Transfer Credit Guidelines

Excelsior University is committed to providing access to education and providing students with the opportunity to transfer in coursework by reviewing credits from degree-granting institutions, military and job training records, and professional certifications and licenses to determine applicability and number of credits awarded. Students must meet minimum degree, program, and institutional credit requirements as appropriate, and Excelsior reserves the right to accept or deny credit from any specific institution or program.

Students will be reviewed individually, and official evaluations will be conducted at the time a student is admitted to Excelsior to identify applicability of approved sources of credit as it relates to an Excelsior degree program and its requirements. Applicability of transfer credit at Excelsior will be based upon the following:

  • Transfer, application and enrollment policies in effect at the time a student is admitted.
  • The program and curriculum requirements in place at the time a student is admitted.
  • Coursework completed and applicability to degree requirements.
  • Final grades a student receives on outside sources of credit.

Applicants are admitted to Excelsior degree and certificate programs when they meet all admission requirements for the specific program of study as outlined in the Admission and Enrollment Policy. Some degree programs have special criteria for admission which may be found in our catalog. The Transfer Credit Policy and Procedure governs the sources of credit which are considered for transfer into Excelsior University. The Credit Application Policy and Procedure dictate which eligible transfer credits can apply toward an Excelsior degree program. Both policies include limitations and restrictions for specific degree programs.

Table of Contents

  • Undergraduate Degrees

  • Graduate Degrees

    • Business

      • Executive Master of Business Administration
      • Master of Business Administration
      • Master of Science in Management
      • Master of Science in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Technology and Data Analytics
      • Master of Science in Human Resource Management with an Emphasis in Diversity and Technology

    • Nursing

      • Master of Science in Nursing Education
      • Master of Science in Nursing Informatics
      • Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Administration of Health Care Systems
      • Registered Nursing to Master of Science in Nursing Education
      • Registered Nursing to Master of Science in Nursing Informatics
      • Registered Nursing to Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Administration of Health Care Systems

    • Public Service

      • Master of Science in Criminal Justice
      • Master of Science in Cybersecurity
      • Master of Public Administration

    • Technology

      • Master of Science in Cybersecurity

Military Credit

The primary method for considering college credit for military learning experiences is the submission of an official Joint Services Transcript (JST) listing American Council on Education (ACE) recommended credits or an Air University/Community College of the Air Force transcript.

International Credit

Students must forward their official documents to an evaluation agency recommended by Excelsior for evaluating and interpreting international credentials. Courses taken at postsecondary institutions without this status will not be considered for credit unless the credits fall under another acceptable credit source category. Students who wish to submit transcripts from post-secondary institutions outside the United States should check the publication “Transcripts Accepted Directly from Institutions Outside of the U.S. and U.S Territories” on the University’s website. Transcripts from institutions on this list may be submitted directly following guidelines the Submission of Incoming Official Credit Bearing Documentation policy.

For all other institutions, students must forward their official documents to an evaluation agency recommended by Excelsior University for evaluating and interpreting international credentials. International transcripts should not be submitted directly to Excelsior in this case. Students must review the Transfer Credit Sources policy to review the degree program breakdown to identify the appropriate evaluation agency and report type for the degree program they are seeking. All evaluation agencies charge a fee for their services.

Non-Collegiate Sources of Credit

Excelsior reserves the right to evaluate and accept/deny transfer credit for non-collegiate learning experiences that have been evaluated and recommended for college credit by the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) and the American Council on Education Learning Evaluations (ACE), and Excelsior prior learning assessment. Excelsior will maintain a list of acceptable credit in an approved NCCRS/ACE Excelsior course list and details regarding documentation and restrictions may be found by reviewing the Non-Collegiate Sources of Credit Procedure on the Excelsior website.

Rabbinical & Talmudic School Credits (AARTS)

Excelsior will consider credits in transfer from Rabbinical and Talmudic schools accredited by the Association for Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS) on a sliding scale when a student has successfully completed between 30 and 60 semester hours of credit and the institution holds “accredited” status or held “candidate” status during the student’s attendance and subsequently achieved “accredited” status. “Correspondence” status and schools in “candidate” status that never achieved “accredited” status are not acceptable. A minimum grade point average of 2.0 is required.

New York University Foreign Language Proficiency Examination Credit

Excelsior considers the credit recommendations for foreign language proficiency examinations administered by the School of Continuing Education at New York University.

International Baccalaureate Credit

Excelsior will consider credit for the International Baccalaureate (IB) certificate or an IB diploma based on scores received on the Higher Level (HL) examinations passed.

Credit for Prior Learning Assessment Presented as Transfer Credit on Official Transcripts

This procedure applies to PLA credit that appears on an official transcript from institutionally accredited schools that meet the criteria of the Institutionally Accredited Institutions of Transfer Credit Source Policy. Credit from ACE, NCCRS, Excelsior’s PLA program, and military credit do not follow this procedure.

The current Start with More Credit page, Transfer Credit Sources policy, and Grade Scale, GPA, and Credit Application policy will provide additional information on sources of credit which are considered for transfer into Excelsior and procedures that must be followed.

Fee to Transfer Credit

There is no fee for the credit evaluation of transcripts, certifications, and training submitted with an admissions application and up to 30 days after admission to the university. At this time, any credit submitted for evaluation will require a student to request a Post Admission Credit Evaluation to be completed for $300 per new evaluation requested. Learn more about the process.

Undergraduate Transfer Credit

Excelsior provides students with transfer pathways and may accept credit from outside sources of credit. Students must earn the equivalent of a C- or higher on outside sources of credit to be considered for applicability to an Excelsior degree program. All approved transfer credit will be transferred in as a “Pass” and will not factor in the Excelsior GPA. Excelsior requires completion of a minimum of 30 upper-level credits for all degree programs.

  • Business
    • For the Bachelor of Science in business, credit being transferred into the business component must have been earned within 15 years prior to admission.
  • Health Sciences
    • For the Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management, credit being transferred into the Professional Business core must have been earned within 20 years prior to admission.
  • Liberal Arts
    • Students may transfer in as many as 53 credits towards an associate degree or 104 credits towards a bachelor’s degree.
    • There is no time limit on the acceptance of transfer credit.
  • Nursing
    • Up to 25% of the general education requirement can be comprised of non-collegiate sources of credit.
    • Non-collegiate sources of credit will not apply to the following requirements:
      • AAS Nursing (Nursing Major Core, Lifespan Development Psychology, Sociology, Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology).
      • LPN to BS Nursing (Nursing Major Core, Ethics, Lifespan Development Psychology, Sociology, Statistics, Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology).
      • RN to BS Nursing (Nursing Major Core, Ethics, Psychology, Sociology, Statistics, Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology).
      • RN to MS Nursing (all programs) (Nursing Major Core, Ethics, Psychology, Sociology, Statistics, Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology).
    • For the AAS Nursing and LPN to BS Nursing degree programs, Anatomy & Physiology and Microbiology courses must be completed within 5 years prior to admission.
  • Technology
    • Non-collegiate sources of credit will not apply to the following requirements:
      • BS Nuclear Engineering Technology (Calculus I and II, Physics I and Lab, Physics II and Lab, Chemistry and Lab, Atomic/Nuclear Physics, Thermodynamics and Lab, Nuclear Engineering Technology Major Core and Concentration).
      • BS Electrical Engineering Technology (Calculus I and II, Differential Equations, Physics I and Lab, Physics II and Lab, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering Technology Major Core and Concentration).
      • BS Information Technology (Statistics, Discrete Mathematics, Information Technology Major Core and Concentration).
      • BS Cybersecurity (Statistics, Discrete Mathematics, Cybersecurity Major Core and Concentration).
      • BS Computer Science (Discrete Mathematics, Major Core, Concentration).
      • BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology (General Chemistry, Major Core, Concentration).
    • For the BS Cybersecurity, BS Information Technology, and BS Computer Science, transfer credit must have been earned within 5 years prior to admission.
    • For the BS Electrical Engineering Technology, BS Nuclear Engineering Technology, and BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology, transfer credit must have been earned within 10 years prior to admission.
    • More detailed information can be found by visiting Excelsior’s Grade Scale, GPA, and Credit Application policy.


Graduate Transfer Credit

Previously completed graduate-level coursework (up to 15 credits) may be used to satisfy the requirements of the graduate degree programs if approved by faculty. It is the policy of Excelsior University, in accordance with New York State Education Department policies, to limit and in some cases prohibit the application of post-baccalaureate coursework toward an undergraduate or dual degree. It is at the purview of Excelsior to determine if post-baccalaureate credits can be considered toward an Excelsior degree.

  • Business
    • Graduate-level transfer and Excelsior credits must have been earned within 5 years prior to admission.
    • Requires a minimum grade of B-.
  • Health Sciences
    • Graduate-level transfer and Excelsior credits must have been earned within 5 years prior to admission.
    • Requires a minimum grade of B-.
  • Nursing
    • No external credits will be accepted in transfer.
    • Excelsior courses must be completed within 5 years prior to admission.
  • Public Service
    • Graduate-level transfer and Excelsior credits must have been earned within 5 years prior to admission.
    • Requires a minimum grade of B-.
  • Technology
    • Graduate-level transfer and Excelsior credits must have been earned within 5 years prior to admission.
    • Requires a minimum grade of B-.