Admissions for Transfer Students
Students who have completed courses at another accredited post-secondary institution and want to transfer credits to ECC must submit official transcripts from other institution(s), a completed application, and pay a non-refundable fee. Please note that these documents become the property of ECC and will not be released to a third party or to the student. Any transfer student who has not taken the required placement examination in the last 3 years and does not transfer credits for college level mathematics and English composition, must take the placement examination. Credit may be granted provided the course(s) is/are comparable to course required in an applicant’s chosen major. As transcripts are received, credits are evaluated on a course by course basis. Credit may be granted provided the course work is comparable to or exceeds course work at ECC. A minimum grade of “C” is required for most courses to be transferable; however, courses transferred from NJ colleges and universities may include a “D” grade in non-major courses. Students will be notified via email and/or in writing as to the specific courses and credits that were accepted. To graduate, transfer students must complete at least half the credits toward their degree or certificate requirements and at least half of their major course requirements at ECC.
Transfer In of Credits
As courses at ECC are regarded as equivalent courses at many other colleges and universities in New Jersey and other states and countries, such courses from other institutions, within specified criteria, shall be regarded as potentially transferable to ECC. All decisions with respect to transfer into ECC shall be based on the principle of equivalence of expectations and requirements for native and transfer students. Students who wish to transfer credits may be granted up to half the credits for their Associate degree or certificate, usually 30 and 15 credits respectively. Acceptance of transfer credits may exempt students from placement testing and/or from certain courses.
Most academic credits submitted from regionally accredited two- or four-year institutions of post-secondary education are accepted at ECC. However, not all credits are applicable toward all majors nor all program requirements. Generally, within specified criteria, credits should transfer seamlessly between institutions granted regional/institutional accreditation by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Credit from institutions with other than regional accreditation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Credits from courses that are equivalent to or exceed requirements for ECC comparable requirements will generally be accepted.
As a general principle, in accord with the New Jersey Comprehensive State-Wide Transfer Agreement, credits earned at a New Jersey community college that are approved and applicable under respective general education categories as listed under the State-Wide General Education Course Equivalencies, shall potentially be transferable to ECC toward an Associate degree or certificate and applicable to fulfill corresponding general education and other requirements at ECC. To determine which courses from New Jersey colleges and universities may meet transfer requirements at ECC, see NJ Transfer (www.njtransfer.org). Credit may also be granted after review of selected Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education and Support (DANTES) records. Credits from international academic institutions may, within specified criteria, also be accepted after review from a recognized international academic credential evaluation organization, such as World Education Services, Inc. (www.wes.org). Developmental courses are generally considered non-transferable.
Appeals for transferability of credit may be initiated by an accepted student who has met with a Counselor or Academic Advisor for enrollment purposes. Depending on the nature of the appeal, other documentation in addition to an official transcript may be requested, such as, but not limited to, (1) letter of explanation describing why the appeal is required, (2) syllabus for each course (and outline if available), (3) complete names of textbooks or other course materials, including author(s) and publication details, (4) name of course professor/instructor. The decision from the academic division/department is final and cannot be appealed or changed.
While transfer credits will appear on the official academic transcripts, they are not calculated into the ECC grade point average. This permits students to start fresh and establish a new grade point average. However, grades received in transferred credits can be used to determine admission to certain programs and for certain other conditions of eligibility and recognition.