Office of Origin: Academic Affairs and Student Affairs
Responsibility: Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs; Vice President, Student Affairs
Date Adopted: 04-17-2018
Date Reviewed: 12-12-2017, 03-23-2022(C)
Last Date Board Approved: 04-17-2018(B)

Transfer In to LMC

Lake Michigan College (LMC or the College) makes no guarantee of acceptance of transfer coursework until an evaluation of the official transcript has been completed.  Students who wish to have an evaluation completed must submit an admission application.

Transfer credit is awarded only from an official transcript, sent directly to LMC from the transfer institution or a third-party service on behalf of the transfer institution; both paper and electronic copies are acceptable. Official transcripts in a sealed envelope may be accepted from the student so long as the seal is not broken; however, the Registrar’s Office reserves the right to make a final determination as to the authenticity of an official transcript that has passed through the hands of the student.

Only those credits earned at postsecondary institutions accredited by accrediting agencies recognized by the Department of Education will be considered for transfer.  Coursework completed at a postsecondary institution outside the U.S. must be evaluated by an approved independent international credential evaluation service. The service will determine if the institution holds the equivalent of  accreditation, whether the equivalent of a U.S. degree or certificate was earned, and will provide a general list of coursework completed. The evaluation will be used to determine whether or not transfer credit can be awarded.  

Refer to the Study Abroad Policy for information regarding credits earned as part of an approved study abroad program.

It is the transfer student’s responsibility to request official transcripts from their previous institution(s).

Transfer coursework must meet the following criteria to be awarded transfer credit:

1. The course is graded at least a “C” or 2.00 on a 4.00 grading scale.  Courses graded lower than a “C” or 2.00 are not eligible for transfer; this includes courses graded as Pass/Fail, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, or any other grade not on the standard grading scale.
2. The course contains college-level material.  Remedial or developmental coursework is not eligible for transfer.  The determination of college-level content is made by review of the course content and not strictly based on the course number.
3. The course is undergraduate level.  Graduate level coursework is not eligible for transfer credit.
4. The course must be the course of record for the originating institution.  Transfer credit awarded on a transcript from another institution is not eligible for transfer credit.

For coursework determined to be eligible for transfer, credit is awarded in the following manner:

1. Only courses and credits will be posted.  Transfer grades are not posted, nor are they included in the calculation of the LMC GPA**; transfer courses/grades are not used to exclude or replace a graded LMC course if the course is a repeat.
2. Courses for which LMC offers a direct equivalent are posted as such; if no direct equivalent is available, either general subject credit or elective credit is awarded.
3. Posted transfer credits count only toward the total earned credits on the LMC transcript and are not included in the GPA credits or attempted credits.
4. Credit awarded may count toward program completion at LMC, as long as residency requirements are met and the course(s) has been determined to fulfill the program requirement(s).  Residency requirements can be found in the Credential Completion and Graduation Policy.
5. Credit awarded will not exceed either the number of credits earned for the original course or credits carried by the LMC equivalent course.  If a transfer course has fewer credits than the equivalent, the lesser amount of credit is assigned; if a transfer course has more credits than the equivalent, credits above the assigned amount are awarded as general elective credit.  Any transfer courses which are assigned credits on a system other than semester hours (such as quarter hours) are converted to semester hours when transfer credit is awarded.  Standard conversion scales are used. 
6. Any transfer course which is not clearly identified as equivalent to an LMC course is referred to the appropriate academic department to determine equivalency.

Once the transfer evaluation is complete, the student is emailed a letter and worksheet indicating the transfer credits posted to her or his LMC record.  Students wishing to challenge a transfer credit award may do so by contacting the Records & Registration Department.

Transfer Out of LMC

While Lake Michigan College does its best to remain transfer-friendly, the College cannot guarantee transfer of any course. Only the receiving institution may determine whether a course will be accepted for transfer based on its own criteria and transfer policies.  

** For calculation of GPA for selective admissions Health Sciences programs please refer to the specific Health Science program application.

References:
General Education Requirements Waiver for Degree Holders and MTA Completers
Credential Completion and Graduation Policy
Health Science Handbooks
Council for Higher Education Accreditation – Regional Accrediting Organizations