Transfer Students

Visit the Keene State Transfer Credit Explorer to evaluate whether your credits may transfer and what steps you need to take.

Transfer students submit the same credentials as entering first-year or high school applicants.

The College encourages competent students who have valid reasons for wishing to transfer, but cannot encourage applicants with a history of academic or disciplinary difficulty.

Although there is no specific grade point average requirement, most admitted transfer students have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above. Grades earned at other institutions are not included in the computation of the student’s grade point average at Keene State.

To receive an undergraduate degree from Keene State, students must attain matriculated status before starting their final thirty credit hours of work toward a degree. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs is responsible for determining the acceptability of all transfer credits.

Shortly after admission to the College, transfer students will receive an official transfer credit evaluation from Academic & Career Advising if they don’t yet have an active KSC account. Current students can access their transfer credit evaluation through Self Service. 

Students should bring this evaluation to any orientation program or when meeting with an academic advisor. Credits accepted in transfer may be allocated to the Integrative Studies Program requirements or electives. The faculty of each discipline will determine through course substitution which of the transferred courses will fulfill major or minor requirements. Please refer to the degree requirement section of the catalog for major-specific information. Developmental or remedial coursework is not transferable. 

Please note: grades do not transfer in, therefore will not impact your cumulative GPA.

Non-KSC credits applied toward degree requirements and not earned directly from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning cannot exceed a total of 32 credits. This would include, but may not be limited by, AP credit, CLEP, DANTE, CTE, ACE-approved, IB, and Cambridge courses. Military credits are exempt from this cap. See the Graduation Requirements policy regarding required KSC credits for graduation.

Students should direct requests for the transfer of credits through the Academic & Career Advising in the following categories:

• Credits received at a regionally accredited institution of higher education, if completed with a grade of C or higher.
• Credits received at degree-granting institutions accredited by an association listed in the Directory of the Council of Post-Secondary Accreditation, if completed with a grade of C or higher, and if documented by the catalog and course descriptions.
• Credits received at international institutions through Keene State’s Global Education Office (GEO) Study Away program, with the equivalent grade of D or higher transferred as credits to KSC. The list of approved exchange program institutions is available through the Global Education Office. Students must be registered in KSC 280: Study Away during their time away from Keene State College. KSC 280 is a placeholder course that will be removed from the student’s record once Study Away courses transfer in on an official transcript.
• Credits received at international institutions NOT through the Study Away program through Keene State’s Global Education Office (GEO) will transfer as credits if completed with the equivalent of a grade of C or higher. At their expense, they must provide a credential evaluation through a service such as the World Education Service in English.
• Credits are recommended at the upper and lower divisions by the American Council on Education (ACE) for an educational experience. Up to 9 credit hours for ACE-approved courses or 15 credit hours earned through approved DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs) or certain other correspondence study courses may be accepted. Guidelines for the evaluation of military credit are available from the Registrar’s Office.
• Credits earned at the above institutions in courses graded by Pass/Fail or Credit/Non-Credit, if evidence is presented showing that the courses were completed with the appropriate level of academic achievement.
• Students who wish to transfer credits into a teacher certification option must apply through the chair of the Education Department. Ordinarily, no more than four credits from another institution may be applied to satisfy program requirements due to the uniqueness of Education courses.

Courses considered lower-level at the host institution cannot be accepted in transfer at the upper-level. Credits earned at institutions that are non-accredited or are candidates for accreditation generally will not be accepted in transfer. However, students may petition to have these credits accepted. If possible, the student must provide a copy of the textbook(s), the course syllabus, and any other material as requested.

Policy Regarding Credit for Prior Learning for GI Bill® Recipients (38 CFR 21.4253 (d)(3) Keene State College maintains a written record of the previous education and training of GI Bill recipients and grants credit appropriately, with the training period (e.g., time to degree) shortened proportionately. All prior credit must be submitted to the College by the end of the second semester of enrollment, or certification of VA benefits will not be continued.

Keene State College will award 8 semester-credits for each Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) Examination passed with a score of 5, 6, or 7 or each A Level Cambridge AS & A Level AICE Examination with a result of C or better, and limits the total number of credits awarded for IB and AICE Exams to 24.

Credits used to fulfill either Integrative Studies Program or core degree requirements are at the discretion of the College and individual departments.