Transfer Credit Policy

Transfer credit is credit earned for coursework completed at another institution and applied to meet requirements at Messiah University. Students may transfer graduate coursework from other institutions under the following conditions: 

  • The coursework must have been completed at a regionally accredited institution.
  • The credits are graduate level.
  • A minimum grade of a “B” was earned for each transferred course.
  • The courses must be completed within the last seven (7) years of matriculation into the degree or certificate program.  Some programs may have stricter requirements for transfer credits. 
  • Currently enrolled students who wish to take credits at another institution and transfer them to Messiah University must have written approval of the Program Director prior to starting coursework.
  • The credits are not among those that must be taken at Messiah University. See transfer credit chart below.
  • The number of credits transferred does not exceed the maximum allowed in the student’s program. See transfer credit chart below.
  • Only credits and courses are eligible for transfer. Grades earned at the original institution are not calculated into the student’s Messiah University grade point average.
  • Transfer credits are not eligible to meet requirements for 9-credit graduate certificates. A maximum of three (3) credits may be transferred to meet requirements for graduate certificates requiring more than 9 credits.

Post-baccalaureate Teaching Certification

Students completing credits to fulfill a post-baccalaureate teaching certification program will consult with an academic advisor to determine the courses approved to meet certification requirements. In some cases, undergraduate coursework may be accepted to meet Pennsylvania Department of Education certification requirements. In order to meet related graduate degree requirements, students must complete a minimum of 30 graduate level credits.

The PA Department of Education allows candidates for initial teaching certification to meet required competencies via undergraduate or graduate coursework. As such, Messiah allows post-baccalaureate teacher candidates to complete certification requirements through a combination of undergraduate and graduate level courses. The following policies describe the parameters for these students.

Students must complete a minimum of 24 credits (graduate or undergraduate) at Messiah in order for Messiah to endorse them for initial teaching certification. As part of these credits, students must complete their student teaching or an internship (if they have already student taught elsewhere) through Messiah.

Students must complete at least 30 unique credits at the graduate level (500 or higher) to be eligible for the M.Ed. Students must complete 24 of these graduate-level credits at Messiah to be eligible for the degree. These credits may be the same as those listed above as required for certification endorsement. That is, a student could complete 24 graduate level credits and be eligible for certification and for the M.Ed. if they are transferring in the additional credits needed to meet certification and degree requirements.

To transfer in a course to meet a graduate course requirement for the graduate program in education, students must have met the graduate program requirements for transfer (including being completed at a regionally accredited institution with a grade of B or higher) even if the course they are transferring is an undergraduate course. If the student completed an undergraduate course that is to count for a graduate course with lower than a B, they would need to take the graduate version of that course or complete a substitution course at the discretion of the program director. If they took an undergraduate course that is to meet an undergraduate course requirement (e.g., EDUC 203 or HDFS 210/311), the director has discretion to use the undergraduate course transfer policy of a grade of C or higher.

Courses to be transferred in should meet the timeline requirements of the graduate program, typically completed within 7 years of program entry. Program directors have discretion to shorten or lengthen that timeframe. Students working in the field most closely related to the course being transferred may be given a longer timeframe as it can be assumed that they are staying current with that field. For courses where the field is changing rapidly, the timeframe may be shorter than 7 years.

Regardless of the level of the course, all transfer course requests from graduate students should be submitted using the graduate course transfer request form found on the graduate registrar’s website.

 

Transfer Credit Chart by Program

Graduate Degree Program Credits Allowable Number of Transfer Credits Courses that must be completed through Messiah University
Graduate Programs in Business & Leadership 
 Master of Business Administration 36 12 BUSA 590
 M.A. Healthcare Leadership  30  6 LEAD 590 
M.A. Strategic Leadership  30 6 LEAD 590
 M.A. Training and Development  30 6 LEAD 590 
 Graduate Programs in Counseling
M.A. Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling 60 18 COUN 501, COUN 520, COUN 540, COUN 580, COUN 581, COUN 582
M.A. Counseling: Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling 60 18 COUN 501, COUN 520, COUN 540, COUN 573, COUN 587, COUN 588, COUN 589
M.A. Counseling: School Counseling 60 18 COUN 501, COUN 520, COUN 540, COUN 583, COUN 584, COUN 585
 M.S. Sport and Performance Psychology 30 6 COUN 501, COUN 520, SAPP 535 
 Graduate Programs in Education
Ed.D. Educational Leadership  52   12 EDME 740, EDME 820, EDME 840, EDME 932, EDME 934, EDME 936
M.Ed. Christian School Leadership  30  6 EDME 583, EDME 584, EDME 585 
M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction 30 6 EDME 583, EDME 584
M.Ed. Educational Leadership   30 6 EDME 583, EDME 584, EDME 585, EDME 570 
M.Ed. Elementary Education with PDE Initial Teaching Certification in PreK-4   63  9

 EDME 534, EDME 572, EDME 574,
EDME 583, EDME 584
M.Ed. PK-12 Education with initial PDE certification 60-66 9 EDME 534, EDME 572, EDME 576, EDME 578, and EDME 583 or EDME 584
M.Ed.: Online Instruction 33 6 EDME 583 or EDME 584
M.Ed. Secondary Education with PDE Initial Certification Track 58-60 9 EDME 534, EDME 572, EDME 576, EDME 578 and EDME 583 or EDME 584
M.Ed.: Special Education 30 6 EDME 530; EDME 583 or EDME 584
M.Ed. Special Education with PDE Initial Teaching Certification in Special Education (PK-12) 78 9  EDME 534, EDME 572, EDME 575, and
EDME 583 or EDME 584 
M.Ed.: TESOL 33 6 EDME 583 or EDME 584
M.Ed. TESOL (Courses Leading to PA ESL Certification) 37 9 EDME 532; EDME 583 or EDME 584
 Graduate Programs in Higher Education Leadership
 M.A. Higher Education Leadership 36 9 HIED 511, HIED 562, HIED 565, HIED 567
M.A. Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership  36 9 HIED 530, HIED 562, HIED 567
 Graduate Programs in Music
Certificate of Advance Graduate Studies: Music   16-17 0  All courses must be completed at Messiah University
 M.M. Conducting 31-34 6  MUSI 501, MUSI 502, MUSI 503, MUSI 621, MUSI 622, MUSI 623, All MUAP courses
Master of Music Education   33  6  MUED 520, MUED 680, EDME 505, Literature Course, Pedagogy Course
Ph.D. Music Education  60   18 MUED 801, MUED 821, MUED 822, MUED 811, MUSI 601, MUSI 602, MUSI 603, MUSI 801, MUSI 802, MUSI 803 
 Graduate Programs in Nursing
D.N.P.: Family Nurse Practitioner 82 18 NURS 601, NURS 602, NURS 623, NURS 632, NURS 633, NURS 728 NURS 731, NURS 732
D.N.P.: Nursing Leadership  39-51 9 NURS 623, NURS 632, NURS 633, NURS 731, NURS 732
D.N.P.: Nurse Educator  37-49 9 NURS 623, NURS 632, NURS 633, NURS 731, NURS 732
M.S. Athletic Training  61 0 All courses must be completed at Messiah University 
 Graduate Program in Nutrition & Dietetics
 M.S. in Nutrition & Dietetics 35 0 All courses must be completed at Messiah University
 Graduate Programs in Nursing
M.S.N. Nurse Educator 40 9 NURS 550, NURS 590
 M.S.N. Nursing Leadership 40 9 NURS 551, NURS 590
M.S.N. Family Nurse Practitioner  58 15 NURS 601, NURS 602, NURS 728
 Graduate Program in Occupational Therapy
 Master of Occupational Therapy 80   0  All courses must be completed at Messiah University
 Graduate Program in Physical Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy  110  0   All courses must be completed at Messiah University 
 Graduate Program in Social Work
Master of Social Work - traditional pathway 61  18 SOWK 505, SOWK 605, SOWK 650, SOWK 655 SOWK 680
 Master of Social Work - advanced standing  30 6 SOWK 505, SOWK 605, SOWK 650, SOWK 655 SOWK 680 

Procedure to transfer credits

  • When a student applies, he/she requests the former college to send an official transcript of work to the SGPS Enrollment Office.
  • The SGPS Office provides copies of the transcripts to the Program Director.
  • The Program Director notifies the student and Registrar how the credits will transfer and the Registrar’s Office updates the student’s record accordingly.

The Program Director has the final authority on all transfer credit decisions. Transferred credits become part of the student’s program of study and it is the student’s responsibility to work with his/her advisor to carefully schedule remaining coursework.