Ramapo College accepts credits from all accredited colleges and universities in the United States of America  in accordance with the procedures, laws, and/or standards of the College, the State, and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.  Ramapo College may accept credits from international institutions after an evaluation of coursework has been completed by a recognized evaluation service.

Ramapo College allows for credits earned in settings outside of the Ramapo College curriculum, regardless of mode of delivery, to be applied to the Ramapo degree program provided those credits meet the established criteria associated with the specific type of transfer credit.  Transfer credit at Ramapo College consists of the following types:

• Scores achieved in Advanced Placement Examinations of the College Entrance Examination Board or scores earned on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Test;
• Credits earned at other accredited colleges and universities or at new, but non-accredited colleges and universities where the institution is a recognized candidate for accreditation;
• International coursework evaluated by a recognized evaluation service that is approved by the National Association of Credit Evaluation Services (NACES);
• Course work taken in military service which is recommended for baccalaureate credit by the National Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in Armed Services, published by the American Council of Education;
• Course work taken through training programs which is recommended for baccalaureate credit by the National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs, published by the American Council of Education;
• Scores achieved on examinations taken through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or the like, used to earn college credit;
• Foreign language credit through Foreign Language Proficiency Testing Service of New York University (NYU);
• Students can also earn credit for Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) after the completion of a portfolio and review by a faculty member (Please see PLA policy for details on PLA credits).

All transfer student applications and transcripts are reviewed by the Office of Admissions. Transfer students who apply and will be transferring in 45 or more college credits do not need to submit high school transcripts or SAT/ACT scores.  Those with below 45 college credits must also submit high school transcripts and are encouraged to submit standardized (SAT/ACT) scores.

Transfer of academic credits completed at a regionally accredited college/university or program with a grade of C (2.0) or better, regardless of mode of delivery, will be considered for advanced standing, provided it is consistent with Ramapo College’s curriculum. In evaluating a student’s transcript, only the academic credits transfer; the grade does not transfer. A student’s grade point average at Ramapo will reflect only credits earned at Ramapo College.

International students must submit an evaluation of coursework by a recognized evaluation service (e.g., WES). Based on that evaluation, credit is awarded on a course-by-course basis.

Although accepted transfer credits count toward the 128 required for graduation, the specific applicability of these credits toward course requirements must be approved through the transfer evaluation and advisement process. For General Education purposes, only those transfer credits which are accepted in the semester of matriculation will be considered for possible waiver of general education requirements.

According to the State-Wide Transfer Agreement that was signed on December 13, 2006, “An A.A or A.S degree from a NJ Community college will be fully transferrable as the first two years of a baccalaureate degree program at NJ four-year institutions.  (See NJ Transfer Agreement for all related procedures.)

The transcripts of Associate of Applied Science degree recipients who are admitted to the college will be evaluated on a course per course basis because of the technical or occupational nature of such programs.

Up to 65 credits (including 100/200 level CLEP) credits, regardless of mode of delivery, may be accepted from a two-year college, or 80 from a four-year college. A maximum of 80 credits, regardless of mode of delivery, may be earned by submitting any of the following to the Admissions Office for evaluation:

• Scores achieved in Advanced Placement Examinations of the College Entrance Examination Board or scores earned on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Test;
• Credits earned at other accredited colleges and universities or at new, but non-accredited colleges and universities where the institution is a recognized candidate for accreditation;
• Course work taken in military service which is recommended for baccalaureate credit by the National Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in Armed Services, published by the American Council of Education;
• Course work taken through training programs which is recommended for baccalaureate credit by the National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs, published by the American Council of Education;
• Scores achieved on examinations taken through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or the like, used to earn college credit;
• Foreign language credit through Foreign Language Proficiency Testing Service of New York University (NYU).

Transfer credits which are not approved as applicable toward any specific course requirements will count as electives. Transferred courses may apply toward major, minor, school core, general education, and/or elective requirements.

In cases where academic approval for course equivalency has not yet been established and approved by a Convening Group (i.e. a student has been accepted from an institution that Ramapo has never accepted before), credit will not be equated at the time of initial transfer.  It will count as elective credit, but not towards a particular degree program.    If a student wishes to have a particular course evaluated or counted, the student may contact the Convener of a program to review the course and its potential for transfer credit. If the Convener approves the transfer equivalency, that approval will be sent to the Associate Director of Transfer Admissions who will update the appropriate systems.

In some cases, it may be necessary to complete more than the minimum number of credits required for graduation from Ramapo College.

Transfer Degree Requirements

Each student passes through three overlapping phases in preparing for a degree: General Education course work, a school core program, and a major program of study. This format applies to all students and is guided by the College’s academic expectations and graduation requirements.

To be eligible for a baccalaureate degree at Ramapo College, each student must:

1. Complete a minimum of 128 graduation credits;
2. Have a 2.0 cumulative grade point average as well as a 2.0 grade point average in the major;
3. Complete a minimum of 48 credits at Ramapo;
4. Complete the last 32 credits at Ramapo;
5. Satisfy all the General Education, School Core, and Major requirements.

Transfer General Education Requirements

• All of the General Education requirements are waived for transfer students with an Associate of Arts (AA) or an Associate of Science (AS) from a NJ community college. Some of the General Education requirements are waived for transfer students with a degree from a college outside of NJ or with a specified number of credits. General Education courses required are noted on the audit.
• Any General Education requirement can be fulfilled with the appropriate transferred course.
• An Associate of Applied Science (AAS) does not waive any General Education requirements.
• The fact that a course is waived from a student’s General Education requirements does not mean it is also waived from a School core or major requirement. Only the convener of the major may waive a course from the major. Only the Dean may waive a course from the School core.

Double counting: In many instances, a course may fulfill more than one requirement. A course may count in a major and/or minor and/or General Education and/or School core. Although the course may fulfill two requirements, its credit value does not double.

Ramapo College’s New Jersey Statewide Transfer Agreement Appeals Process

Students who wish to appeal a perceived misinterpretation of the policies agreed upon in the NJ Statewide Transfer Agreement  must submit a written appeal to the Director of the Center for Student Success within 30 days of receiving his/her credit evaluation. Appeals should be submitted electronically to success@ramapo.edu.  They must include the reason for the appeal and any needed documentation supporting the request.

The appeal will be reviewed by the College’s NJSTA appeals committee.  The Center for Student Success director will then provide a decision to the student within 14 days of receipt of the appeal. All decisions will be communicated to the student via the student’s Ramapo College email account, which requires the student to establish and regularly maintain a Ramapo e-mail account prior to submitting the appeal.

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