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External Credit



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Transfer Credit

Westminster University participates with the Utah Transfer Articulation Committee and has established well over 72,000 course equivalencies from Utah schools and schools around the country. Transfer evaluations are processed in the Registrar's Office within 48 hours of the receipt of most university transcripts.

Criteria for the Acceptance of Transfer Credit

Westminster University awards transfer credit for coursework that meets the following criteria:

  • The transfer institution is regionally accredited.*
  • The credit awarded is for non-remedial coursework taken in general academic areas that are part of the Westminster curriculum. Transfer decisions can be appealed following the process outlined below.
  • The credit awarded is for coursework with grades of C- or better. Marks of credit (CR) or pass (P) are not accepted unless verified as equivalent to a C- or above. (Except physical education classes which are offered only for grades of CR or P.) Some programs have a higher minimum grade requirement.

A maximum of 72 credit hours may be awarded from two-year institutions and it is not possible to earn upper division hours from a two-year institution. A maximum of 88 credit hours transferred from all collegiate institutions (two-year and four-year) and external credit (i.e., CLEP, AP, or other credit earned by external means) may be applied toward meeting the total number of hours required for graduation.

Courses transferred from other academic institutions count for credit hours and requirements only; grades from transfer course work are not calculated into the Westminster University GPA.*Note: Westminster University will accept transfer credit from a nationally accredited institution when:

  • Westminster has put in place a formally approved articulation agreement targeted towards a specific Westminster academic program. Students who are admitted to one of these programs and who later change to a different academic program are subject to a revision of transfer credit.
  • The nationally accredited institution holds additional accreditations in the relevant academic discipline. For the RN to BS program, the following guidelines apply:
    • The transferring nationally-accredited institution must be accredited by one or more of the following accrediting bodies recognized by the Department of Education:
      • Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
      • Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)
      • Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS)
      • Council on Occupational Education (COE)
    • The transferring nationally-accredited institution must also be accredited by a national Nursing Accreditation body (ACEN, CCNE, or COA). The transferring institution’s board scores and pass rates will be taken into consideration at the time of Admissions and reviewed yearly.
    • The transferring nationally-accredited institution must be in good standing with all accrediting agencies at the time of Admissions for transfer credit to be approved.
    • All incoming applicants must have successfully passed the NCLEX examination.

Information about qualifying schools may be obtained from our Admissions Office.

Transfer Credit Appeal

Westminster makes every effort to award transfer credit that is relevant to a student’s anticipated major, fits within our general academic areas, and does not artificially inflate completed hours in a way that might jeopardize a student’s ability to be eligible for continued financial aid. However, it is not always possible to determine the nature of a class from just a course title on the transcript and often, more information is required to determine Westminster equivalencies. Any student that wishes to appeal a transfer decision may proceed as follows:

  • Review your transfer evaluation thoroughly with your admissions counselor or academic advisor.
  • Provide a syllabus for any course in question to the Academic Records in the Registrar's Office for review.
  • The Academic Records will coordinate review of the course with the appropriate faculty Department or Program Chair
  • You will receive written confirmation regarding any transfer decision either with an adjusted Transfer Evaluation award or a letter outlining any decision to deny your appeal.

A change in intended major may necessitate a revision of transfer credit if particular courses were eliminated as part of our initial screening for course work applicable to your stated major. Transfer students are advised to meet with faculty advisors in their major as soon as possible to resolve any remaining transfer issues.

International Transfer Credit

All international transcripts are evaluated by external services such as Academic Credentials Evaluation Institution (ACEI) or World Education Services (WES), which determines the level of coursework taken and the semester hour and grade equivalents. Only coursework that is determined to be equivalent to university-level academic work that meets the criteria noted above will be considered for transfer. A thirteenth year of high school study from a non-U.S. institution may be considered for transfer credit. Consideration for awarding transfer credit for coursework taken during the thirteenth year of high school will be based on the country and institution of study, rigor of coursework, grades earned in coursework, and based on the results of the external evaluation. Equivalencies to Westminster courses will be determined as outlined below. Transfer acceptance of hours from international institutions does not guarantee fulfillment of like courses in majors and minors at Westminster unless approved by the faculty.


Determination of Course Equivalencies

Transfer courses fulfill course requirements on a course-by-course basis when the transfer courses are deemed equivalent to the corresponding Westminster courses. The Academic Records Coordinator makes this determination in accordance with guidelines established by faculty.

Major and Minor Requirements

An advisor in the major or minor program of study determines whether transfer credit fulfills specific requirements in the major or minor. A student who receives elective transfer credit for a course may not necessarily be able to apply that course to the major or minor. In addition, some programs have minimum grade requirements.

Transfer Credit and Prerequisite Knowledge

Although the university accepts transfer credit for courses with a C- grade or higher, individual programs may require verification of prerequisite knowledge, require a higher minimum grade, and/or may require students to repeat coursework.

Upper Division Transfer Credit

By definition, it is not possible to earn upper division credit from a two-year institution. In certain cases, lower division coursework will be accepted as meeting upper division program requirements; however, these hours will not count toward the 30 upper division hours required for graduation.

Converting Quarter Credit Hours to Semester Credit Hours

A quarter hour is equal to two-thirds of a semester hour, so one quarter hour transfers as 0.67 credit hours. Students transferring from institutions using the quarter system do not lose credit, because semesters are longer than quarters.

Quarter Hours and Westminster Hours Requirements

To be accepted as meeting Westminster University requirements, courses must not only have equivalent academic content, they must also equal at least two-thirds of the Westminster required hours, e.g., a language class must be 2.68 semester credit hours or more.

Waiver of WCore Requirements

Associate Degrees (Utah & Out-of-State Institutions) and Letters of Completion (Utah Schools Only)


Students who have Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees from regionally accredited institutions are considered to have completed WCore Explorations and Seminar requirements.

Students who have Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees are not eligible for waivers.

Students should note that certain WCore courses also serve as prerequisites or are required courses in their academic programs and would not be waived, even if a previous A.A. or A.S. degree has been attained. All students are advised to check the catalog for individual program requirements.


Credit by Examination

Westminster University values university-preparatory work and awards university credit for appropriate scores. Students may earn a maximum of 40 credit hours under credit by examination programs: Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Challenge Examinations, Nursing Examinations, and International Baccalaureate (IB). Credit by examination is not counted as in-residence credit and cannot be counted towards completing WCore requirements. See the following charts for minimum scores and Westminster equivalencies.

Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement (AP) examinations in most subjects cover a full-year university course equivalent to six credit hours. Some subject areas such as Computer Science A, Economics (Macro and Micro), Environmental Science, Comparative Government and Politics, U.S. Government and Politics, Physics C, Psychology, Statistics, and Human Geography, are equivalent to one semester of university-level coursework and are awarded credit based on the credit hours for the equivalent course at Westminster.

A score of 3 is the minimum score accepted by the university; however, individual departments may require a minimum score of 4 to award credit for the equivalent course. Individual departments determine how they will apply AP credits toward specific major or minor requirements. Students may receive a maximum of 40 hours of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate (IB) credit. Listed below are the AP tests that fulfill Westminster courses or elective credits and the required scores.

Title Minimum Score Equivalency Credit
African American Studies* 3 HIST 100T 4
Drawing* 3 ART 100T 3
3D Art and Design* 3 ART 100T 3
2D Art and Design* 3 ART 100T 3
Art History 3 ART 100T 6
Biology 4 BIOL 100T 6
Calculus AB* 4 MATH 201 4
Calculus BC 4 MATH 201
MATH 202
4
4
Chemistry 3 CHEM 100T 4
Chemistry 4 CHEM 100T 6
Chinese Language and Culture 3 CHIN 110
CHIN 111
4
4
Chinese Language and Culture 4 CHIN 110
CHIN 111
CHIN 220
4
4
4
Comparative Government and Politics* 3 PLSC 100T

4

Computer Science A* 3 or 4 CMPT 100T 3
Computer Science A* 5 CMPT 201 4
Computer Science Principles* 3 CMPT 100T 3
Economics: Macro* 4 ECON 253 3
Economics: Micro* 4 ECON 263 3
English Language and Composition* 4 LMW 100T 4
English Literature and Composition* 4 LMW 100T 4
European History 3 HIST 100T 4
Environmental Science* 3 BIOL 100T 3
French Language and Culture 3 FREN 110
FREN 111
4
4
French Language and Culture 4 FREN 110
FREN 111
FREN 220
4
4
4
German Language and Culture 3 LANG 110T
LANG 111T
4
4
German Language and Culture 4 LANG 110T
LANG 111T
LANG 220T
4
4
4
Human Geography* 3 ELEC 100T 3
Italian Language and Culture 3 LANG 110T
LANG 111T
4
4
Italian Language and Culture 4 LANG 110T
LANG 111T
LANG 220T
4
4
4
Japanese Language and Culture 3 LANG 110T
LANG 111T
4
4
Japanese Language and Culture 4 LANG 110T
LANG 111T
LANG 220T
4
4
4
Latin 3 LATN 110
LATN 111
4
4
Latin 4 LATN 110
LATN 111
LATN 220
4
4
4
Music Theory 3 MUSC 171 3
Music Theory 4 MUSC 171
MUSC 271
3
3
Physics 1: Algebra-Based* 3 PHYS 100T 4
Physics 2: Algebra-Based* 3 PHYS 100T 4
Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism* 3 PHYS 100T 4
Physics C: Mechanics* 3 or 4 PHYS 100T 4
Physics C: Mechanics* 5 PHYS 211 4
Precalculus* 4 MATH 144 4
Psychology* 4 PSYC 100T 4
Research* 4 WRIT 100T 3
Seminar* 4 ELEC 100T 3
Spanish Language and Culture 3 SPAN 110
SPAN 111
4
4
Spanish Language and Culture 4 SPAN 110
SPAN 111
SPAN 220
4
4
4
Statistics* 4 DATA 100T 4
United States Government and Politics* 3 PLSC 100T 4
United States History 3 HIST 100T 6
World History: Modern* 3 HIST 100T 3

* Designates AP examinations equivalent to only one semester of university-level work.

Art exams: While we do not grant credit for specific art courses for AP test scores, students may petition to enroll in intermediate sections of ART courses through a portfolio submission sent to the Art Department chair. Portfolios should consist of 8 original artworks (preferable) or 8 high-quality images on CD (1024 x 768 pixels minimum), along with an image list that includes your current contact information, and the titles, dimensions, media, and dates of your work.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

CLEP is a national program of examination to evaluate, confirm, and assess the academic achievement of individuals who have reached a university level of education through either traditional or non-traditional means of study. Credit is not awarded if duplicated by previous coursework.

Important Note: The College Level Examination Program prohibits candidates from repeating a CLEP exam of the same title within three months. Scores of exams repeated earlier than three months will be cancelled and test fees forfeited.

CLEP Candidates are Awarded Credit as Follows

For CLEP exams taken since June 2001, a minimum score of 50 is required. Westminster does not administer CLEP exams on campus but students may choose to take the exam through At-Home Proctoring or external testing centers.

CLEP Subject Examination Westminster Equivalent Credits
American Government ELEC 100T 4
American Literature LMW 100T 4
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature LMW 100T 4
Calculus MATH 201 and 202 4
College Algebra MATH 144 4
College Mathematics ELEC 100T 4
Educational Psychology ELECT 100T 3
English Literature LMW 100T 4
Financial Accounting ACCT 213 4
French FREN 110 and 111 (score 59+ also FREN 220) 8
General Biology ELEC 100T 4
General Chemistry CHEM 111 and 112 8
German LANG 100T (score 60+ total 12 credits) 8
History of the United States I ELEC 100T 3
History of the United States II ELEC 100T 3
Human Growth and Development ELECT 100T 3
Humanities ELEC 100T 3
Information Systems ELEC 100T 3
Introduction to Business Law ELEC 100T 3
Introduction to Educational Psychology ELEC 100T 3
Introductory Psychology ELEC 100T 4
Introductory Sociology ELEC 100T 4
Natural Sciences ELEC 100T 3
Pre-Calculus MATH 143 4
Principles of Macroeconomics ECON 253 3
Principles of Management MGMT 305 4
Principles of Marketing MKTG 300 3
Principles of Microeconomics ECON 263 3
Social Science and History ELEC 100T 3
Spanish SPAN 110 and 111 (score 63+ also SPAN 220) 8
Western Civilization I ELEC 100T 3
Western Civilization II ELEC 100T 3

World Language Testing Options at Westminster University

Westminster administers the FLATS by computer in the Testing Center located in the basement of Giovale Library. Exams must be scheduled at least 3 business days in advance by calling 801-832-2116.

  FLATS Exams
Fee

$50 Test Fee (payable when registering for exam)

$60 Proctoring Fee (payable at the Cashier’s Window, Bamberger Basement, prior to your test date)

URL for more info and to register https://info.flats.byu.edu/
Length of Exam 2.5 hours
Test Results Results mailed within 1-6 weeks to the student and the university.
Languages Tested

Albanian
Arabic
Armenian
Bulgarian
Cambodian
Cantonese
Cebuano
Croatian
Czech Danish
Dutch
Estonian
Fijian
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Haitian
Creole
Hmong
Icelandic
Ilonggo/Hiligaynon
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latvian
Lithuanian
Malagasy
Malay
Mandarin
Norwegian
Polish
Portuguese-Brazilian
Portuguese-Continental
Romanian
Russian
Samoan
Serbian
Spanish
Swedish
Tagalog
Tahitian
Thai
Tongan
Ukrainian
Vietnamese

Up to 12 credit hours of foreign language possible.

FLATS scores are broken down in each language - 101, 102, and 201 - for 4 credit hours each, recorded as pass/fail.
Re-Testing Options Students who fail the exam must wait at least six months in order to re-take another FLATS exam. May take CLEP exam immediately following a failed FLATS exam.
Transferability of Scores Not all colleges and universities recognize and accept FLATS exam scores.

American Sign Language Proficiency Interview

Students may participate in the American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) administered by Gallaudet University to earn credit by exam in ASL. Qualifying scores are as follows: 1+ equals four (4) credits of LANG 100T; 2+ equals eight (8) credits of LANG 100T, and 3+ equals twelve (12) credits of LANG 100T.

Approval, Registration, Scheduling, Payment, and Testing Procedures

Approval

Students may earn a maximum of 40 credits through examinations and a maximum of 88 credits overall from external sources (i.e. transfer and examinations) and should normally be applied before a student reaches senior status. You may not receive additional credit through exams for credit already received through coursework. If you have any concerns about how the credits earned from the CLEP/FLATS will impact your degree at Westminster, we highly suggest meeting with your faculty advisor or the Graduation Coordinator in the Registrar's Office before registering for any exam(s). The Registrar's Office is located in the upper level of Bamberger Hall.

Registration

The student sends email request to testingcenter@westminsteru.edu in order to request registration information for their intended test (FLATS or CLEP). Student will receive email response that provides them with detailed registration instructions for how to pre-register for the exam online.

Scheduling

Once the student receives confirmation that they have successfully registered online they may then schedule a time to take the test. This may be done by calling the Testing Center at 801.832.2672 or by providing a list of three preferred dates and times via email to testingcenter@westminsteru.edu. The student will receive scheduling confirmation and additional reminders about how to pay the remaining test fee and what items to bring the day of the test.

Payments

During the online registration process, the student will be asked to submit an online payment. The remaining testing fees are paid at the Cashier’s Window in the lower level of Bamberger Hall. The Cashier will issue a payment receipt to the student; the student will bring the receipt to the testing appointment to show that payment has been made. Note: the Cashier’s Window accepts cash, personal checks, money orders, Master Card, Discover, and American Express.

Testing

Student arrives in the Testing Center at the scheduled exam time and brings:

  • Signed permission form
  • Registration confirmation
  • Payment receipt
  • Photo identification

Additional Information

  • Students are not allowed to bring any written or electronic materials into the testing center (no notes, no cell phones, and no other personal items).
  • Scratch paper, pencils, and headset will be provided by the Testing Center.
  • Both types of exams include written and auditory portions of the test and are administered in a multiple choice format.
  • FLATS exams consist of 150 questions and the score needed to pass varies, depending on the language being tested. CLEP exams consist of “approximately 120 questions” and require scores of 50-63, depending on the exam. (Scaled score, not percentage).
  • Passing scores allow students to earn 8-12 language credits.

Challenge Examinations

  • Students may earn credit for independent learning in certain academic areas by means of the Challenge Examination. This is a comprehensive examination covering a given course according to the following conditions:
  • The course challenged must be offered by Westminster University, and the student requesting the examination must be currently enrolled as a degree-seeking student in the university.
  • The student must pay a non-refundable fee of $50 per credit hour prior to taking the examination.
  • Permission to take the Challenge Examination must be secured from the dean of the school under which the course falls and the instructor who teaches the course. The instructor prepares, administers, and grades the examination. Permission to take the examination must be secured 30 days prior to examination, and reasonable assurance of the student’s ability to pass the examination must be provided when the request is made.
  • The course being challenged must not be a course for which the student has previously received credit, a course in which the student is enrolled, or a course in which the student was previously enrolled and dropped later than the first week of class.
  • When students complete the Challenge Examination, they receive a letter grade of A, B, C, or D and the appropriate number of credit hours. Students not passing their examinations receive no grade or credit.
  • A course may be challenged only once.
  • Seminars, directed studies, laboratory portions of a course, or activity courses may not be challenged.
  • No more than 30 credit hours by Challenge Examination may be offered toward graduation. Credit received through Challenge Examination is not counted as in-residence credit.

Westminster Policy for Accepting Selected Cambridge A-Level Examinations

Westminster University recognizes the A-Level curriculum from the United Kingdom as exceptional preparation of students and grants credit for superior performance on those A-Level examinations.

Westminster University grants up to 8 semester credits (equivalent of two courses) for A-Levels with passes of A, B, and C in most academic subjects. A grade of C or higher on an AS exam will earn the first course listed for that subject in the list below. The College does not recognize “O Levels” as advanced standing credit.

Cambridge Exam Grade Westminster University course/equivalent Credits
Accounting A, B, C ACCT 213 3
Art & Design A, B, C *note below 0
Biology A, B BIOL 100T 3
Chemistry A, B, C No AS level credit awarded, CHEM 111 for A level credit*** 4
Classical Studies A, B, C ELEC 100T 3
Computer Science A, B, C CMPT 140 4
Economics A, B, C ECON 253 and ECON 263 6
English Literature A, B, C LMW 222 and ELEC 100T 8
Global Perspectives A, B, C ELEC 100T 4
History A, B, C *note below See note below
Marine Science A, B ELEC 100T 4
Mathematics A, B, C MATH 144 4
Mathematics Further A, B, C MATH 201 and MATH 202 8
Media Studies A, B, C ELEC 100T 4
Music A, B, C MUSC 110, MUSC 161, and MUSC 171 (all 3 classes for both A and AS level exams) 7
Physical Science (AS level) A, B, C ELEC 100T 4
Physics A, B, C ELEC 100T 4
Psychology A, B, C ELEC 100T 4
Sociology A, B, C ELEC 100T 4
World Languages
Chinese A, B, C CHIN 110 and CHIN 111 8
French A, B, C FREN 110 and FREN 111 8
Japanese A, B, C JAPN 110 and JAPN 111 8
Spanish A, B, C SPAN 110 and SPAN 111 8
For all other world languages, two courses of unassigned world language credit is given, or one course credit for an AS-level examination. A, B, C LANG 100T 8

Exam subjects listed in this table are only the most commonly seen subjects on the A-level and AS-level exams. Subjects not listed above will be reviewed individually.
*Art & Design examination: While we do not offer ART credit for Cambridge coursework, students may petition to enroll in intermediate sections of ART courses through a portfolio submission sent to the Art Department chair. Portfolios should consist of 8 original artworks (preferable) or 8 high quality images on CD (1024x768 pixels minimum), along with an image list that includes your current contact information, and the titles, dimensions, media, and dates of your work.
** History examination: Credit is determined by departmental review of scores and content of courses taken. Submit a detailed written description of topics studied to the chair of the history program.
*** Note: Must talk with program chair if you are a pre-health student.

International Baccalaureate

Credit may be given for selected higher level (HL) and standard level (SL) International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations. Students are required to submit official transcripts from the International Baccalaureate Organization upon admission to the university. Students may receive a maximum of 40 hours of combined IB and AP credit. International Baccalaureate examinations currently accepted at Westminster, along with the minimum required score and examination level, appear below.

IB Examination Min. Score Required Westminster Equivalency Credits
Anthropology 5 ELEC 100T 3
Biology (HL) 5 BIOL 100T 4
Business and Management (SL)(HL) 5 BUSI 100T 4
Chemistry (HL) 5 CHEM 111 4
Computer Sciences (SL) 4 CMPT 100T 3
Computer Sciences (HL) 4 or 5 CMPT 100T 4
Computer Sciences (HL) 6 or 7 CMPT 201 4
Dance (SL) 4 DANCE 100T 3
Dance (HL) 4 DANCE 100T
DANCE 180
3
2
Design Technology 5 BUSI 100T 4
Economics (HL) 5 ECON 253 3
English A: Language and Literature (HL) 5 LMW 100T 4
English A: Literature and Performance (HL) 5 LMW 100T 4
Environmental Systems (HL) 5 ENVI 100T 4
Film (SL)(HL) 5 FILM 100T 4
French (SL)* 4 FREN 110
FREN 111
4
4
French (HL)* 4 FREN 110
FREN 111
FREN 220
4
4
4
Geography (SL) 5 ELEC 100T 3
Geography (HL) 5 ELEC 100T 6
History (Africa and Middle East, Americas, Asia and Oceana, Europe) (HL) 4 HIST 100T 6
Japanese (SL)* 4 JAPN 110
JAPN 111
4
4
Japanese (HL)* 4 JAPN 110
JAPN 111
JAPN 220
4
4
4
Latin (SL)* 4 LATN 110
LATN 111
4
4
Latin (HL)* 4 LATN 110
LATN 111
LATN 220
4
4
4
Mandarin (SL)* 4 CHIN 110
CHIN 111
4
4
Mandarin (HL)* 4 CHIN 110
CHIN 111
CHIN 220
4
4
4
Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation (SL) 4 MATH 144 4
Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation (HL) 5 MATH 201
MATH 100T
4
2
Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (SL) 4 MATH 144 4
Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (HL) 5 MATH 201
MATH 100T
4
2
Music (SL) (HL) 5 MUSC 100T 3
Other Foreign Languages (besides French, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin,and Spanish) (SL)* 4 LANG 110T
LANG 111T
4
4
Other Foreign Languages (besides French, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin,and Spanish) (HL)* 4 LANG 110T
LANG 111T
LANG 220T
4
4
4
Philosophy (SL) 5 PHIL 100T 3
Philosophy (HL) 5 PHIL 100T 4
Physics (SL) (HL) 5 PHYS 100T 4
Psychology (HL) 5 PSYC 100T 4
Spanish (SL)* 4 SPAN 110
SPAN 111
4
4
Spanish (HL)* 4 SPAN 110
SPAN 111
SPAN 220
4
4
4
Sports Exercise and Health Science (HL) 5 HPW 100T 3
Theatre Arts (HL) 6 THTR 100T 2
Visual Arts* (SL) 6 ART 100T 2
Visual Arts* (HL) 6 ART 100T 2

*Foreign language scores are accepted for both Language A and Language B tests.

Art exams: While we do not grant credit for specific ART courses for IB test scores, students may petition to enroll in intermediate sections of ART courses through a portfolio submission sent to the Art Department chair. Portfolios should consist of 8 original artworks (preferable) or 8 high-quality images on CD (1024 x 768 pixels minimum), along with an image list that includes your current contact information, and the titles, dimensions, media, and dates of your work.


Prior Learning Assessment

Military

Students who have served at least 6 consecutive months of active military services and were honorably discharged or who are currently on active duty may qualify to receive undergraduate credits at Westminster University for ACE (American Council on Education)-approved course work taken while in military service. Up to 30 general elective hours may be awarded from an official Joint Services transcript or Community College of the Air Force.

Credential or Specific Certifications

Individual programs may elect to award credit for certifications that align with the program learning goals and demonstrate in a measurable way that the student possesses the competencies associated with those goals. Credit for certificates or credentials may be awarded in one of two ways:

  • Programs may designate that each certificate that is approved fulfills a specific program requirement (course).
  • A student could be awarded a predetermined number of credit hours, which can be applied towards graduation requirements. Examples of certificate-based PLA include the Leadership Certificate Program, the NCLEX examination and the Finance Series E Examinations.

All certificate-based PLA is approved by the established university curriculum process.

Demonstration of Competencies

Students may demonstrate competencies via a portfolio, or other means, and are given credit towards specific courses. For a course to be eligible for PLA consideration, there must be clear learning goals and rubrics to measure the learning outcomes. In addition, each course must be approved for PLA through the university curriculum process. An example of PLA through demonstration of competencies includes the portfolio for the Bachelor of Business Administration program. Students pay a $500 evaluation fee and then $50 for each approved credit.


Acadeum College Consortium

Westminster belongs to the Acadeum College Consortium (acadeum.com), through which students can take online courses offered by other private institutions in the Council for Independent Colleges (CIC) or other approved institutions as if they were Westminster courses. That is, these courses appear on the Westminster transcript and impact GPAs just as if they were taken at Westminster. Tuition is billed at the regular rate and applicable financial aid can be applied. Students may take no more than one consortium course per semester (two allowed for summer) and no more than four courses overall towards an undergraduate or nine credits towards a graduate degree. These courses will fulfill elective credit, but if merited, students can seek consideration for a course to count towards WCore, major, or minor requirements by contacting the Registrar’s Office, which will coordinate review with respective department chairs or committee representatives.