Transfer Credit Policies

The following three guidelines are used to determine the general acceptability of transfer credit: 1) the educational quality of the institution; 2) the equivalency of the nature, content, and level of course; 3) the direct appropriateness and applicability of the credits earned to the programs offered by Patrick Henry College. The following criteria govern the transfer of credit:

1. An official transcript from each institution attended must be submitted to the Office of Admissions prior to acceptance. Upon the admission as a degree-seeking student, the Registrar will evaluate the transcript(s) submitted by the student and issue a transfer credit evaluation to the prospective student. Transfer credits are applied to the student's transcript upon enrollment.

2. Transfer students who are enrolled in courses during or after their acceptance must submit their transcript within 30 days of enrollment at PHC or the end of the course (whichever is later). Once enrolled, transfer credit may not be awarded unless transient student status is approved prior to the course. See "Transient Student Status" for complete information.

3. The Registrar evaluates credit for transfer from institutions accredited by agencies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. PHC may choose to accept transfer credits from institutions that, as a matter of principle, have not sought accreditation, if their graduates have a high acceptance rate in graduate schools and law schools and if their courses are taught by faculty with terminal degrees. In some cases, these credits may be conditionally accepted for transfer based upon earning a 2.0 cumulative PHC GPA upon completion of the first semester (or 12 credits.

4. PHC may accept up to 50 transfer credits. Up to 9 credits may be major courses. Courses may not be transferred to fulfill Freedoms Foundations I & II; Philosophy; Principles of Biblical Reasoning; Rhetoric; Western Literature I & II; History of the United States I & II. Transferred courses that do not apply to core courses or major courses are transferred as open electives.

5. The Registrar serves as the final authority in evaluating credit for transfer. In special instances, students may submit supplemental course material (syllabi, catalog descriptions, etc.) to the Registrar to be reviewed. Supplemental information must be received prior to the beginning of the following semester. Upon evaluating this information, additional credit may be awarded.

6. Vocational, technical, developmental, remedial, and military courses or courses graded on a pass/fail scale are generally not eligible for transfer. Credits awarded on the basis of institutional or competency exams are not eligible for transfer. No credit will be awarded on the basis of life experience. No credit will be awarded for CLEP (College Level Examination Program).

7. Only courses with grades of 'C' and above will be considered. Grades and Grade Point Averages do not transfer.

8. Credits transferred from institutions on the quarter system will transfer on the following scale: 5 and 4 quarter hours = 3 semester hours; 3 quarter hours = 2 semester hours; 2 and 1 quarter hour = 1 semester hour.

Credit from Other Sources

Advanced Placement (AP) scores can count for up to a maximum of 15 college credits at Patrick Henry College. (PHC majors typically allow for a total of 11 or 12 open-elective credits.) AP scores cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of PHC’s common core curriculum beyond what is specified here, nor do they fulfill any upper-level requirements specific to PHC’s B.A. degree majors.  An AP score in a given subject can supply either PHC elective credit or a specific PHC course/requirement, but not both.   If they are applied toward a specific PHC course, AP-based credits may qualify only with a successful score on PHC’s own course-specific Christian worldview essay test (currently applies to Economics, Language & Composition, and Physics).

Click here for the updated Advanced Placement Equivalency Table.

Credits from the Program on Non-Collegiate Sponsored Instruction (PONSI), Dantes Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), and International Baccalaureate (IB) are evaluated on a case by case basis.

Transient Student Request
Any degree-seeking student currently enrolled in PHC who plans to study elsewhere during any semester or summer with the intention of applying this credit toward degree requirements at PHC must complete the Request for Transient Student Status, obtain the signatures of his faculty advisor and the Department Chair of the intended major, and return the form to the Office of the Registrar, who will confirm course equivalency and acceptability. The level of scrutiny applied to transient courses is equivalent to that of transferred courses. Transient status is generally not granted for students requesting to enroll in courses offered regularly at PHC or to fulfill degree requirements that can be fulfilled through classes at PHC. Permission must be granted prior to enrolling in these courses. Students who incorrectly follow the transient student procedures may forfeit credit for this work.