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Transfer Information                                

Transfer to WNC

Students declared as degree/certificate seeking may request to have transfer credits evaluated by submitting a to Admissions and Records.

  • Students must also submit official transcripts or training records and then allow up to 4-6 weeks for the evaluation to be completed.
  • When completed, students will be able to view their transfer credit in myWNC and can run a degree audit report to determine how transfer credits apply toward their intended degree or certificate program. An email will be sent to each student when the transfer evaluation is completed.
  • In general, only credits applicable to the students specified degree or certificate program listed on the Petition for Credit Evaluation form will be transferred to the students WNC record. If a student later submits a Petition for Transfer Credit Evaluation form for a different degree or certificate, additional credits may be applied. Whatever credits were granted for the previous request will remain on a students record.

Admissions and Records will accept only official transcripts from other colleges, universities, high schools, and educational testing sources; unofficial copies will not be accepted.

  • A transcript must be sent directly to Admissions and Records by mail or electronically from the applicable institution to be considered official
  • faxed copies will not be accepted
  • A transcript that is hand carried in a sealed envelope to Admissions and Records that was mailed to the student directly from the applicable institution may be accepted as official provided the envelope has not been opened.

Regional Accreditation and Acceptance of Transfer Credits

Credits earned in institutions of higher learning that are accredited by a Regional Accrediting Organization are normally transferable, provided the courses are comparable to those offered by WNC and are applicable towards degree requirements.

Regional Accrediting Organizations include:

  • Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges
  • Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
  • New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
  • WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)

Credits earned from schools that are not regionally accredited will be considered nontraditional education.

WNC can accept transfer credit as follows:

Only transfer credits that apply toward a requirement (including required electives) will be applied toward a degree or certificate.

Students must complete a minimum of 15 credits at WNC that are applicable to the degree or certificate they are seeking.

Associates Degree:

  • A maximum of 45 credits or 75 percent of the total credits for a degree, whichever is greater, from all sources as listed below may be applied toward an associate degree.
    • A maximum of 45 semester credits or 75 percent of the total credits required for a degree, whichever is greater, may be accepted from regionally accredited colleges or universities toward an associate degree.
    • A maximum of 30 semester hours of credit may be accepted from approved credit by examination programs.
    • A maximum of 15 semester hours of credit may be accepted from non-traditional programs.

Bachelors Degree:

  • A maximum of 90 credits or 75 percent of the total credits for a degree, whichever is greater, from all sources as listed below may be applied toward a bachelors degree.
    • A maximum of 90 semester credits or 75 percent of the total credits required for a degree, whichever is greater, may be accepted from regionally accredited colleges or universities toward a bachelors degree.
    • A maximum of 60 semester hours of credit may be accepted from approved credit by examination programs.
    • A maximum of 15 semester hours of credit may be accepted from non-traditional programs.

Certificate of Achievement:

  • A maximum of 15-18 credits from all sources as listed below may be applied toward a certificate of achievement. (varies by certificate program)
    • A maximum of 15-18 semester credits may be accepted from regionally accredited colleges or universities toward a certificate of achievement. (varies by certificate program)
    • A maximum of 15 semester hours of credit may be accepted from non-traditional programs.
    • A maximum of 15 semester hours of credit may be accepted from approved credit by examination programs.

Grades are not transferable but may be utilized when determining eligibility for financial assistance and/or admission to special academic programs and to determine the minimum GPA required for graduation.

Evaluation of Transfer Requirements:

  • Courses from NSHE institutions will be accepted for equivalent courses per common course numbering.
  • NSHE courses with no equivalents and courses from other institutions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on the course title, designator, credits, course numbering system used by the institution and course description if available.
  • Upper division courses are generally not acceptable for general education requirements, but may apply towards emphasis requirements on a case by case basis.
  • Graduate level courses are not accepted to fulfill degree and/or certificate requirements.
  • WNC Faculty are consulted for input when needed to determine if a transfer course is equivalent to a WNC course and/or should fulfill a program requirement.

Transfer Credit Appeals Process

If a student disagrees with a transfer credit evaluation

  • the student is encouraged to obtain and submit further written information about the course(s) in question such as a course outline or syllabus, and/or a course description if it was not originally available.

If a student questions an evaluation from a non-traditional source,

  • the student is encouraged to obtain further written information about the training including number of hours of the training, information about the training source, accreditation, etc.

Admissions and Records will reconsider amending the original evaluation if such information is provided.

If such information is not available, and/or if the student disagrees with the second evaluation, the student may file a Transfer Credit Evaluation Appeal.

The Registrar will first view the appeal.

  • If the reason a course was not transferred in as requested is a result of a course not meeting policies such as fulfilling the minimum number of credits required for a requirement, the course was developmental, the course was not completed at a regionally accredited institution, etc. the Registrar will make a final decision about course transferability.
  • If the reason is not based on such a policy then the appeal and all related information will be forwarded to the applicable department faculty and/or Division Director. The decision of the faculty/Division Director will be final.
  • If a request is denied, the student will be given a reason for the denial via email.

Students may request a review of a transfer credit evaluation by the NSHE Articulation Coordinating Committee if not satisfied with the final decision from WNC by submitting a .

 

Fractional Credits

Quarter credits are worth 2/3 of a semester credit.

Students who lack fractional credits in any area(s) of general educational or program requirements should see a counselor.

  • If a student lacks fractional credits in any area(s) of general education requirements, the student may satisfy the requirement(s) by completing other listed general education courses provided the student completes at least the minimum total requirements listed in the general education section for any degree or certificate. 
  • While an area or areas may be a fraction of a credit less than required, the total general education credits may not be reduced.
  • While a specific program requirement can be satisfied with a fraction of a credit less than required, the total program requirements can not be reduced.

International Colleges

Credit may be awarded from some recognized colleges and universities outside of the country.

  • Students must have a course by course evaluation completed by an approved transcript evaluation service.
  • An official copy of the transcript and English translation might also be required depending on the transcript evaluation service used.
  • Credit for English/communications requirements is accepted only from institutions located in the following countries: Australia, Canada, England, Ireland and New Zealand.

Contact Admissions and Records for further information.

Non-Traditional Education

Credit for Prior Learning Experience and Non-Traditional Education

WNC recognizes that students accumulate a great deal of information and knowledge outside of the college environment from various training, non-traditional educational sources, and work experience. Therefore, WNC will consider awarding credit for prior experiential learning to students who have been accepted to the college and are declared as degree/certificate seeking.

  • Students may request to have non-traditional training and/or credits evaluated by submitting a to Admissions and Records.
  • Students must submit official transcripts, training records, certificates or military forms and then allow 4 to 6 weeks for the evaluation to be completed.
  • Once completed, students will be able to view their transfer credit in myWNC and can run a degree audit report to determine how the transfer credits apply toward their intended degree or certificate program. An email will be sent to each student when the transfer evaluation is completed.

In general, only credits applicable to the students specified degree or certificate program will be transferred to the students WNC record.

Non-Traditional Education

  • A minimum of 45 contact hours or 15 hours of instruction plus two hours of outside preparation per contact hour is required for each credit awarded.
  • The college may accept a maximum of 15 credits from non-traditional sources to include the following: 
    • Correspondence courses

    • Extension courses

    • Post-secondary institutions without regional accreditation

    • Certificate training

    • Other recognized sources

  • The above sources must meet the minimum standards for accreditation by national or state recognized agencies.
  • Credits from non-traditional sources are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
  • In general, credit is awarded only for those courses or training experiences that are comparable to those courses offered by Western Nevada College.
  • Certain credits may be applicable to satisfy course requirements for occupational degrees while others may be used as elective credit primarily for the AGS and AAS and Bachelor of Applied Science degrees and for Certificate of Achievement only.
  • Credit from non-traditional courses is generally not granted for courses that are considered transferable within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE).
  • Correspondence credit from regionally accredited institutions can be applicable towards all degrees.

Credit For Military Service

  • Veteran students and students who are active military and declared as degree/certificate seeking are encouraged to submit a copy of their military transcript, JST or Air Force, and their DD214 and records of approved examinations (if applicable) to determine if credit may be awarded for military service and/or training. This is required for veterans receiving military benefits.
  • WNC will consider recommendations from ACE, the American Council of Education, when granting military credit.
  • Although credit from a military transcript can be granted towards any WNC degree or certificate of achievement, up to 45 credits may apply towards an Associate of General Studies degree.

Students can use the following links to order official military transcripts to be sent to WNC for evaluation:

  • Joint Services Transcript for Army, Navy, Marine Cops and Coast Guard
  • Air Force

Information on military training and courses that have been previously evaluated for transfer may be found at the link below.

Veterans who have completed more than one year of active duty and were honorably discharged may be granted non-traditional credit from a DD214, up to a maximum of four credits.

Veterans and active duty military seeking additional information or assistance can contact:

Credit By Examination

A maximum of 30 units for an associate degree, 15 units for a certificate of achievement, or 60 units for a bachelors degree, accumulated through an acceptable credit by examination process, may be accepted toward degree requirements. Credit earned by examination may not apply toward satisfying the minimum on-campus resident credit requirements.

The following examinations and transcript evaluation are permissible for determining credit by examination:

  • College Board Advanced Placement Examination (CBAPE)

  • College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

  • Excelsior College Exam

  • International Baccalaureate (IB)

  • Dantes Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)

  • American Council on Education (ACE) Corporate Credit

  • Challenge Examinations

  • Other national testing organizations may be considered

Challenge Examinations:

The college recognizes that students accumulate information outside the classroom without formal instruction. There are times when this information may be extensive enough to satisfy the requirements of courses offered by the college.

For this reason, with approvals, an enrolled student may be allowed to take challenge examinations to receive credit in certain courses. A student interested in these examination procedures should contact Admissions and Records.

Policies relating to challenge exams are:

  1. A student may not challenge a lower level course in the same subject area that the student has already received credit in at a more advanced level.
  2. A student enrolled in a more advanced course may not challenge a lower level course in the same subject area.
  3. A student may not challenge a course that has been previously attempted.
  4. A maximum of 15 credits for challenge examinations is allowed.
  5. A maximum of 15 credits in a single, or related , subject areas is allowed.
  6. Credit earned in challenge examinations are not considered resident credit, do not count as part of a students credit load for any given semester, nor are they computed into the grade point average.
  7. Successful challenge examinations are posted as a pass "P" on the students transcript.
  8. Challenge examinations may not transfer to other academic institutions and may not count for licensing agencies.
  9. WNC reserves the right to deny any petition for challenge examination credit.
  10. A student must be currently enrolled and have completed coursework for credit at WNC before credit by examination will be placed on an official academic transcript.

Students should first view the policies associated with challenge examinations.  Students who believe they might qualify should:

  1. Speak with a full-time instructor who teaches classes in the applicable discipline.   If no full-time instructor is available, a part-time instructor may be authorized to offer an exam with the approval of the Division Director.
  2. The instructor must approve offering a challenge examination; there is no requirement on the part of WNC to offer a challenge examination upon request.
  3. If instructor approval is obtained, students must obtain permission from the Director of Admissions and Records to ensure the WNC polices allow the student to take the exam.
  4. If approved by the Director of Admissions and Records the student is required to pay the $75 challenge exam fee and submit receipt of payment along with the Challenge Examination Request Form to Admissions & Records.
  5. The instructor will administer the exam and forward the results to Admissions and Records for processing.  

Students are responsible for seeking approval(s), arranging to complete the challenge examination, and requesting the official score be posted on the challenge exam form and sent to the Admissions & Records office.

Additional information including fee may be found on the Challenge Examination Request Form.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP):

 Credit may be granted for the satisfactory completion of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) general examinations.

Credit may be granted for the general examinations with a score of 50 or above as follows:

Examination

WNC Course Equivalent

Credit/Units Granted

College Composition

ENG 101 with a score of 50 to 63

3

 

ENG 101 and 102 with a score of 64 or higher

6

American Government

U.S. Constitution 

3

History of the United States I

HIST 101

3

History of the United States II

History Elective

3

Human Growth and Development

HDFS 201

3

Introductory Psychology

PSY 101

3

Introductory Sociology

SOC 101

3

Principles of Macroeconomics

ECON 103

3

Principles of Microeconomics

ECON 102

3

Western Civilization I

HIST Elective

3

Western Civilization II

HIST Elective

3

Calculus

MATH 181

4

Chemistry

CHEM 121*

3

College Algebra

MATH 126

3

College Mathematics

MATH 120

3

Precalculus

MATH 128

5

Information Systems IS 101 3

*Does not include Laboratory credit. CHEM 121 without lab is not applicable to WNC’s nursing program.

A maximum of 3 to 6 semester credits/units may be granted for each subject examination.

In general, WNC will grant credit according to the standards determined by the University of Nevada, Reno. Credit is not granted for laboratory science and Nevada constitutions.

Contact Admissions and Records for specific information on how credit is granted for each test.

College Board Advanced Placement Examinations: 

 Upon receipt of an official score report from the College Board, WNC can grant credit for Advanced Placement examinations with a score of 3 or higher for students matriculating to WNC in the summer 2016 or later. Prior to summer 2016, some examinations required a minimum score of 4 for credit.

Western Nevada College (WNC) awards credit for Advanced Placement tests as shown below.  Students who matriculated to WNC prior to summer 2016 may require a score of 4 for some examinations

EXAMINATION

SCORE REQUIRED

WESTERN NEVADA COLLEGE COURSE CREDIT

Art

History

3, 4, or 5

Art Elective (3 cr.)

Studio Art

3, 4, or 5

Art Elective (3 cr.)

Biology

3

Lecture (3 cr.)

 

4 or 5

* (3 cr) and BIOL 191* (3 cr)

Chemistry

3

CHEM 121* (3 cr.)

 

4 or 5

CHEM 121* (3 cr.) and CHEM 122* (3 cr.)

Computer Science

Computer Science A

3, 4, or 5

(3 cr.)

Computer Science AB

3

(3 cr.)

Computer Science Principles

4 or 5

3,4 or 5

(3 cr.) and (3 cr.)

CS Elective (3 cr.)

Economics

Microeconomics

3, 4, or 5

(3 cr.)

Macroeconomics

3, 4, or 5

(3 cr.)

English

English Language & Composition

3

(3 cr.)

 

4 or 5

(3 cr.) and (3 cr.)

English Literature & Composition

3

(3 cr.)

 

4 or 5

(3 cr.) and (3 cr.)

Environmental Science

3

Environmental Science Elective (3 cr.)

 

4 or 5

ENV 101 (3 cr.)

Foreign Languages

Any AP foreign language exam in a language that WNC offers in courses numbered 111 &112

Language and Culture

3

111 (4 cr.) and 112 (4 cr.)

 

4

112 (4 cr.) and 211 (3 cr.)

 

5

211 (3 cr) and 212 (3 cr) or Foreign Language elective

OR

Spanish Literature and Culture

3, 4 or 5

SPAN 211 (3 cr) and SPAN 212 (3 cr)

Students may get credit for two courses for a maximum of 8 credits for AP exams in a Foreign Language and Culture/Literature and Culture.

Geography

Human Geography

3,4 or 5

(3 cr.)

History

United States

3, 4 or 5

(3 cr.) and Social Science elective (3 cr.)

European

3, 4 or 5

(3 cr.) and (3 cr.)

World: Modern

3, 4, or 5

HIST 208 (3 cr) and HIST 209 (3 cr)

Mathematics

Calculus AB (or AB subscore on BC exam)

3, 4, or 5

(4 cr.)

Calculus BC

3, 4, or 5

(4 cr.) and (4 cr.)

Statistics

3, 4, or 5

(3 cr.)

Music

Theory

3, 4, or 5

Music Elective (3 cr.)

Physics

Physics 1

3, 4, or 5

PHYS 151* (3 cr.)

Physics 2

3, 4, or 5

PHYS 152* (3 cr.)

Physics C: Mechanics

3, 4, or 5

PHYS 180* (3 cr.)

Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism

3,4 or 5

PHYS 181* (3 cr)

Political Science

Government and Politics

3, 4, or 5

US Constitutions (3 cr)

Comparative Government & Politics

3, 4, or 5

Political Science Elective (3 cr.)

Psychology

3, 4, or 5

(3 cr.)

*Does not include Laboratory credit. CHEM 121 and/or BIOL 190 without lab is not applicable to WNC’s nursing program.

Transfer from WNC

For students who plan to continue their education at a four-year university, A variety of available services make transferring from WNC to a four-year university as easy and efficient as possible. College catalogs from most U.S. colleges are available.

For assistance on transferring, contact Academic Advising and Access:

Transfer Resources:
GBC Transfer Agreements
UNR Transfer Agreements

UNR Transfer Admissions Program (TAP)

The Transfer Admissions Program (TAP) is offered at Western Nevada College. The program allows students to stay connected with the University of Nevada, Reno by receiving monthly reminders on application deadlines, financial aid, transfer events and more. The University of Nevada, Reno visits WNC at least once a month to go over the application process and academic advising. 

TAP features and benefits

  • Stay connected with University of Nevada, Reno faculty and advisors

  • Be reminded of deadlines, such as the February 1st scholarship deadline

  • Be able to receive academic advising while attendingWNC

  • Stay connected to the University while still enrolled at WNC