Last update: December 2019

The university expects that undergraduate students who are earning a Temple degree take all (or almost all) of their courses at Temple. However, once at Temple, students in good academic standing who meet all student and course eligibility criteria are allowed to transfer credit for two summer or special session courses (up to a maximum of 8 credits) taken elsewhere toward their Temple baccalaureate degree. Students will not receive credit for courses taken at another institution while matriculated at Temple, unless prior permission is received from the Academic Advising Center.

Scope of Policy & Rationale

Undergraduate, degree-seeking students should take all (or almost all) their courses at Temple in order to fulfill their Temple degree requirements. This policy defines the criteria for and circumstances in which transfer credit may be accepted toward the requirements of Temple undergraduate degrees after the student has matriculated.

Definitions

Matriculated Student

Students are matriculated or "degree seeking" if they are admitted to a Temple baccalaureate or associates degree program and taking courses at Temple.

Post-matriculated
Transfer Credit

Credit articulated to a Temple degree after the student begins course work at the university.

Policy Statement

Matriculated undergraduate students at Temple are expected to take all of their courses at Temple, unless they receive permission in advance to take a course at another institution.

Temple University policy is to accept in transfer all college-level courses, taken before matriculating into a Temple undergraduate degree program, from properly accredited institutions (excluding field work, internships, or courses that interfere with school/college accreditation standards). If a course does not have a direct equivalent at Temple, but is a college level course, it may be designated as a lower level or upper level elective.

Matriculated Temple undergraduates may receive credit for two types of transfer courses:

1. A Temple-approved study abroad program sponsored at another university or other formal program of study offered jointly by Temple University and another institution.

Successful completion of an approved external study abroad program or formal joint program will earn transfer credit.

To ensure that students appropriately earn credit for their study abroad, they must complete the approval process prior to registering for the course, including any required evaluation of the external program courses.

2. At another accredited institution*.

* This includes requests by matriculated Temple international students seeking to take summer courses when they return to their home country.

Successful completion by matriculated Temple undergraduate students of pre-approved, post-matriculation courses taken at another accredited institution will earn transfer credit.

Students in good academic standing and who meet all student and course eligibility criteria are allowed to transfer credit for two summer or special session courses (up to a maximum of 8 credits taken elsewhere) toward their Temple baccalaureate degree. Courses to be transferred must be taken at accredited colleges or universities.

Eligibility criteria for students:

• The student's cumulative grade point average must be 2.00 or above at the time of this petition.
• At the time of admission or reenrollment the student had fewer than 60 credits in transfer.
• The student has met the prerequisites for the course(s).

Eligibility criteria for courses:

• Courses cannot be taken elsewhere if they are available through Temple's distance-learning program.
• The course cannot be a duplicate of a course for which the student has already received credit.
• The course cannot be a duplicate of a course previously attempted (earned a letter grade, failed, withdrawn or incomplete) at Temple.

Students must apply during the semester prior to the one in which they wish to take the course(s) elsewhere.

Students should note that:

• Credits will be transferred to Temple only upon the completion of the course(s) with a grade of "C-" or better (effective Fall 2015, "C" or higher).
• Some Temple schools and colleges have additional limitations on the kind or number of transfer credits accepted.
• Once matriculated at Temple, it is expected that General Education courses be completed at Temple.
• Transfer credit is not awarded for internships, practicums, field studies or independent studies not supervised by Temple University faculty.
• Transfer credits do not affect a student's Temple grade point average.
• A student cannot receive credit for the same course twice.
• Grades earned in transfer courses cannot be used to replace grades earned in the Temple equivalent courses.
• A student will not be approved to take a course(s) at another institution if it is the third time that the student will have taken the course(s).
• Students must meet Temple University’s Academic Residency Requirement.
• To be eligible for Latin Honors at graduation, a student must complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of the program while matriculated at Temple.

Supersedes

This policy supersedes previous guidelines and protocols for students seeking permission to take courses elsewhere, entitled "Permission to Take Courses at Another Institution after Matriculation."