Transfer Students and Residency Requirements

Transfer students from other colleges or universities must provide official transcripts from each institution by the end of their first semester of enrollment and complete the steps listed under admissions procedures (above). ACT or SAT scores are not required of students who have earned 16 or more college credit hours. Transfer students must have earned a minimum 2.25 cumulative GPA in their college course work for unconditional admission to Rochester College. Rochester College grants credit for courses completed at regionally accredited colleges, schools accredited by the Association of Biblical Higher Education, or a select list of voluntarily unaccredited institutions when course grades are C- (1.7 on a four-point scale) or higher. Applicants should note that standards within individual majors may be higher. Composition A and B are exceptions; to transfer either of these classes, a minimum grade of C is required. Up to 30 hours of lower division credit might also be transferred from other unaccredited programs (see the section of this catalog titled “Non-traditional Credit”); these are subject to validation by the relevant academic department(s) at Rochester College and by a probationary semester of full-time coursework in which the student achieves a GPA of C (2.0 on a four-point scale) or higher. Students cannot receive transfer credit for developmental or remedial coursework taken at other institutions.

Students receive a transfer evaluation based on unofficial and/or official transcripts, prior to admittance. Admitted students have one semester to send official transcripts to the admissions office. A registration hold is placed on a student’s account at the end of their first semester if official transcripts are not received. Transfer evaluations for traditional students are final as of the Census date (Census date is the second Friday of each semester; transfer evaluations for students in an accelerated program are final as of the session start date. Transfer hours are permanent once they are posted as credit (CR) to a student’s Rochester College transcript; changes are not permitted.

Students whose prior academic experience includes coursework completed outside the United States or Canada must provide a transcript evaluation from a third-party evaluation company. For more information about evaluation of international transcripts, see “Transferring Credit for International Students.” Credit received on a basis other than the semester unit will be converted to semester hours. Transfer credit counts as upper-level credit only if the course has junior or senior status at the institution where it was taken.

Transfer students may transfer up to 45 credit hours toward the Associate Degree or 90 hours toward the Bachelor’s degree. For any degree, at least 50% of a student’s major and minor core must be earned at Rochester College. In addition, once a student has reached senior status and completed 90 hours of coursework, no more than six hours of transfer work will be accepted. Transfer credit is not applied toward the calculation of students’ Rochester College GPA. This policy is referred to as a “residency requirement” and is a standard practice at institutions of higher learning.

Rochester College participates in the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA). In order to fulfill the agreement, students must successfully complete at least 30 credits with at least a 2.0 grade point average in each course and present an official transcript bearing the "MTA Satisfied" designation. These credits, which will be certified by a Michigan community college, should be met according to the following distributions:

• 1 course in English Composition
• A second course in English Composition or 1 course in Communications
• 1 course in Mathematics from one of three pathways: College Algebra, Statistics, or Quantitative Reasoning.
• 2 courses in Social Sciences (from two disciplines).
• 2 courses in Humanities and Fine Arts (from two disciplines excluding studio and performance classes).
• 2 courses in Natural Sciences including one with laboratory experience (from two disciplines)

In keeping with the Christian liberal arts philosophy of Rochester College, students will be required to complete coursework in the following areas in addition to the MTA:

• 9 hours of Theological Literacy core (6 hours if transferring more than 29 hours).
• ENG 1123 Composition B

Transfer students should verify MTA requirements and course selection with their community college advisor.

The MTA applies only to general education requirements and does not exempt students from meeting requirements of their specific program, major, or other graduation requirements at Rochester College. Students should check the college's academic catalog to determine if any courses required for their major can be used to satisfy MTA.

Transferees who hold a bachelor’s degree from another regionally accredited college or university are exempt from all general education requirements except for the Christian Values requirement and any specific general education courses or pre-requisites required for a major. All students must satisfy the writing proficiency requirement, which is outlined in the 'Academics' section.