Transfer of Credit

Credits only need to be earned once, wherever this takes place.

Policy

Calvary University upholds the principle that a qualification may be achieved in whole or in part through the recognition of credits earned in formal institutions that employ an acceptable internal quality management system.
Transfer of Credit seeks to preserve what a student has already earned at other higher learning institutions and which is comparable in breadth, depth and quality to the programme to which the student is seeking admittance.

Note: For Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) (credits earned informally through life experience) see a separate document on this topic.

Credits for Formal Learning

With respect to transfer of credit, we refer to credits earned in formal institutions that employ an acceptable internal quality management system. Such a system is described by the twelve Standards of Accreditation as published by CQA at http://www.cquality.org and as summarized on our standards page.

The credits offered by a prospective student for transfer of credit should reflect appropriate levels of academic quality applicable to the programme to which application for access is made. Recognition of Prior Learning may also be used to gain exemption from certain courses within a programme for which a student wishes to enrol. In order to preserve the integrity of the degree awarded, these credits will be offered on a limited basis only. The criteria that reflect learning objectives will be consistently and effectively enforced. These are appropriate to the degree level and include:

• Cognitive retention – memory and grasp of academic knowledge
• Integration of learned facts, principles and models
• Skills and abilities to perform practical and professional tasks

Transfer credits as whole qualifications must also be comparable to a similar CU qualification in order to ensure that the student or candidate has the underlying knowledge and academic ability to enter and undertake the CU qualification programme.

Assessment of Credit

CU requires demonstrable academic content for all experiences for which credit is awarded. Credit awarded will be in line with the course content. Credit for prior experiential or non-collegiate sponsored learning is awarded only at the undergraduate level.

According to the CQA Standards of Accreditation, credit for transfer is awarded for student learning and achievement which will be at least comparable in:

• breadth (different appropriate fields are included)
• depth (detailed tuition and study of the subject matter) and
• quality (learning to the same level and verifiable to similar thoroughness)

      ... to the results normally obtained in a CU learning programme for which application is made.

The following rules for Transfer of Credit will apply:

• Application must be made at the local Learning Centre that will advise as to which documents are needed to serve as proof in the credit transfer process.
• Students must be registered at CU and enrolled locally with all fees current.
• A credit transfer request must be made during the first half of the duration of completing the qualification.
• A minimum of one half of the qualification, on third year Bachelor level, must be completed (e.g. 80 credits above 240 credits).
• Only one request may be made, with all relevant documents (copies) enclosed.

Entry level requirement

The Faculty will, through its local agents, determine whether prior learning is adequate in comparison to the required entry levels for the applied programme. Should the student not comply with the required entry level, a whole programme or number of courses/modules will be suggested to serve as a bridging course towards the earning of a course certificate or a qualification.

Agreements with other Institutions

CU will seek to establish articulation agreements with institutions from which and to which there is a significant pattern of student transfer. Such agreements are made available to those students who can benefit from them.

CU, just like many other well known universities, does not guarantee that other receiving institutions will automatically accept the CU earned credits. A student who plans to continue studies at another college or university for a specific qualification should consider enrolling there in the first place in order to have the guarantee of articulation into such a course. Proof of study activity (such as the workfile) should be gathered on a continuous basis to serve as tangible proof for those institutions or authorities who require such evidence.

Calvary Accreditation

The qualifications offered by Calvary University are accredited internationally by CQA since CU has adopted the CQA Standards of Accreditation. CU itself is incorporated and registered as a fully registered University and Educational Institution in Belize. All qualifications are issued with transcripts and detailed course descriptions, indicating the content objectives of the individual courses or modules contained in every learning programme which leads to a qualification.