Transfer Credit Policies

New England College may grant credit for course work taken at other regionally accredited colleges in accordance with the recommendations of the “Transfer Credit Practices of Selected Educational Institutions” published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. 

New England College recognizes that this activity must be governed by regulations that are clear, consistent, and equitable. 

The Registrar has the sole authority to grant transfer credit. The transfer credit evaluator, acting on behalf of the Registrar, evaluates all requests for advanced standing and will notify students in writing of credit granted. The evaluator works closely with Associate Deans, faculty, and subject matter experts to ensure that all credit granted is based on the most current academic information. 

Transfer Policies 

• Transfer credit will normally be awarded only for course work completed at regionally accredited institutions of higher education or the equivalent in other countries. A transcript evaluation by an approved evaluation service may be requested for international transcripts.
• A maximum of 8 graduate level transfer credits may be awarded toward a single graduate degree program. Some graduate programs may have additional restrictions on transfer credit, including, but not limited to, the programs and restrictions shown below.
  • Executive master’s programs (executive MBA, MS Data Science, and MS Internet Technology and Cybersecurity) do not allow transfer credit to be awarded.
  • Clinical Mental Health Counseling requires approval from the Program Director for all transfer credit awards. Normally, credit will be no more than 5 years old to be eligible and no more than 2 courses may be transferred. Skills (individual/group counseling) or field experience (practicum/internship) coursework are not eligible for transfer credit.
  • M.Ed. and C.A.G.S. programs require approval from the Program Director for all transfer credit awards for certification purposes.
  • Ed.D. programs require approval from the Program Director. Please see the policy below for more information on the course waiver policy for students with previous doctoral coursework. 
• Students who wish to apply for more than 8 transfer credits must either be admitted under a pre-existing agreement or submit their request in writing with supporting documentation to the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar’s Office will consult with the Program Director and will notify the student of the final decision. 
• Only those courses in which a student has received a grade of B‐ or better will be considered for transfer credit. Students transferring from institutions where course work is graded by non‐traditional mechanisms must request that the institution provide letter equivalents or written evaluations from individual instructors. 
• New England College awards credit only; grades and other academic honors from other institutions are not recorded on a student’s academic record. 
• Students who repeat courses at New England College for which they have already received transfer credit will lose that transfer credit. 
• Transfer credit of any type granted by other institutions must be reevaluated by New England College prior to granting New England College credit. Students must have an official transcript sent to New England College from each school attended. 
• No graduate credit will be granted for the following: 
  • continuing education units (CEUs)
  • undergraduate level courses
  • social activities
  • Correspondence courses, unless recognized and offered by the U.S. Armed Forces Institute
  • Internship or practicum courses 

Transfer Credit Evaluation Process

Evaluation for transfer credit will be made at the time of a student’s admission to New England College. Students who have attended other institutions of higher education must include official transcripts from all previous institutions in their application, regardless of whether or not they wish to be granted credit for that work. Course work in progress at the time of application will be evaluated on a tentative basis and credit awarded pending receipt of an official transcript.

The evaluator reviews each course on an individual basis by comparing catalog course descriptions and reviewing any other appropriate documents. It is the student’s responsibility to provide additional materials as requested by the College for an evaluation of transfer credit. A course equivalent will be assigned to each course granted transfer credit, and the evaluator will indicate if that credit will apply to degree requirements. Transfer credits are awarded on a credit‐by‐credit basis only. A 3 credit course taken at another institution will satisfy a 4 credit requirement at NEC, but only 3 credits of transfer will be granted for that course. Students transferring from institutions on the quarter‐hour system will be granted 0.67 semester hours per quarter hour.

Not all credits granted will necessarily be applicable to degree requirements. If previous course work is deemed to have no applicability to a degree program, or if no comparable course at New England College can be identified, it will not be added to the transcript.  If the course work is deemed comparable to graduate‐level work and can be used towards a degree, then unassigned elective credit may be granted. 

After a student has enrolled at New England College, any courses taken at other institutions for transfer credit must be approved in advance through the Registrar’s Office. Students must complete the Course Approval Form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office, which coordinates with the respective Program Director for approval, prior to enrolling in a course at another institution. Students who do not receive prior approval will need to petition the Program Director for acceptance of the transfer credit and are not guaranteed approval. 

All transfer credits are tentative until substantiated by official transcripts or documents provided by the original educational institution. 

Doctorate of Education Tuition Waiver Policy 

Students entering the New England College Doctorate of Education program who have completed similar doctoral-level coursework at another institution may be eligible for a tuition waiver for up to four 4‐credit courses, pending approval by the Program Director and Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. Eligible courses must be at the doctoral level and must directly align with courses offered in the EdD curriculum. Students must still enroll and fully participate in all 15 courses in the doctoral curriculum. However, they will not be charged for the courses in the doctoral curriculum that are met through completion of approved external courses. 

Student who completed their Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) from NEC may receive a tuition waiver for similar courses in the NEC Ed.D. program. However, they will need to take the full schedule of courses in the Ed.D. program along with their cohort, but will not be charged for the Ed.D. courses for which they receive a tuition waiver from their CAGS degree. 

The courses that may receive a tuition waiver include: 

1. ED 7003 - Educational Leadership and Critical Issues  may receive tuition waiver for ED 8020 - Seminar in Critical Issues in the Future of Education  (Year I, Summer II) 
2. ED 7020 - Exploring Assessment and Accountability: Controversies and Solutions  may receive tuition waiver for ED 8070 - Seminar in Reforming Educational Practices  (Year 2: Spring I) 
3. ED 7260 - Applied Education Research  and  ED 7510 - Data-Driven Leadership and Action Capstone  may receive tuition waivers for  ED 8065 (HEA 8065) - Literature Review Seminar  (Year 2: Summer I) and ED 8060 (HEA 8060) - Dissertation Seminar I  (Year 2: Summer II) 

To apply for the tuition waiver, students must first have official transcripts sent to the Registrar’s Office before starting their program and request the Program Director review their doctoral coursework. New England College CAGS graduates do not need to submit an official transcript but must still request the Program Director review their NEC coursework. If approved by the Program Director, the student must contact Student Financial Services for the tuition waiver form (additional approvals may be required).