Non-Traditional Credit & Experiences

There are numerous ways a student can earn credits that aren’t sitting in the classroom of a regionally-accredited institution. On this page you will find information about transferring credit from schools that are not regionally accredited (including international schools), credit for military experience and credit for prior learning (exams or high school credit). 

Non-Regionally Accredited Schools

If you have credits from a non-regionally accredited U.S. school or an international college/university, they may be considered for transfer credit on a case-by-case basis. 

U.S. Institutions

An institution that is not regionally accredited may still hold national or programmatic accreditation. If your school holds national or programmatic accreditation that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), you can submit an official transcript for review. The appropriate academic department must review the course content before any transfer credit may be granted. 

If you are not sure about the type of accreditation your school has, that information should be publicly available on their website. You can also use these resources to identify your school's accreditation status:

• U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs 
• CHEA Database of Accredited Higher Education Institutions

International Institutions

When you apply with credits from an international school, you'll be required to submit a course-by-course evaluation from an international credential evaluation company. The purpose of this evaluation is to convert your transcript into the context of U.S. higher education. Types of degrees, grading systems, and course formats can vary across the globe, so we need to see how your program compares to a typical U.S. associate or bachelor's degree program. 

If you are admitted and accept your offer of admission, a transfer credit evaluator will use your credential evaluation to determine the overall transferability of credits. We may grant elective credit, but we will not determine any content equivalencies.

You may request for individual courses to be reviewed by the academic department. This process requires that you submit both an institutional catalog or program of study and a copy of the course catalog. Please have any course materials translated if they were originally printed in a language other than English. 

We accept international credential evaluations from the following companies:

• World Education Services (WES)
• SpanTran
• International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
• International Education Evaluation (IEE)

Credit for Prior Learning/Experience

You may have been given credits for your military training or taken an exam to get credit for prior learning. Read below about how these credits may be evaluated and applied to your degree. 

Military Experience or Training

As a Servicemembers Opportunities Colleges (SOC) member, TU is committed to our military students. If you are an active duty member or veteran of the U.S. military, your basic training, military occupational specialties, and other military coursework may be eligible for college credit. Transfer Admissions will evaluate your military courses and experiences according to the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services by the American Council on Education (ACE).

Requesting an evaluation of your military transcripts can be done in two simple steps:

1. Request a copy of your Joint Services Transcript (JST) and have it sent to University Admissions.
2. E-mail transfer AT_TOWSON to request a review of your JST. 

Once we receive your request, a transfer credit evaluator will contact you with specific details about your military evaluation. No military credit will be posted to your record without your permission.

Please note that we do not transfer Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) credit.

Credit by Exam

Credit earned through Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College-Level Examination (CLEP), or University of Cambridge International Exams may be applied to your bachelor's degree. You must submit a score report. Please visit the Advanced Credits page for more information.

Students at MD public institutions: You may be eligible to transfer certain exams directly from your transcripts. If you have AP or CLEP credit applied to your general education requirements, we recommend that you contact transfer AT_TOWSON for additional details.

High School Articulation

High school articulation refers to college credits awarded for high school course work. To be evaluated for transfer, they must be posted on a college transcript as credit earned toward a degree program. The transferability of high school articulation courses is determined by our transfer credit policy for colleges and universities.