Transfer Credit Policy

The maximum number of transfer credits awarded cannot exceed one-half (50 percent) of the total credits required for a certificate or degree program. Only credits from regionally and nationally accredited colleges and programs are acceptable. For commonly transferred courses, visit our website’s course equivalency guide. Transfer credits will be evaluated upon matriculation (acceptance) into a program.

It is the responsibility of the student to:

• Contact the Registrar’s Office at each college where he/she has earned credits to have a transcript sent for evaluation of coursework that may apply to the program at SUNY Niagara.
• Request that an official transcript is sent to the Admissions Office at SUNY Niagara.

Transfer credit will be granted when a course applies to the certificate or degree program at SUNY Niagara. Please note:

• Only courses with a grade of C (2.0) or above are eligible for transfer. Grades of C-, D+, D, D-, F, or U will not be accepted. Courses with a grade of S (Satisfactory) may be accepted, except in certain allied health programs or for “major” courses in some programs.
• College credits are evaluated based on applicability to the degree major. If your major is changed after arriving at SUNY Niagara, transfer credits will be re-evaluated based on the new major.
• When a course is accepted for transfer credit from another college, a grade of “T” will be noted on the transcript and degree evaluation. The “T” grade carries no point value; therefore, it is not considered when calculating the term, degree, or cumulative GPA. Once transfer credit is accepted, it cannot be removed.
• Transfer credits carry “earned hours” only, not GPA hours.
• If a student completes a course at SUNY Niagara for which transfer credit was already accepted, the course credits taken at SUNY Niagara will apply toward the program and be used when calculating the grade point average. If a student earns a failing or nonperformance grade (F, U, I, J, X, or W grade) in the repeated attempt, the original transfer credit awarded can be used to meet the major requirements for graduation, but the SUNY Niagara course will be counted in the grade point average. All grades will remain on the transcript.
• The student will receive written confirmation indicating courses that have been accepted for transfer credit.
• AP (Advanced Placement) transcripts and CLEP (CEEB College Level Examination Program) scores must come directly from College Board. Contact CollegeBoard.org to request an official copy to be sent to SUNY Niagara. Scores of 3 or higher on AP exams in applicable courses are acceptable.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) credit is awarded for courses taken in high school with an HL designation and a score of 4 or higher. An IB transcript must be submitted to receive credit.
• Credits earned through military service as recommended by the American Council on Education Registry are acceptable, as are other military credits, when applicable to the curriculum. Appropriate military documents (DD214, military transcript) must be submitted to receive credit.
• If college courses were taken in high school, you must request an official transcript from the college through which those courses were taken in order for the credit to be evaluated.
• If you earned credits at a college or university outside of the United States you must have your credits evaluated by a professional Credential Evaluation Agency. These agencies provide professional course-by-course evaluations of college and university credits.
• Students who transfer from SUNY Niagara to another college or university without completing degree or certificate requirements will be permitted to transfer credit hours to SUNY Niagara for the fulfillment of graduation requirements. A maximum of 50 percent of credits required for a certificate or degree program can be transferred from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university to SUNY Niagara.
• In some programs of study, older coursework may require a secondary review from program coordinators prior to transfer credit acceptance.

Equivalency Guides

Allied Health 3-or-5-Year Course Policies

• Medical Assistant: If a student has taken any course (at SUNY Niagara or another college or university) with a MED, BIO, or PHA prefix five or more years before enrolling in a subsequent MED, BIO, or PHA course, the MED, BIO, or PHA course(s) must be repeated.
• Nursing: If a student has taken any course (at SUNY Niagara or another college or university) with a NUR, PHA, or BIO prefix more than five years before entering the Nursing program, the NUR, PHA, BIO course must be repeated.
• Phlebotomist: If a student has taken any course with a MED, PHL, or BIO prefix five or more years before enrolling in a subsequent MED, PHL, or BIO course, the MED, PHL, or BIO course(s) must be repeated.
• Practical Nursing: If a student has taken any course (at SUNY Niagara or another college or university) with a NUR or BIO prefix five or more years before enrolling in a subsequent NUR or BIO course, the NUR/BIO course(s) must be repeated.
• Radiologic Technology: If a student has taken any course (at SUNY Niagara or another college or university) with a RAD or BIO prefix five or more years before enrolling in a subsequent RAD or BIO course, the course must be repeated. A waiver may be requested but will need to be approved by the coordinator.
• Surgical Technology: If a student has taken any course (at SUNY Niagara or another college or university) with a SUR or BIO prefix three or more years before enrolling in a subsequent SUR or BIO course, the SUR or BIO course (s) must be repeated.

Taking Courses at another college/university

Current SUNY Niagara students who are interested in taking a course at another college or university must complete the Request to take a course at a different College or University form to gain approval that the course will transfer back to SUNY Niagara once completed. This is not considered Cross Registration. If you are participating in a CROSS REGISTRATION agreement, please follow the process outlined at https://sunyniagara.edu/registration-records/cross/.

When completing the form, please ensure that all course information entered is accurate. Requests may be denied for inaccurate information.

If your request is approved, you can proceed with registering for the course at the other college or university based on their registration policies. Students are responsible for sending an OFFICIAL transcript back to SUNY Niagara Admissions Office upon completion of the course. Students must achieve a grade of C or higher for the course to transfer back to SUNY Niagara.

If your request is denied and you decide to take the course at the other college or university, the course will not transfer back to SUNY Niagara.

Secondary Review Procedure

College transcripts are individually reviewed by the Transfer Credit Evaluator and compared against the existing transfer articulation database.  This database houses hundreds of course equivalencies that have been reviewed and accepted in history.  If a match is found, credit is awarded on the academic transcript. 

When a course match cannot be determined by the Transfer Credit Evaluator, our Secondary Review Process will be initiated which includes the appropriate Program Coordinator.  This collaboration includes a review of the course syllabi to see if the course can be brought in as a general elective.  Evaluations include enforcement of specific program and graduation requirements as noted in the college catalog.  If denied at this level, the Dean of the department is consulted to affirm or reverse the decision. 

SUNY Transfer Credit Appeal Process

Students who do not agree with the college’s decision on the granting or placement of credit earned at a prior SUNY institution have the right to submit an appeal.

Students requesting an appeal should be prepared to provide reasonable material to support their case, such as the course description or syllabus in question.

To begin the appeal process, please complete the Transfer Credit Appeal Form below.

If you do not agree with the final SUNY Niagara decision, you may also appeal to SUNY System Administration at https://transfer.suny.edu/students/appeals/

Transfer Credit Policies

The usual processing time for credit evaluation is approximately one week. However, the process may take longer during peak times (beginning and ending of semesters). Early submission of transcripts allows for earlier advisement and registration planning.