Evaluation of college transfer credits is coordinated through the Office of the Registrar. Prospective students who desire further information about policies and procedures for awarding credit may should contact the respective office mentioned above or utilize the “Transfer Credit Advisor” tool online at admissions.charlotte.edu.
Types of Transfer and Prior Learning Credits
Standardized Exams
Students who have completed standardized tests should send their test scores to the Office of Admissions, which will evaluate the results and determine if they qualify for credit. Prospective students seeking more information about credit policies and procedures should visit https://admissions.charlotte.edu/resources/credit-for-prior-learning/ to review score requirements and other details.
Certification/Licensure
Students can earn academic course credit for professional certifications and licenses. Certifications, licenses, and related coursework completed with a non-collegiate training organization may be granted credit if they are recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE); see ACE’s National Guide. Approved credits may be applied toward general education, major, or elective requirements, after the University reviews them to ensure the credits fit the student’s degree program.
Industry or Corporate Experience, Including Professional Development
In addition to recognizing credit recommendations for prior learning from the American Council on Education (ACE), UNC Charlotte has an internal review process for evaluating and awarding credit for professional or other external training programs not recognized by ACE. These programs may include corporate, or industry-sponsored training that demonstrates college-level learning outcomes. Academic credit for professional development completed with a non-ACE provider will undergo a review by the College, department, or program awarding credit and there may be time limits depending on the discipline.
Credit by Examination (also known as a challenge exam)
A currently enrolled UNC Charlotte student may earn credit for a university course, without completing the regular coursework, by passing a department-approved challenge examination. Not all courses are eligible for credit by examination; the availability of a challenge exam is determined by the academic department that offers the course. If the challenge exam is approved, the student must pay the required fee and bring the payment receipt to the exam. Credit earned by examination will appear on the transcript as hours earned, but no grade points will be assigned. The hours attempted will equal the hours earned. No partial credit is awarded. If the student fails the exam, no grade points or hours attempted will be recorded. Students cannot receive credit by examination for any course they have already received a passing or failing grade at UNC Charlotte.
Portfolio
A portfolio is a compilation of documents compiled by the student and submitted to a faculty evaluator to demonstrate college-level learning the student has already earned through prior work or life experience. Portfolio requirements and acceptance vary by discipline and the course for which a student wants credit. To receive credit, students must demonstrate that they have achieved the learning outcomes of the course for which they are requesting credit. Required documentation for a portfolio may include training certificates from completed professional development or workplace programs, letters of recommendation verifying prior work or life experience, and work samples documenting prior learning. The portfolio is approved by the College, department, or academic program.
Military Education and Training
UNC Charlotte grants credit for military training equivalent to courses in a student’s major, minor, or general education requirements. The Office of the Registrar makes the initial equivalency determination; the relevant academic department can then review and make final adjustments, if needed. Students are required to provide documentation, such as a Joint Services Transcript. Contact the Office of the Registrar for details.
Transfer Credit from Other Institutions
Official domestic transcripts are evaluated in the Office of the Registrar, while official international transcripts are evaluated in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. After that initial evaluation, the relevant department chairperson or program director makes the final decision on any credit applicability to the student’s major or program requirements. The general rules governing transfer credit are:
- Only courses taken at a college or university accredited by an accepted accrediting body will be considered for transfer credit.
- Courses for which credit is accepted must be appropriate for approved University programs and curricula in which the student is enrolled.
- No credit below C level will be accepted; grade points and averages do not transfer.
- Transfer credit is awarded only upon receipt of an official transcript from the institution where the credit was earned.
- Equivalent credit is determined based on the American Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers (AACRAO) recommendation and UNC System Regulation 400.1.5.3 [R] IV.C.1, that 70% of the content considered for equivalency should match UNC Charlotte course requirements.
- Every effort is made to minimize equating to elective credit, but this may be necessary when content does not match at 70% or there is no equivalent course at UNC Charlotte.
- The University accepts a maximum of 64 credit hours from two-year institutions for undergraduate students. Remedial courses will not transfer.
Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited by an accepted accrediting body will not be required to satisfy the UNC Charlotte General Education Requirements when pursuing a second degree. Students will have their credit from their first degree evaluated to determine how it applies towards their second degree.
Transient Study
Courses taken by UNC Charlotte undergraduate degree students at another college or university accredited by an accepted accrediting body may be transferred to the University subject to the following regulations:
- The University is not obligated to accept any credit from another institution unless the student has obtained the prior approval of the dean of the college in which he/she is enrolled. A Permit for Transient Study petition should be completed and filed with the UNC Charlotte Office of the Registrar prior to enrollment at another institution.
- No credit will be accepted for courses below C level for undergraduate students.
- Upon completion of the course(s), the student must request that the other institution send an official transcript to the UNC Charlotte Office of the Registrar.
Transfer grades do not affect the students’ UNC Charlotte GPA.
Transfer Credit Processes, Procedures and Exemptions
Transfer Credit Evaluation and Timelines
UNC Charlotte will review transfer credits and notify students of the results - including what did or did not transfer and how to appeal - in alignment with the evaluation timelines established by UNC System Regulation 400.1.5.3[R].
- For most students transfer credit evaluations will be completed within 15 business days of admission and receiving all required official transcripts.
- For students who have international transfer credit or attended more than four prior institutions, the evaluation period will not exceed 30 business days following admission and receipt of all required official transcripts.
- All final transfer credit evaluations (reflecting coursework from all official transcripts received by UNC Charlotte) will be completed no later than 24 hours prior to the registration deadline of the students’ first term.
- UNC Charlotte will provide timely notification to transfer students of their transcript evaluation for those students who apply and are admitted within 15 business days of the registration deadline of their first term, with the understanding that it may not be possible to complete the full evaluation by the registration deadline.
Transfer Credit Adjustment Appeals
Students who wish to appeal the results of their transfer credit evaluation should first submit a transfer credit adjustment petition in consultation with their academic advisor at: https://academicpetition.charlotte.edu/. If the petition is denied, students transferring from a North Carolina community college may then submit an appeal through the UNC System’s Transfer Student and Credit Appeal Portal at https://transferappeal.northcarolina.edu, as long as the course or waiver in question is covered under the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) - the statewide agreement that governs the transfer of credits between North Carolina community colleges and UNC System universities.
Transfer Guides
Transfer Guides help North Carolina community college students plan for transfer to UNC Charlotte by outlining community college courses that are aligned with specific University majors. Published annually by the UNC System Office, these guides support associate degree completion, transfer admission, and timely bachelor’s degree progress and completion. Students are protected under the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA), the statewide agreement that governs the transfer of credits between North Carolina community colleges and UNC System universities. That protection applies to the Transfer Guide in effect when they first enrolled at the community college, provided they earn the associate degree and transfer to UNC Charlotte within four years of their initial community college enrollment. The University Transfer Center reviews and updates Transfer Guides annually, between January 15 and May 15, in order for new versions to go into effect for the fall semester of that same calendar year; it is also responsible for submitting revised Transfer Guides to the UNC System Office.
Every effort is made to ensure that University curriculum changes that take place during the four-year enrollment timeline outlined in the CAA do not disadvantage or negatively impact the transfer and applicability of credits toward degree completion upon enrollment; departments must work with students who are negatively affected by any curriculum changes to mitigate any of these effects. If students have questions about how a course from a Transfer Guide is being applied, they should consult their academic advisor. Students may also submit a transfer credit adjustment petition (see Transfer Credit Appeals above).
Exemptions to General Education Requirements
First-Year Writing Requirements
Students will be deemed to have fulfilled the First-Year writing requirement (WRDS 1103 or WRDS 1104) if either of the following apply: a) they were exempted from first-year writing (without credit) at another college or university; or b) they are transferring 64 or more credit hours from U.S. institution(s) of higher education. (Some exceptions may apply for students with transferred credit hours from institutions where English is not the language of instruction.)
Foundations of American Democracy
Students will be deemed to have fulfilled the Foundations of American Democracy requirement if either of the following apply: a) they have satisfied this requirement at another UNC system institution; or b) they receive applicable transfer credit; or c) they have 60 or more transferred credit hours from U.S. institution(s) of higher education. (Some exceptions may apply for students with transferred credit hours from institutions where English is not the language of instruction.)
General Education Requirements
Some students are waived from General Education requirements if they are admitted to the University in Fall 2003 or thereafter. These include:
- Students who receive an Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Associate of Fine Arts (AFA), or Associate of Engineering (AE) degree from North Carolina Community Colleges.
- Students who graduate from a North Carolina Community College with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) and enroll at UNC Charlotte in an approved AAS degree completion program that includes a general education exemption.
- UNC System transfer students who have completed General Education requirements at another UNC institution.
Some transfer students are eligible for reduced General Education requirements if they are admitted to the University in Fall 2026 or thereafter. These include:
- Students from North Carolina Community Colleges who earn an Associate of Applied Science degree
Transfer Students from out-of-state and private institutions of higher education who receive an associate degree from that institution will have the degree evaluated for the same General Education exemption on a case-by-case basis by the Office of the Registrar. The criteria used in the evaluation will be the amount of college-level coursework in English, math, natural science, social science, and humanities that is included in the degree’s curriculum. Subjects that are highly technical or do not match the UNC Charlotte General Education core may not be approved for an exemption from lower-division General Education requirements; however, individual courses will be accepted toward the UNC Charlotte requirements.
Critical Thinking and Communication (CTC) Requirement
See the General Education Program for details on transfer credit and the CTC requirement.
Reverse Credit Transfer
North Carolina’s Reverse Credit Transfer Program is designed to award an associate degree to students who previously attended a North Carolina Community College (NCCC) and fulfilled the associate degree requirements while working towards a bachelor’s degree at a University of North Carolina institution. This program is a state initiative in which a student can combine credit previously earned at a NCCC with credit they have earned at participating four year universities to apply for an Associate’s Degree from the NCCC they attended initially.
If a student is awarded the Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Fine Arts, or Associate in Engineering degree through the Reverse Credit Transfer program, UNC Charlotte will honor the degree to satisfy lower-division General Education requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to understand their own community college requirements for completing an Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Fine Arts, or Associate in Engineering degree. For more details, see the Academic Policy and Procedure.