UIU is pleased to recognize and reward the prior educational efforts of our students, and we offer a variety of means through which you may obtain UIU credit for your past coursework or credit-waiving exams.
Our distance learning programs in the Academic Extension accept up to 45 semester credits toward your Associate of Arts degree and up to 90 semester credits toward your Bachelor of Science degree.*
- Previous college credit
- Credit by exams
- Military credit
- Law Enforcement and Fire Science credits
- ACE credit
- Experiential Learning Portfolio credit
Previous College Credit
If you are a transfer student, you may expect to receive full credit for college-level courses completed at other collegiate institutions accredited by any of the following regional accrediting associations:
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Upper Iowa University will also consider acceptance of course work in transfer from:
- Institutions with specialty accreditation as reviewed and approved by Upper Iowa University
- International institutions that are approved/registered by their country's Ministry of Education or other national educational governing body as reviewed and approved by Upper Iowa University
- International institutions where transcripts for individual learners are reviewed and evaluated by an approved foreign credential evaluators service and approved by Upper Iowa University
- Course work completed at all other institutions will not be accepted in transfer to Upper Iowa University.
Grades earned in courses accepted for transfer will appear on your Upper Iowa University transcript, and the credits earned will count toward your total number required for graduation. However, grade points earned at another institution are not transferred and are not figured into your cumulative grade point average (GPA) maintained at Upper Iowa University, but are included in calculating the major/endorsement GPA.
Upper Iowa University may transfer up to 78 lower division college semester credits from accredited institutions.
These 78 semester credits may include:
- No more than nine semester credits from Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) activity courses, including transcripted intercollegiate athletics.
- No credits from courses identified by Upper Iowa University as at the remedial or developmental level (except for articulated ESL credits from partner institutions).
- No more than 30 semester credits from one year occupational diploma programs.
*Upper Iowa University may transfer an additional 12 semester credits, identified by the transfer institution as upper division credit, to a transfer maximum of 90 semester credits.
Up to 78 lower division semester credits and 12 upper division semester credits evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) and semester credits earned through CLEP, DSST, Excelsior College and ACT-PEP examinations will transfer to Upper Iowa University.
You may choose to transfer all your passing grades earned at other institutions or you may choose to transfer only those courses graded "C" or above. This choice must be made before you enroll in your first course at Upper Iowa University. Courses graded below "C" will not affect your overall grade point average (GPA). However, if they are courses in your major, they will affect the GPA in your major.
Articulation and transfer agreements with the other colleges and universities
Credit by Exams
You may earn credit through CLEP, DSST,Excelsior College, and ACT-PEP examinations. Credit by examination is transcripted without charge when the learner's score is at the level recommended by ACE for credit. These exams are accepted to fulfill requirements in very specific ways. See your academic advisor before taking any credit-bearing exams to ascertain the appropriate exam for your degree plan.
Credits earned by examination do not reduce the minimum required 30 semester credits of course work through Upper Iowa University for graduation. Credits earned by examination do not apply to the 60 graded credits needed to graduate with Magna or Summa Cum Laude honors.
Military Credit
Credit for militarytraining and job experiencewith recommendations by the ACE guidelines will be transcripted at no charge. Training completed may be verified by a SMART transcript or copies of certificates; a portfolio is not required. Up to 78 lower division semester credits and an additional 12 upper division semester ACE evaluated military credits may be transferred for a maximum of 90 semester credits toward the 120 semester credits required for graduation. ACE-recommended military credits do not reduce the minimum required 30 semester credits of course work through Upper Iowa University for a bachelor's degree.
Credits earned through military training do not apply to the 60 graded credits needed to graduate with Magna or Summa Cum Laude honors.
Law Enforcement and Fire Science Credit
Learners who have successfully completed law enforcement or fire science training that is not documented on a college transcript or military transcript may submit documentation to Upper Iowa University for evaluation. There is a one time evaluation fee of $200 paid at the time of submission. The documentation will be evaluated for credit and applied to the UIU transcript. Consult your academic advisor for further information. A maximum of 30 semester credits can be earned through a combination of portfolio and law enforcement/fire science credits.
Credits earned for law enforcement and/or fire science training do not reduce the minimum required 30 semester credits of course work through Upper Iowa University for graduation. Credits earned through law enforcement or fire science do not apply to the 60 graded credits needed to graduate with Magna or Summa Cum Laude honors.
Other ACE Credit
Many civilian training programs have been approved for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE). Check with your academic advisor to see if completed training has been evaluated by ACE. There is no charge for transcripting ACE recommended credit. Credits earned through ACE do not reduce the minimum required 30 semester credits of course work through Upper Iowa University for graduation. Credits earned through ACE do not apply to the 60 graded credits needed to graduate with Magna or Summa Cum Laude honors.
Experiential Learning Portfolio Credit
A portfolio process has been developed to determine learners' achievements and demonstrated learning outcomes. You can earn up to 30 semester credits for prior learning experience. Contact your academic advisor for information on the guidelines and procedures.
Experiential learning credit granted by another institution is accepted only if it is a part of a degree earned and transferred to UIU. Similarly, credit granted by UIU for experiential learning may not transfer to other institutions.
Because the documentation process required of you is extensive, and since the evaluation of this documentation by UIU staff demands considerable time, you must be accepted for admission and registered for at least one course through Upper Iowa University before you may apply for experiential learning credit.
Experiential learning portfolio credits do not reduce the minimum required 30 semester credits of course work through Upper Iowa University for a bachelor's degree. Experiential learning credits do not apply to the 60 graded credits needed to graduate with Magna or Summa Cum Laude honors. Experiential learning credit, awarded as upper division credit, may be used to satisfy the upper division credit requirement for graduation. Education course credits may not be earned through Experiential Learning.
Fees for experiential learning credit granted are assessed at $60 per semester credit. See your academic advisor for more information. All fees are due within 90 days of assessment, and before credit will be recorded on your transcript. An official transcript will be issued only after you complete a course with Upper Iowa University.
