Policy No. 32

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
SCHOOL OF NURSING
ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
FOR THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM

POLICY:

This policy establishes the criteria for the acceptance of creditstoward a School of Nursing degree or certificate for other course work completed through registration at the University.

Acceptance of credits to the School of Nursing is approved by the Dean or designee and is administered through the Center for Student Success.

The School of Nursing may award credit toward an undergraduate degree or certificate for:

• Transfer Credits – credits earned at other institutions. The School of Nursing may grant credit based on course equivalencies, including expected learning outcomes, with those of the University curriculum and standards.
• Standardized Tests – credits earned by standardized examinations such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), ACT-PEP Challenge, and Advanced Placement Exams.
• Credit by Course Examination – credits earned by passing an examination administered by the University, in absence of registration for the course.
• Educational Experiences in the Armed Services – formal courses and occupational training offered by all branches of the military. The School will grant credit based on course equivalencies, including expected learning outcomes, with those of the University curriculum and standards. Refer to: University Academic Regulation on Advanced Standing Credits.

The following guidelines will govern the approval of advance standing credits:

1. Approval of courses in which the applicant is currently enrolled will be contingent upon completion of the courses at an acceptable level of achievement.
2. Only credits earned for courses taken at an institution of higher education will be considered for transfer.
3. A maximum number of credits accepted from advanced standing may be less than but not exceed 75% of the credits needed for the baccalaureate degree.
4. All science courses presented for transfer credit by undergraduate students must have been earned within the last ten (10) years.
5. Science courses with letter grades of B or better are transferable. All other courses with letter grades of “C” or better are transferable.
6. A student transferring from a pass-fail grading system with a passing grade cannot transfer credits without a statement from the original school indicating that a passing grade represents achievement at a “C” level or higher from each course with the exception of science courses, which require a grade of B or higher.
7. Courses for transfer consideration will be evaluated for content equivalency to the professional nursing courses of the School of Nursing.
8. When courses accepted for transfer do not exactly duplicate courses offered at the University of Pittsburgh, students are responsible for remediation or supplementation of their knowledge base (as negotiated with the course instructor).
9. The credit transferred for any single course can be no greater than the credit given for a comparable course at the University of Pittsburgh. If the transferred credits are deemed less than the required credits for the University of Pittsburgh, additional coursework may be required.
10. Credits earned in an advanced course can be used to meet the requirement for a lower divisional course; however, lower division courses may not be transferred to substitute for upper division requirements.
11. Credits earned outside the University of Pittsburgh for service, continuing education, or correspondence courses are not transferable.
12. Credits allocated through a testing program at a university or college other than the University of Pittsburgh are not automatically accepted as transfer credits by the School of Nursing.
13. Standardized exam scores (i.e., CLEP, Advanced Placement Tests) for selected liberal arts courses may be accepted as meeting requirementsfor graduation. (See Policy No. 34: C.L.E.P. Examinations Credits.)
14. Credits received through challenge examinations within other schools of the University of Pittsburgh may be honored by the School of Nursing.
15. Credits for select School of Nursing courses may be earned by successfully passing a comprehensive course examination (i.e., Challenge exam) in absence of registering for the course. Students must apply and qualify to obtain credit by course examination.
16. Students have up to three attempts to pass challenge exam but must take the course if they cannot pass by the third attempt.
17. Undergraduate students with sufficient preparation are permitted to enroll in graduate courses following procedures determined by each school. The graduate credits earned may be counted toward the undergraduate degree if approved by the student’s school. These may not be counted as credits toward a graduate degree except as noted below.
    
    Undergraduate students who need fewer than 30 credits to complete requirements for the baccalaureate may be permitted to register for graduate courses, which will later apply toward a graduate degree. Graduate credits earned while a student is enrolled during their final year of an undergraduate program at the University of Pittsburgh, which are applicable to a subsequent graduate degree or certificate, may be posted as Advanced Standing credits on the graduate transcript as University of Pittsburgh Undergraduate Transcript credits. Although these credits will appear on the undergraduate transcript, they will not count toward fulfilling undergraduate degree requirements. 

PROCEDURE:

Transfer of Credits

1. An official transcript of courses taken in other universities or colleges must be presented to Student Affairs.
2. A course description of each course and reports of competency exam scores may be required as a part of the transfer
   process. The Course Credits Accept Request Form must be completed.
3. If the course is a required nursing course, a course description must be reviewed and approved by the course
   instructor. If the prior course is comparable to the required course the student will be advised of the decision to
   transfer credit. If there are areas of deficiency, these deficiencies will be communicated to the student and a
   remediation/supplementation contract will be negotiated between the student and instructor for the course. At the
   discretion of the primary instructor, they may but are not required to offer an independent study to make up for any
   differences in content or credit hours. See Policy 367 – Independent Study. If the prior course is not comparable to
   the required course, plans will be made to enroll in the required course.

Transfer of Credits by Standardized Tests

SON Student Affairs will:

1. Evaluate for acceptance toward a University degree or certificate, course work completed at other institutions or standardized test results

Credit by Examination

1. Students requesting consideration for credit by examination will complete the Credit by Course Examination Form and return to the Center for Student Success.
2. Requests for credit by examination will be reviewed by Student Affairs, track coordinator, and/or course instructor.
   After review, students will be notified if they are authorized to take the test.
3. Students will provide the testing fee to the Registrar’s office prior to taking the exam.
4. SON faculty selects or develops comprehensive exams when a student requests the opportunity to obtain credit by
   examination for a SON course.ursing requirements will have an academic hold placed on their record in PeopleSoft, which will prevent them from registering until the requirements have been met.
   
   

Approved by Faculty: 3/78
Revised: 96-97, 99-00, 02-03, 4/05, 08-09, 12-13, 14-15, 12/16., 12/17, 12/20, 08/21, 02/25, 08/25
Revisions approved by Faculty: 2/97, 3/09, 08/21, 2/25