You may be closer than you think to earning your degree, diploma, or certificate. Kaplan University online will consider accepting transfer credits from accredited postsecondary institutions, various certification exams, and military training and experience. Students applying for credit in any of the categories described below must submit official transcripts, course descriptions, and other supporting documentation prior to the official awarding of credit.

 Previous Education or Training 

Undergraduate Programs

The following general guidelines regarding prior learning credit apply to students enrolled in all undergraduate programs.

  • Credits earned in any combination of prior learning credit will not exceed 75 percent of the credits required for degree programs or 50 percent of the credits required for certificate programs. Prior learning credit includes:
    • College-level courses documented on a college transcript, or transfer credit (TC)
    • Experiential Credit (EC), or portfolio assessment
    • Credit by Examination (CC), which includes:
      • DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs)
      • College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
      • Advanced Placement Program (AP)
      • Defense Language Proficiency Tests (DLPTs)
      • Educational Testing Service (ETS) Excelsior College Examinations
      • Other similar exams
  • Students must complete a minimum of 50 percent of the major requirements for their program, including the capstone course, at Kaplan University.
  • Applications for credit for previous education, training, experiential learning, or through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) must be completed prior to the first day of the course for which the transfer credit is requested.
  • Transcripts from foreign institutions must meet the same requirements as domestic institutions and must be translated and evaluated by an Approved Foreign Credential Evaluator on a course-by-course basis.

    Students must request a course-by-course evaluation of their foreign credentials. This should include:
    • Course titles
    • Credit earned
    • An indication of whether the course is lower or upper division
    • A calculated GPA (recommended)
Graduate Programs

The following general guidelines regarding prior learning credit apply to students enrolled in all graduate programs.

  • A student may apply as many as three courses earned at another college or university toward the total number of credits required for graduation at Kaplan University.
  • Students enrolled in the Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Management, or Master of Science in Nursing programs may apply Challenge Exam credit toward select courses. Contact the Admissions Department for a complete list of eligible courses and eligibility requirements. All other graduate students may only apply transfer credit into their degree programs and are not eligible for other kinds of prior learning credit.
  • Courses must have been completed prior to matriculation.
  • Courses must be relevant to the degree in which the student is enrolled.
  • Graduate transfer work completed more than 5 years prior to admission to Kaplan University will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in order to determine the applicability of the coursework.

Community College Alliance Program

At every opportunity, we work to remove obstacles in your continued education. And Kaplan University’s Community College Alliance Program is no exception. If your community college is a member of this program, you could benefit from a shorter path to your degree. We provide online flexibility with seamless credit transfer between institutions—and you can save 10 percent off your Kaplan University tuition. Click here for more information.