The following policies control the granting of credit for course work taken at other institutions:
- Transfer credits are subject to a two-stage evaluation process. First, the eligibility of the hours for transfer is evaluated by the Office of the Registrar based upon decisions of appropriate faculty, the Arkansas Course Transfer System, and the Transfer Course Equivalency Guide. Credits found to be eligible for general transfer may not count toward the minimum requirements for every degree at the University of Arkansas. The second step in the evaluation, performed by the academic dean’s office or department responsible for the program of study, determines which hours evaluated will satisfy degree program requirements.
- Grades earned at other institutions are not calculated in the student’s grade-point average earned at the university.
- General transfer credit is awarded for courses in which a grade of “C” or higher has been earned. Course work must be applicable to a baccalaureate degree; credit is not granted for course work that is remedial or technical in nature.
- Students can petition to have up to six hours of “D” grades transfer for degree credit to the University of Arkansas. Students must have a 2.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale to be considered, and courses must meet core or elective requirements in the student’s degree program. Courses outside the degree program and courses in the major cannot be considered for transfer. The Admissions and Appellate Committee makes all decisions regarding “D” transfers. Petitions can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.
- In the case of course work taken at institutions not fully accredited by a regional accrediting agency, transfer credit may be denied altogether or may be granted provisionally subject to successful completion of specified courses at the university. Normally, credit is provisionally granted only if the institution is a candidate for regional accreditation.
- The State Minimum Core (SMC): Act 98 of 1989 requires each institution of higher learning in Arkansas to identify a minimum core of general education courses that shall be fully transferable between state-supported institutions. Under guidelines from the State Board of Higher Education, the SMC consists of 35 hours distributed among the following education areas: English, U.S. history or government, mathematics, science, fine arts and humanities, and social sciences. Students transferring credit with grades of “C” or better from the approved SMC of another state-supported institution in Arkansas may expect to have all these hours applied toward their degree at the University of Arkansas.
- Transfer credit policy under Arkansas Act 182 from 2009 requires a four-year public institution of higher education in Arkansas to accept all credits earned from students earning an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science or Associate of Arts in Teaching degree from a state-supported public institution in Arkansas.
Major stipulations of Act 182 are outlined below:
- The transfer degree contains the curriculum that is approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
- The four-year public institution of higher education is to admit a transfer student to junior status in a baccalaureate degree program at the four-year public institution of higher education.
- A four-year public institution of higher education receiving a transfer student shall not require additional lower division coursework if the additional course is considered a general education lower division course.
- The receiving four-year public institution of higher education may only require the additional lower division course if the additional lower division course is:
- A prerequisite for courses in the transfer student’s baccalaureate degree program;
- A discipline-specific course that is required by the transfer student’s baccalaureate degree program and the student has not completed a course at the two-year public institution of higher education that is comparable to the discipline-specific course at the four-year public institution of higher education in the Arkansas Course Transfer System;
- A requirement of an independent licensing or accrediting body
- Act 182 does not remove the requirement that a transfer student must meet total baccalaureate degree program credit hour and course requirements in order to be eligible for a baccalaureate degree.
- The receiving four-year public institution of higher education shall determine whether to accept a grade of “D” for academic course credit for a student transferring from a two-year public institution of higher.
Students should be prepared to submit course descriptions and syllabi of transfer work if there is any question concerning acceptance of credit toward a degree program. The university reserves the right to revise credit for advanced standing after the student has been in residence.
Please refer to the appropriate college or school section of this catalog for additional information concerning acceptance into specific degree programs.
Military Transfer Credit
The University of Arkansas accepts transfer credit based upon completed military training as evaluated by the American Council of Education (ACE) guidelines and recommendations. The evaluation must be presented to the university on an official transcript from ACE, or a Joint Services Transcript (JST). Equivalencies for military credit as recommended by ACE are evaluated by departmental faculty and may not be exactly the same as ACE. University of Arkansas equivalencies for ACE credit are displayed on the website of the Office of the Registrar in the Transfer Credit section. Students may elect to receive 6 hours of general military science credit for basic training as evaluated by presentation of the military DD214 with honorable discharge. Officer training would qualify the student for 6 additional hours of general military science credit. The same training may not be presented for both general military science credit and ACE credit.
More information on transfer credit can be found online by going to the Office of the Registrar website.
Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS)
The Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS) is a postsecondary education resource service coordinated by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) that provides comparable course information to facilitate student transfer within Arkansas public colleges and universities. The ACTS database contains faculty-generated comparable course information for a number of courses offered at public institutions in Arkansas. Comparable courses within ACTS are guaranteed to transfer for full credit to any Arkansas public institution. Course transferability is not guaranteed for courses listed in ACTS as “No Comparable Course.” Find out more at the Arkansas Course Transfer System website. Questions regarding ACTS may be directed to an academic adviser or the Office of the Registrar.
The chart below provides the University of Arkansas course equivalents for each of the ACTS courses offered on the campus. The ACTS course numbers are also identified in the course title of the equivalent U of A course. For instance, the course title for the university's ANTH 1023 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology is listed as:
ANTH 1023 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (ACTS Equivalency = ANTH 2013).
Both this chart and the information in the course description are designed to assist students with identifying U of A courses that are guaranteed to transfer between Arkansas public institutions.
| ACTS Course | University of Arkansas Course Number |
|---|---|
| ANTH 2013 Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 1023 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology |
| ARTA 1003 Art Appreciation | ARHS 1003 Basic Course in the Arts: Art Lecture |
| ARTA 2003 Art History Survey I | ARHS 2913 Art History Survey I |
| ARTA 2103 Art History Survey II | ARHS 2923 Art History Survey II |
| BIOL 1004 Biology for Non-Majors | BIOL 1524 Biological Principles |
| BIOL 1014 Biology for Majors | BIOL 1543 & BIOL 1541L Principles of Biology and Lab |
| BIOL 1034 Botany for Majors | BIOL 1613 & BIOL 1611L Plant Biology and Lab |
| BIOL 1054 Zoology | BIOL 1603 & BIOL 1601L Principles of Zoology and Lab |
| BIOL 2004 Introductory Microbiology | BIOL 2013 & BIOL 2011L General Microbiology and Lab |
| BIOL 2404 Human Anatomy and Physiology I¹ | BIOL 2443 & BIOL 2441L Human Anatomy and Lab |
| BIOL 2414 Human Anatomy and Physiology II¹ | BIOL 2213 & BIOL 2211L Human Physiology and Lab |
| BLAW 2003 Legal Environment of Business² | BLAW 2013 The Legal Environment of Business |
| CHEM 1004 Chemistry I for General Education | CHEM 1053 & CHEM 1051L Chemistry in the Modern World and Lab |
| CHEM 1214 Chemistry I for Health Related Professions | CHEM 1073 & CHEM 1071L Fundamentals of Chemistry and Lab |
| CHEM 1224 Chemistry II for Health Related Professions | CHEM 2613 & CHEM 2611L Organic Physiological Chemistry and Lab |
| CHEM 1414 Chemistry I for Science Majors | CHEM 1103 & CHEM 1101L University Chemistry I and Lab |
| CHEM 1424 Chemistry II for Science Majors | CHEM 1123 & CHEM 1121L University Chemistry II and Lab |
| CRJU 1023 Introduction to Criminal Justice | CRIM 2003 Introduction to Criminal Justice |
| DRAM 1003 Theatre Appreciation | THTR 1003 Basic Course in the Arts: Theatre Appreciation |
| ECON 2103 Principles of Macroeconomics | ECON 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics |
| ECON 2203 Principles of Microeconomics | ECON 2023 Principles of Microeconomics |
| ENGL 1013 Composition I | ENGL 1013 Composition I |
| ENGL 1023 Composition II | ENGL 1023 Composition II |
| ENGL 2013 Introduction to Creative Writing | ENGL 2023 Creative Writing I |
| ENGL 2023 Introduction to Technical Writing | ENGL 3053 Technical and Report Writing |
| ENGL 2113 World Literature I | WLIT 1113 World Literature I |
| ENGL 2123 World Literature II | WLIT 1123 World Literature II |
| ENGL 2653 American Literature I | ENGL 2343 Survey of American Literature from the Colonial Period through Naturalism |
| ENGL 2663 American Literature II | ENGL 2353 Survey of Modern and Contemporary American Literature |
| ENGL 2673 British Literature I | ENGL 2303 English Literature from the Beginning through the 17th Century |
| ENGL 2683 British Literature II | ENGL 2313 Survey of English Literature from 1700 to 1900 |
| FREN 1013 French I | FREN 1003 Elementary French I |
| FREN 1023 French II | FREN 1013 Elementary French II |
| FREN 2013 French III | FREN 2003 Intermediate French I |
| FREN 2023 French IV | FREN 2013 Intermediate French II |
| GEOG 1113 Human Geography | GEOS 1123 Human Geography |
| GEOG 2103 World Regional Geography | GEOS 2003 World Regional Geography |
| GEOL 1114 Physical Geology | GEOS 1113 & GEOS 1111L General Geology and Lab |
| GEOL 1124 Environmental Geology | GEOS 1133 & GEOS 1131L Earth Science and Lab |
| GERM 1013 German I | GERM 1003 Elementary German I |
| GERM 1023 German II | GERM 1013 Elementary German II |
| GERM 2013 German III | GERM 2003 Intermediate German I |
| GERM 2023 German IV | GERM 2013 Intermediate German II |
| HIST 1113 World Civilizations I | HIST 1113 Institutions and Ideas of World Civilizations I |
| HIST 1123 World Civilizations II | HIST 1123 Institutions and Ideas of World Civilizations II |
| HIST 2113 United States History I | HIST 2003 History of the American People to 1877 |
| HIST 2123 United States History II | HIST 2013 History of the American People, 1877 to Present |
| MATH 1103 College Algebra | MATH 1203 College Algebra |
| MATH 1113 Quantitative Literacy/Mathematical Reasoning | MATH 1313 Quantitative Reasoning |
| MATH 1203 Plane Trigonometry | MATH 1213 Plane Trigonometry |
| MATH 1305 Pre-Calculus | MATH 1284C Precalculus Mathematics |
| MATH 2103 Introduction to Statistics | STAT 2303 Principles of Statistics |
| MATH 2203 Survey of Calculus | MATH 2043 Survey of Calculus |
| MATH 2405 Calculus I | MATH 2554 Calculus I |
| MATH 2505 Calculus II | MATH 2564 Calculus II |
| MATH 2603 Calculus III | MATH 2574 Calculus III |
| MUSC 1003 Music Appreciation | MLIT 1003 Experiencing Music |
| PHIL 1003 Introduction to Critical Thinking | PHIL 2103 Introduction to Ethics |
| PHIL 1003 Introduction to Critical Thinking | PHIL 2203 Logic |
| PHIL 1103 Philosophy | PHIL 2003 Introduction to Philosophy |
| PHSC 1204 Introduction to Astronomy | ASTR 2003 & ASTR 2001L Survey of the Universe and Lab |
| PHYS 2014 Algebra/Trigonometry-Based Physics I | PHYS 2013 & PHYS 2011L College Physics I and Lab |
| PHYS 2024 Algebra/Trigonometry-Based Physics II | PHYS 2033 & PHYS 2031L College Physics II and Lab |
| PHYS 2034 Calculus-Based Physics I | PHYS 2054 University Physics I and Lab |
| PHYS 2044 Calculus-Based Physics II | PHYS 2074 University Physics II and Lab |
| PLSC 2003 American National Government | PLSC 2003 American National Government |
| PLSC 2103 State and Local Government | PLSC 2203 State and Local Government |
| PSYC 1103 General Psychology | PSYC 2003 General Psychology |
| PSYC 2103 Developmental Psychology | PSYC 3093 Developmental Psychology |
| SOCI 1013 Introduction to Sociology | SOCI 2013 General Sociology |
| SOCI 2013 Social Problems | SOCI 2033 Social Problems |
| SPAN 1013 Spanish I | SPAN 1003 Elementary Spanish I |
| SPAN 1023 Spanish II | SPAN 1013 Elementary Spanish II |
| SPAN 2013 Spanish III | SPAN 2003 Intermediate Spanish I |
| SPAN 2023 Spanish IV | SPAN 2013 Intermediate Spanish II |
| SPCH 1003 Introduction to Oral Communication | COMM 1313 Public Speaking |
- 1
Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology II must be taken at the same institution to be transferable.
- 2
Accounting and business courses are not general education core classes.
