Transfer Credit

Azusa Pacific University may award transfer credit for courses deemed baccalaureate level by the credit-granting institution, provided they are from schools or agencies recognized by one of the regional accrediting bodies or national agencies listed below. To see if you can be awarded credit for transfer work, view lists of preapproved courses through the Transfer Credit Database; all other courses must be approved through a Transfer Credit and Course Substitution form, submitted online, and receive approval before registration for the course(s). In addition, students must complete transfer courses (including correspondence courses) with a grade of C- or higher to be eligible for credit. All accepted transfer work is recorded on a 4.0 scale. Quarter units will be converted into semester units; APU grants two semester units of credit for every three quarter units.

Regional Accrediting Organizations

Students who reenroll at APU after leaving and spending two or more consecutive semesters at another academic institution may apply those transferable units toward their APU Core general education requirements. Only units transferred at reenrollment will be considered.

APU may also accept a maximum of 24 units of undergraduate non-general education elective credit from institutions accredited by the following:

Faith-Related or National Organizations

  • The Association for Biblical Higher Education
  • The Association of Theological Schools
  • Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
  • Distance Education Accrediting Commission
  • Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges

These units may apply only as elective units, and are not applicable toward General Education, major, or minor requirements.

Remedial courses and vocational/technical courses are not accepted, except when approved through Prior Learning Assessment. Students must complete transfer work with a grade of C- or higher. APU credit is given on a 4.0 scale.

Courses taken through online agencies, services, and institutions will not be accepted to APU unless the host university is regionally accredited.

The university can give credit for no more than 70 units of coursework from a community or junior college and 90 units from a four-year institution. All quarter units will be converted to semester units. APU grants two semester units of credit for every three quarter units.

Coursework transferred from external institutions as part of the Integrative Enrollment Pathway programs is accepted in addition to the transfer unit limit amounts. Transfer units from the Integrative Enrollment Pathway cannot be used for any program or purpose other than the program from which they originated.

For information on transfer guidelines, see:

Prior Learning Assessment

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is the evaluation of learning that has taken place outside the traditional classroom for the purpose of awarding college credit. PLA is a WASC-approved process to help students articulate college-level learning that may be used to earn units toward elective or general education requirements for their degree. The student may use a variety of pathways to earn PLA units. These include:

  1. Kolb-model Experiential Learning Essays
  2. Credit for some military experience
  3. Submission of professional/technical training documents

The maximum number of units that may be earned with PLA is 30, and units may be applied only toward professional undergraduate degree programs. If credit for an Experiential Learning Essay is not granted after the first review, students may resubmit one additional time. Students are charged a per-unit fee and a one-time evaluation fee that may be found under Student Financial Services on the APU website. Financial aid is not available for these fees.

Students should not assume acceptance of transfer work until they receive written notification from the registrar.