Transfer Credit, Prior Learning Assessment, Transient Study, and Exam Credit

Transfer Credit

Credits for prior college-level learning experiences may be available to undergraduate students. Credit by transfer or other means may count toward a student's Creighton degree; however, these credits do not count toward a student's grade point average (GPA). Evaluation of prior learning credit will be done by the respective College after formal acceptance to Creighton. These prior learning credits have the potential to fulfill credits required for the degree including those in core or major curriculum, or any additional required courses, up to 80 credit hours in total. Students should work in conjunction with their advisor or academic coach to determine if prior learning assessment is applicable to their plan of study and future educational plans. Students can utilize the following options to fulfill some requirements:

  1. Transfer Credits. Students can transfer credits from other accredited institutions of higher education with a grade of “C-” or better.
  2. Credit by Examination. Students can utilize standardized national exams to demonstrate learning objectives and gain credit. Eligible exams include College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST), Cambridge International A-Level exams, Foreign Language Achievement Testing Service (FLATS), Excelsior College Exams, Advanced Placement Exams (AP), and International Baccalaureate Exams (IB).
  3. Military Training and Experience. Credit will be granted for military training and experience. Official transcripts are available through ACE and respective military branches. The ACE Military Program evaluates courses provided through the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Marines, and Department of Defense. In addition to ACE transcripts, other evidence for learning may include: Form DD-214, Report of Separation; Form DD-295, Application for the Evaluation of Learning Experiences During Military Service; Community College of the Air Force Transcript; Army/American Council on Education Registry Transcript (AART), or Joint Services Transcript (JST); US Coast Guard Institute Transcript; Sailor-Marine American Council On Education Registry Transcript (SMART).
  4. American Council on Education (ACE) Recommendations. Students may transfer credits from ACE transcripts. ACE conducts college credit assessments for training courses sponsored by various organizations, including businesses, government, and military.

Transient Study

Creighton students may be permitted to enroll in courses at other regionally-accredited institutions. Prior approval of the Dean must be obtained for each course (application forms are available in the Dean’s Office). Courses not so approved by the Dean in advance may not be accepted in transfer. Grades of “C-" or better must be earned. Normally students will not be able to transfer more than a total of 9 hours of approved transient study during the entire degree program at Creighton. In addition, students may not ordinarily earn transient study credit for courses regularly offered at Creighton University. Students must adhere to the degree requirements regarding minimum required credits at Creighton and should consult the College in which they are enrolled for additional transient study restrictions.

Exam Credit Policy

Creighton awards university credit for certain scores on college-level examinations such as Advanced Placement (AP) exams, Cambridge International A-Level exams, College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams, DANTES Standardized Subject Test (DSST) exams, and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. University credit will not be awarded for examinations covering remedial knowledge and skills that student should have acquired in high school.

Exam credit may be awarded for a specific Creighton University course or for elective credit. Exam credit may be awarded for a specific Creighton University course at the introductory level provided that the specific course does not have a course prerequisite that the student has not yet satisfied. In other cases, elective credit may be awarded according to the most current standards published by the university. Creighton University will award up to a total of 32 hours of exam credit to any given student. For more information, please consult your Dean’s Office.