Student Records-Transfer Credit Information

While an official evaluation of transfer credit cannot be made until transcripts have been received from other schools, prospective students, as well as current students considering transient work, can review transfer policies to see where they stand. (See below for an overview.)

Important Reminder for Current Students: Current Samford students who plan to take a course at another school while away from Samford must complete a Transient Enrollment Form and secure the appropriate signatures/approval PRIOR TO registering for the class. Students are responsible for arranging to have an official transcript of that coursework sent to the Samford University Student Records Office (not Admissions).

Students planning to take a course at a BACHE-area school (UAB, Montevallo, Miles, Birmingham-Southern)--WHILE ATTENDING SAMFORD--must complete the BACHE Exchange Form instead.

For more information, please contact the Transfer and Credit Analyst at (205) 726-2909 or by e-mail at transfer@samford.edu.

Transfer Credit Overview

Transfer work from regionally accredited institutions will be accepted if the student has earned a grade of C- or higher (D grades WILL NOT transfer into Samford).

Transfer work NOT ACCEPTED:

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 (8) credits in music ensembles, drama participation, and physical education activity courses may apply toward the minimum of 128 credits required for graduation. No more than two (2) credits in physical education activity courses beyond those required for graduation may be part of the combined eight credits.

Transfer work from institutions that are NOT regionally accredited will be considered for transfer credit where such credit represents coursework relevant to the degree sought, with course content and level of instruction resulting in student competencies at least equivalent to those of students enrolled at Samford.

After 32 credits have been earned at Samford, with at least a 2.00 GPA, the student may submit a letter to the Dean of Academic Services requesting an evaluation for applying the transfer credit.

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 50% 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 9 credits must be earned at Samford, six of those at the 300/400 level.

Credit earned via extension, portfolio (Metro Programs only), AP (Advanced Placement), and CLEP may not exceed 30 credits, in aggregate. None of this work counts towards the 50% Samford residency requirement noted above.

Transfer students with LESS than 18 semester credits (including credit by examination) may apply only one (1) transfer course (UCCA 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 18 or MORE semester credits earned at another institution and/or through credit by examination may apply equivalent credit for any of the six (6) core curriculum courses (UCBP 101, UCCA 101, 102; UCCP 101, 102; and UCFH 120).

Click one of the following for more info:
Core Curriculum Transfer Evaluation
Course Equivalencies
Credit by Exam

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 3-hr course taken elsewhere may be allowed to substitute for a 4-hr Samford Core or Gen Ed course).

Current Samford students who plan to take a course at another school while away from Samford must complete a Transient Enrollment Form and secure the appropriate signatures/approval PRIOR TO registering for the class. Students are responsible for arranging to have an official transcript of that coursework sent to the Samford University Student Records Office (not Admissions). Students planning to take a course at a BACHE-area school (UAB, Montevallo, Miles, Birmingham-Southern) --WHILE ATTENDING SAMFORD--must complete the BACHE Exchange Form instead.

Core Curriculum - Transfer Credit Evaluation
Transfer guidelines in the files linked below apply only to students who are applying for admission to Samford University who are not classified as entering freshmen (i.e., fewer than 18 hours). Currently enrolled or previously admitted students must take all core courses at Samford. NOTE: PDF and Word files open in a new window.

Core Curriculum - Transfer Credit Evaluation in Word
Core Curriculum - Transfer Credit Evaluation in PDF

Dual Enrollment
College courses taken in a high school setting without external testing (e.g. AP, CLEP, IB) or fulfilling a high school requirement will be treated as dual enrollment credit. Beginning in the 2006-2007 academic year, entering freshmen may not have credit from a dual enrollment college course counted twice. College courses earned in a college setting or during summer terms may be considered for transfer credit.

Alabama Community College Course Equivalencies
Click on one of the links below to view an Excel or PDF file of Alabama Community College course equivalencies to Samford courses. Information displayed will be applicable to Samford's current academic catalog. NOTE: PDF and Excel files open in a new window. (Files updated 3/23/09)

The Excel file is sortable, using the drop down data filter arrows.

The PDF files are presented in three versions, sorted by:

Please note that the course title is based on the standard established by the Alabama Community College Course System, and will not necessarily match the course title of the Samford equivalent course.

NOTE: Files have been updated to reflect new course numbers as presented in the 2007-08 catalog. In the catalog, old course numbers are noted in parentheses after the course description.
Click here to consult the 2007-08 academic catalog in PDF.
Click here to consult the 2008-09 academic catalog in PDF.

Note: Access to PDF files requires the Adobe Reader. Most computers have the Reader pre-installed. If yours does not, you can download a free copy from the Adobe Web site: Click here.

Last update: 3/23/09 12:24 PM

Let us know how we are doing by using our comment box to convey suggestions or compliments.
Page maintained by Jane Leask, Assistant Registrar (Certifications, Publications, & Programming), jeleask@samford.edu.