Transfer credits
Transfer credit appears on the transcript as "T" and is not calculated in the student’s grade-point average. The final 45 hours of any degree program must be earned at SCAD. Study abroad programs offered by SCAD and SCAD eLearning courses are considered in-residence and may be counted as such.
Evaluation of official transcripts
After an undergraduate transfer applicant is accepted for admission, official transcripts showing completed collegiate coursework are evaluated by the admission office to determine whether the student may be granted advanced standing. For a student's prior coursework to earn credit, the coursework must have equivalent credit hours, meet minimum grading requirements, and be relevant to the degree the student is seeking at SCAD, with course content and level of instruction resulting in student competencies comparable to or higher than those of students enrolled at SCAD. The comprehensive assessment of the student's original transcript is followed by a close examination of the course description and content, including a detailed syllabus and portfolio review (as appropriate), in order to evaluate equivalency. In assessing and documenting comparable learning through course content and level of instruction, SCAD uses recognized guidelines that aid in the evaluation of credit, such as those published by the American Council on Education and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. This policy is consistent with the mission of SCAD and ensures that coursework and learning outcomes are at the collegiate level and comparable to SCAD's degree programs.
Generally, transfer credit may be accepted from institutions that are approved by the U.S. Department of Education and hold appropriate institutional accreditation, or have appropriate specialized or programmatic accreditation, or have been evaluated and proven to be comparable in course content and level of instruction to SCAD, or are recognized by the ministry of education or equivalent agency in the applicant's home country. SCAD employs a transfer credit review process in which academically qualified SCAD faculty and transfer evaluators in the SCAD admission department collaborate to determine acceptance or rejection of transfer credit in accordance with the university's published policies. The transfer evaluator first examines whether the student's previous institution meets the criteria outlined above — e.g., accreditation status, degree level, calendar system — and conducts a comprehensive assessment of the student's official transcript for adherence to SCAD's credit-hour and grading requirements. The transfer evaluator consults with academically qualified faculty for a review of the course syllabus — including course descriptions, goals, and outcomes — and student portfolio or other course work as appropriate to make a judgment on the course level and content for the final transfer credit determination.
Maximum transfer credits
A maximum of 90 quarter hours of undergraduate credit for a bachelor's degree may be given for courses appropriate to the SCAD curriculum. The undergraduate transfer credit policy applies to SCAD alumni wishing to complete an additional undergraduate degree at SCAD. Only grades of at least 2.0 (C) may be transferred for undergraduate credit. Failure to submit an updated transcript may result in loss of transfer credit.
Portfolio review for transfer or exemption of credit
A portfolio review is required for final transfer/exemption credit determination for specific studio courses before or during the student’s first quarter of enrollment. To receive specific studio course credit, students must follow the portfolio submission criteria and guidelines available through the admission office. Additionally, a review of all course syllabi may be required. Portfolios are reviewed by faculty members from the applicable departments. Transfer/exemption credit is granted when the quality of work in the portfolio is found to be at least equivalent to that which would earn a grade of 2.0 (C) or better in an equivalent or comparable course at SCAD. Failure to submit a portfolio during the first quarter of enrollment results in the loss of opportunity to transfer/exempt studio credit.
A student exempted from a required course does not earn academic credit for that course but may substitute a course from the same subject area as approved by the department chair to fulfill the number of hours required to complete degree requirements.
Appealing transfer and exemption decisions
Students who wish to appeal their transfer or exemption of credit decision may submit an updated portfolio for review. Please speak with your transfer adviser prior to submitting to this category. After the first quarter of enrollment, students must submit a written request to the admission department. Please note: Students may only appeal their transfer and/or exemption of credit decision once.
Students who wish to appeal SCAD’s decision regarding transfer of credit from international institutions may provide an outside credential evaluation; however, SCAD reserves the right to make a final determination of transfer credit. A list of acceptable outside evaluators can be obtained from the admission office.
Graduate transfer credits
Graduate transfer credits may be given for courses appropriate to the SCAD curriculum. For a 90-quarter-hour graduate degree, a maximum of 20 quarter hours of graduate academic credit may be awarded. For 45-quarter-hour graduate degrees, a maximum of 10 quarter hours of graduate academic credit may be awarded. Only graduate courses with grades of at least a 3.0 (B) taken at institutions with a level of graduate course content and level of instruction comparable to that of SCAD may be transferred. Credit may be accepted from institutions that are approved by the U.S. Department of Education and hold appropriate accreditation — institutional, specialized, or programmatic — or have been evaluated and proven to be comparable in course content and level of instruction to SCAD, or are recognized by the equivalent agency in the applicant's home country. Prior to the end of the first quarter of enrollment, the student must submit to the admission department official transcripts, course descriptions, a portfolio or, in the case of a lecture course, projects and papers, and a written request for transfer credit review for the course(s) the student wishes to transfer. Materials are reviewed to determine if the work is comparable to that which would earn at least a 3.0 in a SCAD graduate-level course. Transfer credit appears on the transcript as such and is not calculated in the student’s grade-point average. Students who wish to appeal the transfer credit process after the first quarter of enrollment must submit a written request to the admission department. The graduate transfer credit policy applies to SCAD alumni wishing to complete an additional graduate degree at SCAD. Transfer of credits earned in coursework required for multiple degrees is evaluated on a case-by-case, course-by-course basis.
Undergraduate students taking graduate courses
Undergraduate students who have successfully completed 135 credit hours and have an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 may request permission from the department chair to take 700-level courses. Undergraduate students who have successfully completed 90 credit hours and have an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 may enroll in 500-level courses with permission from the department chair. Undergraduate tuition and fees apply.
Students completing both an undergraduate and graduate degree in the same or allied disciplines at SCAD may transfer up to 10 quarter credit hours of graduate-level coursework in the major discipline for use in both degrees. Recognizing that some graduate degree programs do not have a unique undergraduate counterpart program, the term "discipline" in the prior sentence will be broadly interpreted in such cases. To qualify for this option, students should complete the undergraduate degree with an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher and earn individual course grades of 3.0 (B) or higher for transferred SCAD graduate courses. Note: A course can only be used twice. Courses shared with the major and a second major or minor are not eligible to apply toward a graduate degree.