Transfer Credit and Advanced Standing Policy

The New York College of Health Professions does award credit for prior learning. To receive the AOS degree in massage therapy, the last two trimesters of full-time enrollment in the program must be completed at the College. All courses submitted for transfer credit will be evaluated for applicability to the selected curriculum and compliance with licensure requirements.

An applicant wishing to transfer from another institution must complete the regular application process including the academic requirements and supply the following documents:

• Each candidate must request an official transcript(s) for all prior course work and a complete course description or syllabus be sent to the Admissions Office.
• Applicants who wish to be considered for transfer credits in one or more subject areas must make their request in writing to the Admissions Office during the admissions process. Transfer credit can only be considered and awarded during a student’ first academic year. Transcripts are evaluated by the Dean of the appropriate program. Transfer credit will be awarded for equivalent course work completed within the last 5 years with a grade of “B” (3.0) or better. An applicant will be notified in writing of transfer
  credit to be awarded. When all aspects of the transfer application are completed, an interview with the program Dean may be required. Transfer students must meet the admissions requirements in effect at the time of their official transfer. Note that not more than 49% of the program for massage therapy can be transferred.

Applicants to the College who have completed coursework equivalent to the programs offered at New York College of Health Professions are encouraged to apply to the College. Advanced standing applicants must submit all transcripts from previous institutions at the time of admission so that the appropriate course plan can be created for the applicant, and the correct courses can be registered.

Applicants that are registering as Advanced Standing can request that courses from their previous institutions be awarded in one of the following methods.

1. Credit by Examination: Qualified students may receive didactic course credits by taking and passing a written examination or a project equivalent to the final requirement of the course. An equivalent course is determined by the faculty of the department or division and must be approved by the program Dean. The maximum number of exemption credits that can be counted towards a New York College of Health Professions degree is 12. Transfer credits are in addition to exemption credits. Exemption credits will be awarded to degree students only. Requests for Challenge Exams must be made within the first year
   of study at the College, and a fee of $325 is collected prior to the taking of the examination. If the Challenge Exam is successful, the credit is awarded, and a grade of “AP” (Advanced Placement) is entered on the student’s transcript. If the Challenge Exam is not successful, the student must take the course, and the fee for the examination is applied to the tuition cost for the course.
2. Prior Learning Assessment: Prior Learning Assessment allows students to gain credit for learning that has occurred outside of the instruction provided by the college. For programs with a prerequisite of two-years of college education, students may be awarded a maximum of 30 credits (or 50% of the required credits, of that 50%, no more than 25% of the program clinical training requirements may be accepted as transfer credit) using one or more of the following assessment methods. For other programs, students may be waived from attending certain courses based on one or more of the following methods.
   1. Standardized Exams: College credits may be earned by successfully passing one or more of the following proficiency exams: The College Scholarship Service’s Advanced Placement (AP) Examination; the College Level Examination Program (CLEP); the American College Testing Program Proficiency Examination Program (PEP); exams of the US Armed Forces Institute (USAFI); and the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support (DANTES); and the Excelsior College Examinations. (These credits may be earned even while a student is enrolled at the College.)
   2. For Non-Collegiate Courses: Prior learning credit for non-collegiate courses may also be awarded based on recommended college level equivalencies established by the American Council on Education in The National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs and The Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces, and the New York State Education Department Program on Non-Collegiate Sponsored Instruction (PONSI).
   3. Portfolio Method: Students may submit a portfolio of documents attesting to course equivalent learning that has been attained through work, non-traditional education, self-study or other non-sponsored forms of learning. Documents supporting this form of learning might include work projects, job descriptions, commendations, or licenses and/or certificates. Supporting letters from employers or other knowledgeable sponsors must accompany all portfolio submissions but are not enough alone to warrant the award of credit. Portfolio assessment is conducted by ad hoc faculty committees with expertise in the relevant subject matter to ensure that such applicants are adequately prepared academically to undertake the course of study at the College.
   4. Challenge Examination: Students may apply to be excused from enrolling in a course based on their knowledge of the coursework. To demonstrate their knowledge, they will be offered a challenge exam covering the specific course content. Usually this exam will be comparable to comprehensive exams given in the course.
3. Transfer Credit: Work completed at another baccalaureate level academic institution will be considered for transfer credit. This form of credit is awarded based on a review of the student’s transcript from the prior institution and the equivalency of courses from the two institutions. Transfer credit will be approved only for courses that have been taken within the last five years and if a grade of “B” or better was earned. Transfer courses requested from prior to five years will be reviewed using one of the other methods outlined above.

Any student seeking to use one or more of the above methods to obtain credits in one of the programs at the College must obtain permission from the program Dean or director of the program.

Any matriculated student with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 for the AOS program may apply for Prior Learning Assessment. Generally, students applying for this form of assessment have had significant work, military, or similar experience. The college may accept credit toward its admissions requirements that has been awarded by portfolio assessment or may accept no more than 50% of credit toward its admission requirement earned through Credit by Examination if that assessment was performed and credit was awarded by an institution (other than New York College) accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

All requests for Prior Learning Assessment must be submitted to the program Dean in a timely fashion so that the award of credit can be completed before the end of the student’s first year of enrollment. Requests for the assessment of prior learning must be accompanied by an Application for Prior Learning Form, relevant documentation, and the assessment fee of $325 per course.

Note: Although a student may be awarded credit through Prior Learning Assessment, some state agencies and some institutions may not accept prior learning credits that have been awarded by a non-regionally accredited institution.

The program Dean’s decision will be forwarded to the Registrar. The award will be indicated on the transcript by the letters PL and will have no bearing on the student’s grade point average. Students who wish to challenge the program Dean’s award of credit should follow the academic appeals policy, which appears in the Student Handbook.

 

Reviewed 2023 01