Compliance Status

Louisiana State University and A&M College is in compliance with this principle.

Narrative

Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU) publishes policies that include criteria for evaluating, awarding, and accepting credit for transfer, credit by examination, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and credits for experiential learning. LSU does not award credit for professional certificates. Current policies and procedures that deal with the review and awarding of credit are available on several publically accessible Websites under these general topics:

Evaluating, Awarding and Accepting Transfer Credit

• Credit from other accredited institutions
  • Louisiana Board of Regents Transfer Degree Program [1]
  • Tiger Transfer Tables [2] [3]
• Credit from non-accredited institutions [4]
• Articulation agreements (two- and four-year Louisiana public institutions)
  • Louisiana Board of Regents Public Institution Articulation Matrix [5] [6]
  • Bears 2 Tigers (Baton Rouge Community College to LSU Bridge Program) [7]
  • Bengals 2 Tigers (LSU-Eunice to LSU Bridge Program) [8]

Credit by Examination or Diploma Program

• Advanced Placement (AP) [9]
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) [10]
• International Baccalaureate (IB) [11]
• Proficiency examinations [12]

Experiential Learning

• Credit for military service [13]

By verifying the comparability of student learning in evaluating transfer credits, LSU maintains the high standards of its student body consistent with the mission of the university to “offer a broad array of undergraduate degree programs and extensive graduate research opportunities designed to attract and educate highly qualified undergraduate and graduate students” [14].

The LSU faculty ultimately have the authority over course transfer credit [15]. The faculty exercise authority over the full range of curricular concerns: course content; course curriculum; the specific courses and types of courses comprising the bachelor, master’s, doctoral, and professional doctoral degrees; and the awarding of academic credit for native and transfer students. Specifically, the Faculty Senate’s Admissions, Standards and Honors Committee has a responsibility to “conduct continuous studies and to make recommendations designed to maintain and improve the standards of scholarship among students” [16]. Representative minutes from committee meetings provide evidence of fulfillment of this charge [17] [18] [19].

Policies and Procedures for Undergraduate Degree Programs

Credit from Other Accredited Institutions

The Admissions Division of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions evaluates credit from other institutions after the student's complete application and all official transcripts from each college and university attended have been received [20].  All transfer coursework accepted for credit by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is vetted for equivalency by designated faculty representatives in the specific subject area. 

Credit allowed by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for transfer is, in all cases, subject to review by the student's senior college with regard to its applicability toward a particular degree. Questions relating to the evaluation of credit are referred to the Admissions Division of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Questions relating to the acceptance of credit toward a degree program and the length of time required for completion of degree requirements are referred to the appropriate senior college or school.

Louisiana Board of Regents Transfer Degree Program

The Board of Regents of the State of Louisiana has implemented a legislatively mandated Transfer Degree Program, called the Louisiana Transfer Degree [1].  This program guarantees admission to a public four-year institution for those students who have completed either an associate of arts or associate of science degree through the Louisiana Transfer Program, provided that they meet the admission requirements of that specific institution.  The Board of Regents website hosts the information for those students interested in the program [1].  Additionally, students can visit the online Statewide Transfer Course Guide in order to determine how courses taken at public two- and four-year institutions transfer across the board. LSU subscribes to this program and actively works with the Board of Regents in the evaluation of coursework for these degrees.

Tiger Transfer Tables

The Tiger Transfer Tables on the LSU Transfer website are an online resource where previously evaluated courses from many institutions are listed [2] [3]. This resource contains both in-state and out-of-state listings of course evaluations. Credit earned in colleges and universities accredited by regional accrediting associations is generally accepted; however, courses taken at the lower (1000- 2000) level cannot be given upper (3000-4000) level credit. All transfer course work is evaluated by faculty in the specific department and then entered into the Tiger Transfer Tables by admissions personnel.  When using the Tiger Transfer Tables, a transfer student must first find his or her state or country; then the student is asked to find his or her institution and to indicate the area of study to see a list of courses and how those courses transfer to LSU.

The Tiger Transfer Tables list of courses is not comprehensive. This list reflects courses that have previously been evaluated by LSU faculty for transfer equivalency. If a course is not listed under a specific institution, the course has not yet been evaluated by LSU faculty for direct equivalency, but it is still transferrable by title. If the course(s) is not listed, a review of the LSU course equivalency can be requested with a “Substitution-of-Credit” form for Louisiana institutions [21] and for out-of-state institutions [22]. With the evaluation of incoming transfer credit, LSU regularly updates this list. Only domestic coursework from regionally accredited institutions and international course work from institutions recognized by each country’s Ministry of Education will transfer to LSU.

Credit from Non-accredited Institutions

For regionally non-accredited schools, the university is guided in its decision regarding acceptance of credit by recommendations from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’ (AACRAO) Transfer Credit Practice [23] [24]. This national resource has designated reporting institutions for each state, usually the flagship institution, to field questions regarding the transferability of course credit.  The Office of Undergraduate Admissions’ designated representative calls the reporting institution for a specific state to inquire how the state handles credit from a non-accredited institution. On the AACRAO website, all schools are listed by state and have a series of codes attached to them that reflect whether they are accredited or not and whether their credit is accepted by all institutions. LSU is the reporting institution for Louisiana.  Applicants who are admitted are given an opportunity, usually through advanced-standing examinations, to validate some or all of the credit. Each student's record from a non-accredited college will be considered on the basis of individual merit and in consultation with and recommendation of LSU faculty.

Articulation Agreements

LSU participates in several articulation agreements that accept transferred credits from other colleges or universities toward a degree program to be awarded by the university.

Articulation Matrix

LSU takes part in a program, mandated by the Louisiana Board of Regents, which allows transfer of courses and course credit among all of the public two- and four-year institutions in Louisiana [5]. This program involves a crosswalk of first-year- and sophomore-level courses, the Articulation Matrix, which readily allows accurate assessment of the comparability of courses across institutions [6].   Faculty, deans, and department heads of program institutions work together to establish common course content and equivalency.  Ultimately, LSU has the prerogative regarding accepting a course for degree, general education, or elective credit.

LSU/Baton Rouge Community College Bears to Tigers Program

The Bears to Tigers Program is a collaborative agreement between the Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) and LSU to provide opportunities for the seamless transfer of BRCC students to LSU upon completion of any one of the following: Bears 2 Tigers Transfer Program, the Louisiana Transfer Degree Program, or Articulated Departmental Agreements [1] [7]. BRCC students who complete an associate’s degree in business, science, engineering, or humanities and social sciences may be admitted to LSU as juniors in their respective programs as long as they meet LSU’s transfer admission requirements.

Bengal to Tiger: LSU Eunice

Students who opt to participate in the Bengal to Tiger Bridge Program will have the opportunity to complete their transfer requirements at LSU Eunice.  Bengal to Tiger allows entering first-year students who have not been accepted to the LSU Baton Rouge campus to make a smooth transition from LSU Eunice to LSU once they meet LSU’s transfer admission requirements [8].

Credit by Examination or Diploma Programs

LSU allows credit to be awarded based on examinations such as Advanced Placement and the College Level Examination Program. Additionally, students who have met the requirements of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program may be granted advanced credit pending evaluation of the record. This is a comprehensive curriculum leading to examination.

Advanced Placement Program

About one-fourth of American secondary schools currently participate in the Advanced-Placement (AP) Program of the College Board. Each May, AP examinations are administered by the College Board to students who have participated in the program. At LSU, AP credit will be granted in appropriate subjects to first-year students who earn a grade of 3, 4, or 5 on AP subject examinations, as specified in the chart provided [9]. Because faculty from the appropriate academic units provide input on the minimum score and credit awarded, the target scores are subject to change.

College Level Examination Program

Subject examinations can be accepted for credit through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).  Policies governing minimum required scores and the acceptance of credit are established by the appropriate academic departments. LSU allows credit on a limited number of CLEP subject areas. Credit is not allowed for CLEP general examinations. Departmental course credit recommendations are determined for satisfactory scores on CLEP subject examinations [10]. Because faculty from the appropriate academic units provide input on the minimum score and credit awarded, the target scores are continuously reviewed by the faculty and are subject to change.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Program

A number of American and secondary schools abroad participate in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program. This is a comprehensive two-year curriculum leading to examinations and a possible IB diploma if the requirements of the full program are satisfied. Advanced placement credit may be granted in appropriate subjects to first-year students who earn a grade of 4 or better on the IB higher-level examinations [11]. Credit is not allowed for IB subsidiary level examinations. Because faculty from the appropriate academic units provide input on the minimum score and credit awarded, the target scores are continuously reviewed by the faculty and are subject to change.

Proficiency Examinations

Proficiency examinations that can lead to awarding credit are offered through academic departments [12]. Proficiency examinations are considered equivalent to final examinations in college-level courses. Attainment of sufficiently high scores on the proficiency examinations is considered to indicate mastery of the subject area in a designated LSU course. Students must obtain permission from their academic deans and from the chairs of the departments offering the courses prior to taking the examinations. Credit earned through proficiency examinations will not be used in computing the student's grade point average. Students may apply for these tests at any time after they have been admitted to the university. Tests are administered subject to the following conditions:

• The student must have been admitted to the university (includes all LSU System campuses) and must be in good standing.
• To initiate the examination, permission must be obtained from the appropriate dean and the chair of the department offering the course. After authorization is granted, the Office of the University Registrar will issue an Advanced-Standing or Proficiency Exam Grade Report upon payment of the required fees. No instructor may give a proficiency examination until he/she has received the official grade report.
• The student must pay a fee of $20 for each examination in which credit by proficiency examination is being sought; an additional $20 processing fee is assessed for each examination administered by the Office of Assessment & Evaluation.
• If a grade of “C” or higher is earned on the examination, a mark of “P” and regular credit in the course are entered on the student’s transcript. If a grade lower than “C” is earned, only the fact that the examination has been attempted will be recorded; credit will not be allowed. A student may take a proficiency examination in a particular course only once.
• Course credit will be posted to the semester that corresponds to the date entered in the date field on the Advanced-Standing or Proficiency Exam Grade Report, provided the student is enrolled.
• Students are not permitted to schedule proficiency examinations in courses in which they have earned unsatisfactory grades.

Credit by Experiential Learning

In most cases credit for experiential learning can only be verified when the student demonstrates subject mastery equivalent to the credit granted through examination. The proficiency examination is the most common way to demonstrate this subject mastery. However, experience related to military service or military service schools can lead to the granting of credit.

Military Service

One semester hour of credit in Military Science (MILS) will be granted to students who have completed four months of continuous full-time active duty; two hours of credit will be allowed for six months of continuous full-time active duty; one hour of credit will be allowed for each additional three months of continuous active duty service, not to exceed a maximum of twelve semester hours.

Military Service Schools

Credit hours will be granted consistent with the American Council on Education recommendations [13].  LSU only awards credit for courses equated as lower level with faculty recommendation and all credit equated as upper division credit.

Policies and Procedures for Graduate Degree Programs

Transfer of Credit

Credits transferred to a graduate degree program have several limitations:

• Hours transferred may not exceed one-half of the total semester hours of graduate course work (thesis hours excepted) required for the student’s degree program. For example, a maximum of 12 hours may be transferred in a master’s program requiring 24 hours of course work [25].
• A maximum of 12 semester hours of credit earned as an LSU extension or non-matriculating student may, in some cases, be used in a master’s degree program if approved by the department chair and the dean of the Graduate School. This includes a maximum of six hours at the 6000 level and above for LSU extension or non-matriculating credit.
• A maximum of 12 hours of transfer credit from other schools may, in some cases, be used in a master’s degree program if approved by the department chair and the dean of the Graduate School. Only six hours applied toward a previous master’s degree may be applied toward a second master’s degree.
• To petition for acceptance of these credits, the student must be currently enrolled, must have completed at least nine hours of graduate residence course work in a degree program at LSU, and must be in good academic standing.
• Transfer credit from other accredited schools must have been earned for graduate residence credit. This course work must be judged appropriate to the student’s program by the graduate faculty of the major department, must have been taught by a professor whose credentials are comparable to those of graduate faculty at LSU, and must, in terms of time invested, be comparable to graduate courses at LSU. Transfer work may not be used to fulfill the master’s program requirement that at least one-half of the minimum required credit be in courses at or above the 7000 level.
• No more than 12 hours of combined credit transferred from other schools and earned as an LSU extension or non-matriculating student may be applied toward a master’s degree at LSU. Credit earned as an LSU extension or non-matriculating student or transferred from another institution must be for course work in which the student earned a grade of “A” or “B.” Courses in which a grade of “C” was earned will not be accepted for transfer into a master’s degree program.
• Transfer work must have been completed within five years of the time the student is eligible to petition. Once transfer credit is approved, it is valid as long as the master’s degree is completed within the five-year time limit or the transfer work is within five years of degree completion.
• Graduate work transferred from other institutions may be applied toward degree requirements, but the grades earned will not be computed in the LSU graduate average nor will transfer work appear on the official transcript. Graduate course work taken at other campuses within the LSU System is not considered transfer credit, and any number of hours may be applied toward a degree if approved by the chair of the student’s department on this campus.

The School of Veterinary Medicine does not transfer credit for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree.

Transcript Procedures and Examples for Undergraduate and Graduate Students Earning Course Credit Based on Transfer, Examination, or Other Means

Those LSU students who obtain transfer credit for courses at other institutions or for credit earned by examination or by other means have these credits distinguished on their LSU transcripts. For example, transcript distinctions can include accepted credit earned at another institution [26], by college level examinations [27], by advanced placement examinations [28], by an international baccalaureate [29], or by military service [30].