior to or during the first semester. Transfer procedures must be completed prior to the beginning of the final semester before anticipated graduation. Transcripts for courses taken at Lesley are not required for transfer of credit review since these courses automatically become part of the student's Lesley transcript.

Transfer of credits reduces the number of courses which the student must take for completion of a program; therefore, an applicant should request to transfer credits into a program at the time of acceptance into the degree, certificate, or certification program or at the first meeting with the student's faculty advisor. After admission, students may not take courses at other institutions for transfer credit without prior written approval from the appropriate school dean or designee.

Students who petition for transfer credit approval should not assume credits are accepted as transfer credit until receiving official notification from the Registrar's Office. While courses approved for transfer appear on the final Lesley transcript, grades of transferred courses are not used to calculate the grade point average. In all cases, the school retains the right to determine whether or not the course credits which the student wishes to transfer are acceptable.

Earning Credit through CLEP and ACT/PEP - Baccalaureate Programs

CLEP (College Level Examination Program) credits by examination will be awarded through the University Level Examination Program (CLEP), and ACT/PEP (Proficiency Examination Program) if the content area is applicable to the student's course of study at Lesley.

Adult Learning Division students of Lesley College may receive a total of 16 credits through CLEP or ACT/PEP. The combined total of test credits and transfer credits may not exceed 96 credits.

Prior Learning Assessment Credits - Baccalaureate Programs

Lesley recognizes that adults returning for bachelor's degrees have often acquired an extensive amount of work experience and life skills related to their future careers.

Accepted degree candidates in the Adult Learning Division of Lesley College who document and evaluate past experiences relevant to their course of study may petition to receive a maximum of 48 prior learning assessment credits.

Only prior learning assessment credits earned through the AdultLearning Division of Lesley College prior learning assessment review process are eligible for acceptance for graduation requirements.

The Assessment Center must approve all prior learning assessment credits. Admissions credits are included in the total prior learning assessment credits accepted in transfer.

Transfer of Credits: Adult Learning Division of Lesley College

Students may transfer up to a maximum of 96 credits of approved coursework toward a Lesley bachelor's degree. Eligibility of previous college-level work is determined on an individual basis, by the student's advisor and the associate dean or designee, and then approved by the Registrar. The following requirements must be met in order to apply for transfer of credits:

• Credits must be from a regionally or nationally accredited institution. Credit from institutions outside the United States may be approved upon evaluation, submitted to the admissions office from an outside evaluation agency. This evaluation takes place as part of the admissions process. The program's academic standards committee will review courses taken at other institutions on an individual basis.
• A letter grade of "C" (2.0) or better must have been awarded. Courses with a pass grade may be approved if accompanied by a statement in the University handbook or from the Registrar of the University indicating that the pass grade is equal to a "C" or better.
• Course content must be applicable to the student's program of study at Lesley as determined by the student's advisor.

Following acceptance to Lesley, students may apply credit earned at other institutions toward their degree, if the approval of the University dean or designee is obtained prior to enrollment in the course.

Credits Awarded for a Nursing Diploma: Adult Learning Division of Lesley College

Individuals who have completed nurse's training and who wish to earn a bachelor's degree in the Adult Learning Division of Lesley College may transfer a maximum of 64 credits for a three-year diploma and a Registered Nurse Certificate from a recognized institution toward the Lesley bachelor's degree.

Transfer of Credits: Independent Study Degree Program

For Independent Study Degree Program master's or Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (C.A.G.S.) programs, previous work is not counted toward the degree. Work done during the semester in which the student applies to the Independent Study Degree Program may be counted as part of the degree work, with the approval of the faculty advisors. Academic work at accredited institutions outside of Lesley completed during the program may be transferred to the student's official Lesley transcript using the request for transfer of credit form, available from the Registrar's Office. All transfer of credit policies listed for graduate level programs also apply.

Transfer of Credits: Master's and Certificate Programs

To be accepted for transfer into a master's or certificate program, a course must have been completed with a grade average of at least "B" and must be in an area of study judged by the school/ program to be essentially parallel to a required course or suitable in content for elective credit. The course must be a graduate level course, must not have been used as credits to meet degree requirements in another program of study at Lesley or at another institution, and must not be more than seven years old at the time of graduation from Lesley. Courses completed more than seven years from the anticipated date of graduation will not be accepted. Master's and C.A.G.S. level courses with a pass grade may be approved if accompanied by a statement in the University handbook or from the Registrar of the University indicating that the pass grade is equal to a "B" or better.

Students should contact each program for transfer credit policy. Some School of Management programs do not accept transfer credits.

Transfer of Credits: Ph.D. Program

Courses Taken Before Matriculation into the Ph.D. Program Students are permitted to transfer up to a maximum of 12 credits of post-master's work toward the Ph.D. degree. The courses must be at the post-master's level, taken at regionally accredited institutions, approved within the doctoral study plan, and completed no longer than five years prior to the date of admission to the Ph.D. Program in Educational Studies. In order to transfer coursework, a student must have earned a grade of "B" or better.

For students who have received a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (C.A.G.S.) at Lesley, a maximum of 12 credits may also be transferred/applied to the Ph.D. Program (possible total of 24 transfer credits). These courses may include any of the required courses. All courses must be approved within the doctoral study plan, and taken no longer than five years prior to the date of admission to the Ph.D. Program.

Courses Taken After Matriculation into the Ph.D. Program

With prior approval of the senior advisor and the Advanced Graduate Council, Ph.D. students may include in their study plan traditional coursework at other universities (no limit on the number of credits which students can transfer into their program of study at Lesley). Students register for these courses at the designated accredited institution and transfer the courses to Lesley. All such credits must be approved by the senior advisor and the program director and be transferred before the end of Phase II doctoral study.

Transfer of International Credits: Graduate Degree Programs

Accepted degree candidates may petition to transfer up to six (6) semester credits. In order to be approved for transfer, courses must:

• Be from an international institution (including Canada) that is accredited by the highest applicable accrediting body in the country of origin.
• Be a course that is the equivalent of a graduate level course in the United States.
• Be a course that is no more than seven (7) years old at the time of graduation from Lesley University.
• Have a grade that is the equivalent of a grade of B or higher in the United States.
• Not be used toward another degree.

The request for transfer of credit form and all required documentation is due prior to or during the first semester of study. Transfer procedures must be completed prior to the beginning of the final semester before anticipated graduation. Students are therefore strongly encouraged to discuss whether the courses are appropriate for their graduate degree program with their faculty advisor at their first meeting.

Students must submit documentation from the native country and translations in English to the Assistant Director/ Coordinator for International Recruitment in the Office of Admissions for Graduate and Adult Baccalaureate Programs that indicates that each requirement has been met. Documentation must include official transcripts with grades, course titles, course dates and letters confirming accreditation. In some cases, additional information such as syllabi, course descriptions, and program brochures may be required by the Program Director or Coordinator of International Recruitment.

Students are strongly encouraged to speak with the Coordinator for International Recruitment to determine what specific documentation must be submitted. The Coordinator for International Recruitment will evaluate the credentials to establish that they are in accordance with college policy. However, if the Office of Admissions for Graduate and Adult Baccalaureate Programs cannot conduct the evaluation, it becomes the responsibility of the students to submit a written evaluation of their academic records (transcripts or mark sheets). Once the Coordinator confirms the initial requirements, the Coordinator will send the documents to the appropriate Program Director.

The Program Director will then review the documentation and determine whether the courses were in an area of study judged by the Program Director to be suitable for elective credit or to be appropriate for a course waiver. If the Program Director approves, the transfer request will be forwarded to the Registrar for final approval. The Registrar will notify the student once the request is approved.