Transfer and Alternative Credit | Samford University

Credit by Exam

Advanced Placement

Samford accepts AP credit based on minimum score requirements. View the PDF table below to see accepted AP exam scores.

International Baccalaureate

Samford University recognizes the quality of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program and welcomes application for admission from students who have taken coursework in the IB program. Credit is given for the IB Higher Level Examinations passed with grades of 5, 6, or 7. No credit is given for the IB Subsidiary Examinations. In cases of ambiguity, the dean of Howard College of Arts & Sciences, in consultation with the registrar, will determine the credit to be awarded.

PDF Table | IB Website

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

College-level credit is awarded for scores of 50 or higher in most subject areas; however, students should consult with their advisors or the Registrar before scheduling any CLEP examinations. With the sole exception of UCW 101, CLEP credit is not acceptable for university core curriculum courses.

PDF Table | CLEP Website

DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)

DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) are exams taken to earn college credit that may exempt students from certain courses. DSST is available to all students but is funded primarily for military personnel. Exams are evaluated on a case-by-case basis upon acceptance to the University. All scores of 50 or above will be considered if they are on the list of approved exams. DSST exams that satisfy core courses will not be accepted if taken while enrolled at Samford.

Samford’s four-digit site code is 9516. The closest testing center is located at UAB.

PDF Table | DANTES Website

Incoming Student Policies

Entering Freshmen

Credit earned via dual enrollment, extension, correspondence, and credit by exam (AP, CLEP, DSST, and IB) may not exceed 30 credits in total.

Incoming freshmen are not permitted to transfer core curriculum equivalents, with the exception of UCW 101. Students who have earned credit comparable to Samford’s UCW 102, UCT 101, UCT 102, UCBF 101, UCBF 102, or UCHW 120 may receive alternative credit, typically in the form of elective credit. *MOU exemptions may apply.

*Credits earned under any of these categories will not count towards the residency requirements.

Transfer Students

Transfer students may transfer a maximum of 64 semester credit hours (or 96 quarter credits) from a junior or community college, where such coursework is comparable to Samford’s 100- or 200-level courses.

Transfer students transferring coursework from upper-level or four-year institutions may be allowed to exceed the 64-hour transfer credit limit, but should keep the following in mind:

To receive a first undergraduate degree, students must earn at least 25% of their total credits at Samford (regardless of the total number of credits required for that student's degree program).
Within the major field, a minimum of 15 credits must be earned at Samford, nine of those at the 300/400 level.
Within the minor field, a minimum of nine credits must be earned at Samford.

Accreditation

Transfer work from institutionally accredited (formerly regionally accredited) colleges and universities will be accepted if the student has earned a grade of C- or higher (D grades will not transfer into Samford).

Coursework will be considered for transfer credit from postsecondary institutions that offer the baccalaureate degree or associate degree leading to the baccalaureate degree and are fully accredited by one of the six accrediting agencies below.

Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Western Association of Schools and Colleges; Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC)

Non-Accepted Coursework

Remedial courses
Highly technical courses
Vocational courses
Duplicate credit
Pass/Fail graded courses, unless documentation is received from the awarding institution stating that a grade of P is equal to a C- or better.
Participation beyond limits in sports and music ensembles. NOTE: No more than eight credits in music ensembles, drama participation, and physical education activity courses may apply toward the minimum credits required for graduation. No more than two credits in physical education activity courses beyond those required for graduation may be part of the combined eight credits.

International Credit

Samford accepts transfer credit that has been evaluated by World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) if it meets all relevant transfer policies. Syllabi may be requested for additional review.

Military Credit

The Joint Services Transcript (JST), issued through the JST Operations Center, reports courses that may be considered for transfer credit from any of the military branches, one source for all. “The American Council on Education’s (ACE) Military Programs evaluates formal service courses and occupations approved by a central authority, employing the services of teams of subject-matter specialists from colleges and universities (professors, deans, and other academicians) that, through the discussion and the application of evaluation procedures and guidelines, reach consensus on content, description, and amount of credit to be recommended for selected courses and occupations.” (Quoted from the JST Official Transcript Explanation)

Samford will consider transfer credit for any course reported on the JST that has potential for academic credit. Courses that fall into vocational/career/technical areas are not considered for transfer credit. The course description reported on the JST transcript is forwarded to the appropriate academic department chair for evaluation. If a comparable Samford equivalent is approved, credit is applied for the ACE recommended credit hours and level. If additional course information is needed, the online Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services may be consulted.

In addition, the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) may be considered for world language credit if reported on the JST. The language and scores with ACE recommendations in listening, reading, and speaking are sent to the chair of the World Languages and Cultures Department for evaluation and assignment for comparable credit.

Transfer by Institution

Accreditation Status

Transfer work from institutionally accredited (formerly regionally accredited) colleges and universities will be accepted if the student has earned a grade of C- or higher (D grades will not transfer into Samford).

Coursework will be considered for transfer credit from postsecondary institutions that offer the baccalaureate degree or associate degree leading to the baccalaureate degree and are fully accredited by one of the six accrediting agencies below.

Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Western Association of Schools and Colleges; Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC)

Non-Accepted Work

Non-academic courses
Remedial courses
Highly technical courses
Vocational courses
Duplicate credit
Pass/Fail graded courses, unless documentation is received from the awarding institution stating that a grade of P is equal to a C- or better.
Participation beyond limits in sports and music ensembles. NOTE: Not more than eight credits in music ensembles, drama participation, and physical education activity courses may apply toward the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation. No more than two credits in physical education activity courses beyond those required for graduation may be part of the combined eight credits.

Status

A maximum of 64 semester credit hours (or 96 quarter credits) can be transferred in from junior or community colleges, where such coursework is comparable to Samford’s 100- or 200-level courses.

Students transferring work from upper-level or four-year institutions may be allowed to exceed the 64-hour transfer credit limit, but should keep the following in mind:

In order to receive a first undergraduate degree, students must earn at least 25% of their total credits at Samford. (regardless of the total number of credits required for that student's degree program).
Within the major field, a minimum of 15 credits must be earned at Samford, nine of those at the 300/400 level.
Within the minor field, a minimum of nine credits must be earned at Samford.

Credit earned via dual enrollment, extension, correspondence, AP (Advanced Placement), and CLEP may not exceed 30 credits, in aggregate. None of this work counts towards the 25% Samford residency requirement noted above.

Transfer of Core Curriculum

Transfer guidelines apply only to students who are applying for admission to Samford University who are not classified as entering freshmen (i.e., fewer than 24 hours). Currently enrolled or previously admitted students must take all core courses at Samford.

Transfer students with less than 24 semester credits (including credit by examination) may apply only one transfer course (UCR 101) towards the core curriculum. Students will only receive the credit they earned (not the credit of the course being replaced). Students may need to take additional coursework to meet the total credits required for their degree program.

Transfer students with 24 or more semester credits earned at another institution and/or through credit by examination may apply equivalent credit for any of the six core curriculum courses (UCBF 101, UCR 101, UCS 102, UCT 101, UCT 102, and UCHW 120).

Transfer students may be able to substitute some general education courses taken elsewhere for the interdisciplinary courses of the general education curriculum that meet 75% of the required credits in each course (e.g., a three-hour course taken elsewhere may be allowed to substitute for a four-hour Samford Core or Gen Ed course).