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Credit by Validation

College-level coursework successfully completed at non-regionally accredited post-secondary institutions and formal learning experiences that have been identified, evaluated, and recommended by a university recognized accrediting body (e.g. National College Credit Recommendation Service (National CCRS) and/or the American Council on Education are eligible for the credit by validation process. 

 

Requirements

Coursework must be completed with a grade of C- or above to be eligible for review. The appropriate faculty will assess the coursework and make a credit/no credit determination. Transfer credit will be awarded based on the nature, level, content, and comparability of the course to university offerings. 

Coursework offered at institutions lacking accreditation or recognition by their country’s Ministry of Education is not eligible for evaluation and the award of transfer credit. 

After enrolling at Ohio State, students with coursework eligible for credit by validation will be notified on their transfer credit report. Individual courses eligible for further review will not be added to a student’s advising report or transfer credit report until the coursework is evaluated by the appropriate transfer credit coordinator and a credit determination has been made. Students are responsible for initiating the credit by validation process below to have their coursework further reviewed. 

 

Credit by Validation Process

Step 1

View your transfer credit report. If coursework is eligible for credit by validation, the transfer institution will be listed on your transfer credit report with note and a row indicating the semester, credits and institution name.  

Transfer credit report. If coursework is eligible for credit by validation, the transfer institution will be listed on your transfer credit report with note and a row indicating the semester, credits and institution name.

Step 2

Discuss with your academic advisor which courses from your previous institution may count toward degree requirements and should be submitted for further review. 

Step 3

Identify the appropriate transfer credit coordinator(s) to further evaluate the specific coursework. For example, an English course should be evaluated by the English Department. If assistance is needed to identify the academic department, please contact the Transfer Credit Center at SAE-TransferCredit@osu.edu and the appropriate department will be provided. 

Step 4

Contact the appropriate transfer credit coordinator(s) and inform the coordinator you are seeking further review of your coursework through the credit by validation process. Students are required to provide the following information to the transfer credit coordinator. 

  • Student ID and Name.number 
  • Name of transfer institution
  • Course subject, number, and title
  • Credit hours (clarify semester vs. quarter)
  • Course grade (must earn C- or above)
  • Year and term
  • Course syllabus

Step 5

The transfer credit coordinator will review the coursework and make a credit/no credit determination. If determined appropriate for the award of transfer credit (Ohio State equivalent, special or technical credit), the coordinator will submit a departmental credit evaluation to the Transfer Credit Center. The Transfer Credit Center will process the evaluation and the credit will then post to the student’s transfer credit report and advising report. Coursework determined not eligible for the award of Ohio State transfer credit will not be posted to the student’s academic record. 

References and Support

For additional information regarding accreditation, please reference the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions on the U.S. Department of Education’s website. Questions regarding accreditation can be directed to the SAE-TransferCredit@osu.edu