Guidelines and Instructions for Transfer of Graduate Credit
(effective January 2005)
Clarion University of Pennsylvania accepts transfer credits from other regionally-accredited institutions for
coursework of higher academic caliber in accepted fields of study. Certain guidelines have been established,
however, to provide uniformity of transfer standards:
1. The transferring institution must be accredited.
2. The course(s) taken must be recognized in content and quality as similar to the curriculum approved for
academic credit by the Clarion University Faculty Senate. The credits must be capable of counting toward
a graduate degree at the sponsoring institution. In addition, the coursework cannot have been applied
toward a completed degree at any university.
3. Transfer credits which duplicate coursework previously completed will not be accepted unless the intent is
to satisfy a competency. Transfer credits do not alter grades or the quality-point average (QPA) at Clarion
University. All transfer credits will be calculated in semester hours.
4. The student must earn a minimum grade of “B” (quality-point average of 3.0) in the course in order for the
credits to be accepted in transfer at Clarion University. A course with a grade of “B-“ or lower that does
not calculate to a 3.0 quality-point average for that course will not be accepted in transfer. “Pass/Fail”
grades will not be accepted for transfer. Workshop courses are not transferable to Clarion University.
Courses must be certified as “graduate” level on the official transcript.
5. The proposed transfer credit must not be more than six years old at the time of completion of the degree
program at Clarion University.
6. The student applying for transfer credit must provide:
a. A complete description of the intended transfer course(s), usually through a current catalog.
b. The syllabus of the course for which they are requesting transfer credit.
c. Assurances through a review by the chairperson of the student’s major that the proposed course(s) will
meet the appropriate need.
d. An official transcript for all completed work from the transferring institution directly to the Graduate
Studies Office, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 840 Wood Street, Clarion, PA, 16214.
A Clarion University student contemplating transfer of credits from another institution should complete this form
as soon as the needed information is available and obtain prior approval. An official approval guaranteeing
transfer credit will be given only when the necessary information has been approved. The Dean of Graduate
Studies may deny a student permission to transfer credit when the course is judged to be outdated or
inappropriate, or if the proper procedure has not been followed. Under extenuating circumstances, the Dean
of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the appropriate department/program chair, may grant exceptions to
these printed guidelines.
Clarion University believes transfer credit should be only part of a planned program of study, and that
authorization for transfer should be based on this plan and not on student convenience.
If you have further questions, please contact the Graduate Studies Office.
See Form on Reverse Side
It is the policy of Clarion University of Pennsylvania that there shall be equal opportunity in all of its educational programs,
services, and benefits, and there shall be no discrimination with regard to a student’s or prospective student’s race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation/affection, veteran status or other classifications that are protected under
local, state, and federal laws.Direct equal opportunity inquiries to Assistant to the President for Social Equity, Clarion
University of Pennsylvania, 207 Carrier Administration Building, Clarion, PA 16214-1232, 814-393-2109.
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