Credit Available to Undergraduate Students

The University of Wyoming offers credit towards an undergraduate degree through:

I. University of Wyoming Credit

Instructed Classes

Courses are offered on campus and at distance settings around the state, including recognized academic courses under faculty general supervision such as internships, clerkships, clinical experience, co‑op programs, etc.

Distance courses

Unlike some institutions, UW delivers courses at a distance through its mainstream academic departments, not through a separate academic unit. Academic department heads have the authority to assign instructors to distance-delivered courses, including online courses. They also have a responsibility to ensure that those courses are comparable in rigor and effectiveness to courses delivered face to face.

For this reason, when a department offers a UW course both face to face and at a distance, any UW student may satisfy any relevant university-, college-, and department-level requirements or elective credit by taking the course in either format.

Exceptions may arise when it is necessary to reserve space in a distance-delivered course for off-campus students, who can’t take the face-to-face version. In these cases, departments may reserve spaces for off-campus students. But to the extent that spaces remain available after all interested off-campus students have enrolled, these spaces must be available to interested on-campus students.

Credit by Examination

An examination of an appropriate type and content for the credit sought may be conducted to determine if the applicant’s proficiency is equivalent to that which could be expected upon completion of a college-level course in the subject. An applicant found to have this level of proficiency will be awarded credit for that course and allowed to proceed either with more advanced courses or with courses in other areas.

The use of credit by examination, or credit for prior learning, in graduate programs is not allowed.

Information concerning credit by examination can be obtained by contacting the Office of the Registrar.

Departmental Exams

While there is no maximum placed on the amount of credit earned by examination, credit so earned does not count in fulfilling the residency requirement of 30 hours of upper division University of Wyoming credit.

A student may not be allowed credit by examination in a course in which the student is currently or was previously enrolled either for credit or as a visitor or auditor, except that credit by examination may be used as a means to obtain credit for courses previously taken at institutions from which credit is nontransferable. A student may not challenge equivalent courses.

A student may not earn credit by examination in a course if the student has completed a course in the subject matter area above the level of the course for which the examination is sought. However, at the discretion of the departments involved, during the add/drop period a student may challenge a lower-level course while enrolled in a higher-level course in the same subject matter area, if the course challenged is a prerequisite for the course in which the student is currently enrolled.

If an examination exists, eligible students who pay the testing fee of $80.00 may not be denied an examination in the introductory undergraduate course in any department. “Introductory course” is interpreted as that course which is prerequisite for successive courses in the department. Additional fees for examinations offered by testing agencies other than the University of Wyoming are determined by the agency concerned.

Grades of S or U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) are given in all examinations. Credit by examination is not included in the student’s grade point average; it is, however, included in the hours earned toward graduation. The grade of S is the equivalent of a C or better. See below for specific subject requirements. Entry on the student’s academic record for credit by examination is made only if a grade of S is obtained and is noted as a grade obtained by examination.

To qualify for undergraduate credit, the student must be currently registered at the University of Wyoming as a degree candidate. The student must also be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the chair of the department involved that background experience has prepared him or her to attempt a challenge examination if such an examination is sought. The department chair’s decision will be based upon existing departmental constraints such as accreditation, graduation requirements, and program requirements.

Other Options Include:

• Subject CLEP tests
• AP tests
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• DSST

Students showing proficiency by passing examinations such as the College Board Advanced Placement Program (AP), for example, or examinations developed by University of Wyoming departments may earn college credit through the level of demonstrated proficiency. Credit may be allowed on the basis of any testing procedure acceptable to any department, which may include tests of the AP program and both the general and subject (specific) examinations of the College Level Examinations Program (CLEP).

Advanced Placement (AP) Information

*Partial V: Students receiving partial V credit may satisfy the Wyoming government portion of the requirement by taking an exam on Wyoming State politics.

College Level Examination Prep (CLEP)

DANTES Standardized Subject Tests (DSST)

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Portfolio Evaluations

In recognition of factors in our society that produce great individual differences in backgrounds and preparation of students entering the university, the university has developed various options to assess extrainstitutional college-level learning. To qualify for undergraduate credit, the student must be currently registered at the University of Wyoming as a degree candidate.

Credit based on faculty evaluation of the kinds and extent of collegelevel learning which an applicant has acquired in prior extra-institutional settings, evidenced in a portfolio of documentation, may count toward university undergraduate graduation requirements. In such event, the student’s degree program can be enriched by freeing time needed to take additional courses, or accelerated to earn the baccalaureate degree earlier and commence postgraduate studies sooner.

The number of credit hours able to be earned by means of a portfolio evaluation is normally limited to 12. Such credit, when awarded, shall be for specific University of Wyoming content-oriented courses (rather than given as X number of hours of credit in a general discipline area), following the college course model of assessment as defined by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. Portfolio assessment, when used, will be conducted by a committee of appropriate tenured faculty including at least one member with the academic rank of professor. All credit assigned for experiential learning based upon portfolio evaluations is excluded from the minimum credit hour requirements as set forth in the university requirements.

II. Transfer Credit

Transfer credit includes college courses accepted from other regionally-accredited colleges or universities. Such course work must be considered equivalent or comparable to course work required by the University of Wyoming. The university accepts only academic courses in the study of religion similar to those offered by the Religious Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Students transferring to UW must have the registrar or records office of the previous school(s) send an official transcript to the University of Wyoming Admissions Office. Once all final transcripts have been received by the Admissions Office, the degree analysts in the Office of the Registrar will create an electronic record of all courses that transfer to UW.

Evaluations are not accomplished for students working toward a Second Bachelor’s Degree or those admitted as non-degree seeking. Second Bachelor’s students should consult with their adviser concerning the applicability of transfer work to their UW degree program.

The recording of credit does not automatically imply acceptance toward a degree since degree requirements vary from major to major. Questions concerning the transferability of course work from other institutions should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.

Nontraditional credits awarded by another institution will not normally be accepted by the University of Wyoming. They may be validated by departmental exam within the faculty regulations allowing for such examinations.

a. UW Policy (Academic Affairs Policy Letter, October 9, 2012)

UW maintains a system for accepting transfer credits from other institutions and prides itself on forward-looking approaches to distance education. The following clarifies policies for:

• Accepting transfer credit from Wyoming’s public community colleges
• Accepting transfer credit for students transferring to UW from other institutions
• Accepting transfer credit for students enrolled at UW

1. Transfer credit from Wyoming’s public community colleges
   UW generally accepts credit earned at any Wyoming public community college in accordance with the Wyoming Transfer Catalog. This policy applies to students transferring to UW and to students enrolled at UW who take courses at one of these community colleges while they pursue degrees at UW. 
   UW maintains an active regimen of institution-wide and discipline-specific articulation with Wyoming community colleges. These discus­sions, together with department-driven decisions about which courses to list in the statewide common course-numbering system, provide mechanisms that can ensure appropriate levels of course equivalency.
2. Transfer credit for students transferring from other institutions
   The UW Office of the Registrar (OTR) maintains a list of course equivalencies and courses accepted for general credit from other institutions of higher learning. In maintaining this list, the OTR, in consultation with academic departments as necessary, determines which outside courses:

• are equivalent to specific UW courses
• count for general university-level credit
• are not transferable for university-level credit

For courses beyond the 1000-2000 level and in cases where ques­tions arise, the OTR relies on academic departments to assist in the assessment.

For any student transferring to UW from another institution of higher learning, UW will adhere to the OTR’s equivalencies on the date that the transcript is evaluated. If a course in question has not previously been articulated, the OTR will follow the normal protocol to make a determination. If an academic department determines that an outside course has been improperly articulated, the OTR will correct the equivalency. The corrected equivalency will apply to subsequent transfer students but not retroactively.

3.Transfer credit for students enrolled at UW

The university’s faculty and administration expect UW students to earn credits by taking courses at UW. Exceptions may be appropriate in some instances. For example, the university encourages students to pursue opportunities to study abroad, whether through UW course offerings or through other approved programs. As another example, a student who spends a summer in another university town may also have a compelling case for taking a non-UW course and applying the credits to the UW transcript. There are many other possibilities.

For any student enrolled at UW, the university will guarantee transfer credits only for courses for which the student has received prior, course-specific approval from the Office of the Registrar. A Transfer Evaluation Form should be submitted prior to enrolling for a transfer course.

The only exceptions are transferable credits from Wyoming com­munity colleges, as discussed above. In considering requests of this type, academic department heads may take into account the student’s circumstances, department, and university-level learning outcomes such as global awareness, and the department faculty’s assessment of the course’s content, level, and academic rigor.

This policy has no effect on such programs as WICHE’s Internet Course Exchange and other inter-institutional arrangements through which courses taught elsewhere count as credit-bearing UW courses.

b. Process

Transfer credit includes college courses accepted from other ac­credited colleges or universities. Such course work must be considered equivalent to course work required by the University of Wyoming. Students transferring to UW must have the registrar or records of­fice of previous school(s) send an official transcript to the University of Wyoming Admissions Office. Once all final transcripts have been received by the Admissions Office, the degree analysts in the OTR will create an electronic record of credit transferred.

The recording of credit does not automatically imply acceptance toward a degree since degree requirements vary from major to major. Questions concerning the transferability of course work from other institutions should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.

c. Articulation: Earned Associate Degrees

1. Wyoming Community Colleges
   Students entering UW beginning Fall 2001 who have completed an AA, AS, ADN, or AB degree from a Wyoming Community (spring 2001 or later) College receive credit toward completion of the lower division general education requirements included in the University Studies Program with the exception of the US/WY Government and Constitutions requirement. Students with an eligible associate’s degree who have not completed both components of the US/WY Government and Constitutions requirement must complete it with coursework or challenge exam.
   This policy applies to graduates receiving an Associate of Arts, and Associate of Sciences, Associate Degree Nursing, or an Associates of Business degree from any of the seven Wyoming Community Colleges. All graduates with an AA, AS, ADN, or AB degree complete a mini­mum of 64 college-level credits with a minimum of 2.000 GPA.
2. Community College Articulation: effective spring 2012
   Graduates of regionally-accredited Colorado community colleges earning an AA/AS Spring 2012 or later are awarded the lower-division general education core in the same manner as graduates of Wyoming community colleges, with the exception of the US/WY Government and Constitutions requirement. Students must complete the Wyoming component through coursework or challenge exam. Spring 2008 (and later) graduates of Pikes Peak Community College are included due to a pre-existing articulation agreement.
   Spring 2012 and later AA/AS graduates of Western Nebraska, Mid- Plains (Nebraska), and Colby (Kansas) Community Colleges will be extended the lower-division general education core in the same manner as Colorado schools above.
3. Community College Articulation: effective spring 2015
   Graduates of regionally-accredited institutions earning an AA/ AS/AB Spring 2015 or later are awarded the lower-division general education core in the same manner as graduates of Wyoming com­munity colleges, with the exception of the US/WY Government and Constitutions requirement. Students must complete the Wyoming component through coursework or challenge exam.

Transfer Credit from Regionally-Accredited U.S.Colleges and Universities

The Wyoming Transfer Catalog is a searchable online database of courses which the University of Wyoming has previously articulated from regionally-accredited U.S. institutions. Coursework may transfer in as equivalent, elective or NA. Elective coursework may be a general elective, academic department specific elective and/or elective with University Studies (USP) credit. Transfer courses which return values of “NA” in the UW Subject field are considered to be not transferable to UW.

UW operates on semester credit; credit is awarded credit hour for credit hour. Quarter hours are recognized as two-thirds (2/3) of a semester hour.

Academic advisors may submit an elective course to fulfill a major or curricular requirement. Elective courses may also be considered for University Studies requirements via the University Studies Petition process.

Students intending to transfer to UW are encouraged to meet with advisors and review both the Wyoming Transfer Catalog and the UW Catalog when planning their program of study to ensure courses taken elsewhere will transfer to UW as intended for their desired major. Final determination of transfer credit acceptance is made by the University Registrar and faculty. Students must submit official transcripts of all completed coursework before a final determination can be made on credit transfer.

These equivalencies are subject to change without notice.

d. Transfer Credit for Study Abroad

Study abroad coursework is evaluated based off the documentation provided by the student and what is available to the Office of the Registrar. It is the students’ responsibility to review the transfer work and to provide any course documentation (syllabi, descriptions, sample course work) to the Office of the Registrar. Once the transcripts received from the study abroad experience have been evaluated, students will have one year from that date to make any appeals or changes to what was initially awarded. Requests for changes to transfer credit awarded through study abroad following one year of the initial review will not be processed.

III. Credit Evaluation Policy for VA Funded Students

 The degree analysts in the Office of the Registrar determine whether the course work is transferable to UW. Evaluations for the granting of credit for military-based training are based on recommendations in the American Council of Education (ACE) guidelines. Individual colleges will deter­mine whether such course work is applicable to their degree programs.