Transfer Policy

The following regulations govern the transfer of credits into DeSales University. In all cases, transfer courses must be documented by an official transcript. In some cases, additional information, including syllabi, course descriptions, or other supporting materials may be required.

1)   With the exception of internships, all 3-credit courses taken at institutions accredited by the following regional accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or by the U.S. Department of Education (namely, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and Western Association of Schools and Colleges) are eligible for transfer consideration at DeSales if the courses are meant to be transferable, are completed with a grade of C- or higher, and are consistent with DeSales' mission, philosophy, and liberal arts tradition.

2)   The acceptance or denial of transfer credit is not determined exclusively on the basis of the accreditation of the sending institution or the mode of delivery, but, rather, considers course equivalencies, including expected student learning outcomes and comparison with DeSales' curricula and standards. Courses that are accepted for transfer must be substantially equal in quantity and quality to the DeSales work for which they are offered as a substitute.

3)   No course in which a grade below C- was earned is accepted for transfer credit, except in the case that the student has completed an A.A. (Associate of Arts) or A.S. (Associate of Science) degree. All credits earned in an associate degree program and meant to be transferable will be transferred to DeSales, provided that the student achieved (a) a minimum cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) of 2.0 for all courses presented for the DeSales degree and (b) a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 for courses required in and offered by the major at DSU. If the student has not satisfied both (a) and (b), the student’s courses will be evaluated individually, and only courses in which a C- or higher has been earned will transfer into DeSales.

4)   A student must complete at least 15 courses of three or more credits at DeSales to earn a degree from DeSales. A student can transfer a maximum of 25 courses of three or more credits into DeSales. A minimum of 40 courses of three or more credits are required to earn a DeSales degree.

5)   A student must complete 5 courses in the major at DeSales. (There are several professional programs, e.g., nursing and education, that have additional requirements imposed by their individual accreditation agencies. Please check with the chair or director of those DeSales programs.)

6)   All nursing (NU) courses with a required laboratory or clinical component must be completed at DeSales. For additional information, refer to the Nursing heading in Section 8 of the Undergraduate Catalog.

7)   Only credit is transferred. The grades for transfer courses are not calculated in the student’s DeSales GPA. An exception is that grades earned at LVAIC institutions (Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges: Lehigh University and Cedar Crest, Lafayette, Moravian, and Muhlenberg Colleges) via the cross registration process are included in the calculation of the student’s DeSales GPA. Once courses have been transferred, they become part of the student’s permanent record and cannot be removed.

8)   Courses not using traditional letter grades (A-F) will be considered for transfer only if additional documentation detailing successful completion of the courses is provided.

9) Courses taught online or in a hybrid format will be accepted assuming they meet the criteria above.

10) DeSales courses are assigned as credit hours. Courses evaluated for transfer from colleges and universities with different systems (e.g., quarter hours, units) are converted into credits.

11) The dean of undergraduate education is responsible for the final determination of the acceptance or denial of transfer credit.

12) Depending on status at the time of admittance, students will be exempt from certain parts of the University’s general education core as noted below:

• 0-7 Courses
  • No Exemptions
• 8-17 Courses
  • MOT Philosophy
  • MOT Social Studies
  • Composition and Rhetoric I
  • Composition and Rhetoric II*
  • Foreign Language or World Cultures I
  • Foreign Language or World Cultures II
  • Physical Education 100 & Activities
• 18 or More Courses
  • MOT Philosophy
  • MOT Social Studies
  • Composition and Rhetoric I
  • Composition and Rhetoric II*
  • Foreign Language or World Cultures I
  • Foreign Language or World Cultures II
  • Humanities I
  • Humanities II
  • MOT Mathematics
  • MOT Natural Science
  • MOT Literature
  • Introduction to Catholic Theology
  • Physical Education 100 & Activities

* Students are only exempt from EN104 with the transfer of at least one three-credit English course that includes the writing of a research paper.

13) Core-to-Core Agreement - The DeSales University general education core will essentially be fulfilled by the core of affiliated community colleges with a core-to-core transfer agreement. With appropriate A.A. and A.S. degrees, students will be required to take only two core courses at DeSales: Intermediate Theology and Values Seminar.

14) DeSales University has established articulation agreements with the following eleven community colleges. Each agreement lists courses that have been pre-approved for transfer and courses that will not be accepted for transfer. 

Pennsylvania

• Bucks County Community College
• Community College of Philadelphia
• Delaware County Community College
• Lehigh Carbon Community College*
• Montgomery County Community College*
• Northampton Community College*
• Reading Area Community College

New Jersey

• County College of Morris
• Middlesex County College
• Raritan Valley Community College
• Warren County Community College*

* A core-to-core agreement with DeSales University exists

15) The transfer policy for graduate programs is available 

Guidelines for Transfer Students Entering the Biology Degree

The purpose of these guidelines is to assist the transfer office in determining whether or not a student will be successful as a Biology major at DeSales University. These guidelines should not be viewed as non-negotiable.

Students entering the Biology program post-Freshmen academic standing should have attained a minimum of:

1. A 2.25/4.0 cumulative GPA
2. No grade below a C- in all science courses completed

Students who narrowly fall short of these requirements should be referred to the Department Chair of Biology for final decision. The chair will make the final decision after reviewing the student’s academic record.