Transfer and Test Credits

Door with transfer Center lettering

Transfer and Test Credits

You've already worked hard - and for that, we give you credit!

Whether you're an incoming student or a current student taking courses at another college or university, you can apply transfer credit to Millikin University.

The Office of the Registrar evaluates transfer credit and credit from a variety of exams and programs. Millikin awards transfer credit based on courses completed from other accredited colleges or universities recognized by the Department of Education from official transcripts received directly from the college or university. Please request that your official transcript be sent directly to Millikin from the institution you attended so that we can evaluate it for transfer credits. If the institution you attended requires an email address of where transcripts should be sent, please use registrar@millikin.edu.

Credit may also be awarded for Advanced Placement Program (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Credit by Proficiency from official score reports received directly from where the exam or program is administered. 

Please select one of the below for more information:

  • Millikin University will accept transfer credit from other accredited colleges or universities recognized by the Department of Education to fulfill Millikin degree requirements, provided the residency rule of completing 33 credits out of the last 45 credits in the degree at Millikin is not violated.  Generally, no more than 66 credit hours from a two-year college will be accepted.  The Registrar, in consultation with the student’s advisor or academic Dean, will determine the merit of a request to exceed the 66-credit rule.  All transfers are required to complete a minimum of 12 credits at Millikin in the chosen major(s).  Transfer students in Nursing must complete a minimum of 20 credits at Millikin in nursing, including enrollment in Senior Seminar.  Transferred letter grades and quality points will not be included in the Millikin overall grade point average (GPA). 

    Guiding Principles for Course Acceptance

    1. Only courses receiving a grade of C- or higher will be accepted in transfer.  Be advised that a grade of C or better is necessary to meet the requirements for some University Studies courses, prerequisite courses, majors, minors and certificates.

    2. Course is at same level as course delivered by Millikin University or approved as reasonable level.  Eg: 100 level courses as 100.

    3. Courses not at same level approval of Registrar/Department through common practice or articulation agreements of the course.

    4. Content of the course is of similar nature of the course delivered by Millikin University.

    5. Elective courses will be accepted when the course is considered in line with the mission and learning goals of Millikin University.

    6. Academic credits will only be accepted if earned in the previous 10 years. Academic departments may specify other time limits for their programs or for specific courses within their programs. Students may appeal academic credit decisions to the appropriate Academic Dean.

    Transfer Credit Acceptance

    If you took, or plan to take coursework at a community college, use the equivalency guides to determine how those courses will transfer to Millikin University.  The course equivalency guides list the courses offered at the community college and how each of those corresponds to courses offered at Millikin University.  Evaluation of transfer courses not on these lists will be completed at the time of receipt of official transcripts.  These guides should be used in conjunction with academic advising and are not a replacement for meeting with your academic advisor to discuss personalized course planning.

    Students with an Associate’s Degree

    Students who have earned an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or an Associate of Science (A.S.) degree from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education are given up to a maximum of 66 credits in transfer.  Entering students who have completed these degrees before matriculating at Millikin University will have met the following University Studies requirements:

    • IN140. University Seminar
    • IN180. University Writing
    • IN280. Writing in the Disciplines
    • IN250. U.S. Cultural Studies
    • IN251. U.S. Structural Studies
    • Creative Arts
    • International Cultures & Structures
    • Natural Science with a Laboratory
    • Oral Communication Studies
    • Quantitative Reasoning

    Students who have completed an A.A. or A.S. degree must complete:

    • IN350. Global Issues
    • Bachelor of Arts Modern Language Requirement
    • Bachelor of Science Distribution Requirement
    • University/School/Division Requirements

  • The Advanced Placement Program is sponsored by the College Board.  A student who has taken Advanced Placement Program examinations should request that his or her scores be sent to Millikin University.  Millikin may award unspecified credit and appropriate placement to students with Advanced Placement Examination grades of 3, 4 or 5.  Exemptions from specific courses are granted subject to department recommendation.  Any Advanced Placement credit is awarded a grade of P for Pass.

    *Codes:  NATL - Natural Science with Lab, QR - Quantitative Reasoning, LIT - Literature, ICS - International Cultures & Structures, FNAR - Creative Arts, USSD - United States Cultural Studies, USD2 - United States Structural Studies, HSST - Historical Studies, 1XX - Elective Credit

  • Students must be out of High School for at least three years and not attending the traditional day program to qualify for CLEP credit. The following applies to credit for CLEP exams: 

    The University grants credit for the College Level Examination Program (General Examinations) on the basis of a minimum score provided the student has not attended secondary school in the past three years. Semester credits may be awarded for each test (as indicated on the chart). In general, credit will be awarded in English and in areas outside the area of major interest of the student. Credits may be applied to elective University Studies requirements. Students are allowed to earn up to 30 credits by successfully completing CLEP exams. Students cannot receive credit for a CLEP exam if they have already attempted the equivalent course. CLEP exams can only be attempted once and cannot be repeated. CLEP credit does not apply towards requirements in the Major.

    *Codes:  NATL - Natural Science with Lab, QR - Quantitative Reasoning, LIT - Literature, ICS - International Cultures & Structures, FNAR - Creative Arts, USSD - United States Cultural Studies, USD2 - United States Structural Studies, HSST - Historical Studies

  • Millikin gives credit for DANTES Subject Standardized Tests.  Official exam scores must be sent to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation.  Only students who have been out of High School for 3 years and not enrolled in the traditional day program can apply this credit toward a Millikin degree.  No credit can be given for courses in the Major.  Only scores of 400 or higher will be considered for credit.

  • Millikin University recognizes the International Baccalaureate program and awards six to eight semester credits for each higher level examination score of 5, 6, or 7. Credit will be awarded in general areas depending upon the subject completed by the student. No credit will be awarded for subsidiary exam results. The University Registrar will make final decision regarding acceptance of International Baccalaureate credit.  Exemptions from specific courses will be granted subject to departmental recommendation. If you have additional questions or would like to discuss the possibilities in more detail, please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@millikin.edu.

  • The purpose of proficiency examinations are to allow students to receive credit for knowledge acquired previously and to allow students to enroll in more advanced courses or to add breadth to their academic programs.  Proficiency evaluations are optional and recommended only for students who are particularly knowledgeable in the discipline in which the evaluation is taken.  Specific information about proficiency evaluations available, the nature of a given evaluation, study guide availability, and test dates may be obtained directly from the appropriate department or school office.

    Credit by proficiency evaluation is equivalent to credit earned by enrollment in a course for purposes of satisfying the university residency requirement, a major requirement, a minor requirement, a general education requirement, and the total hours for a degree requirement.  Credit by proficiency will not factor in the determination of honors, probation, or GPA.   No more than 50% of an academic credential may be satisfied with credits earned through proficiency.

    Proficiency evaluations and course credit resulting from successful completion are given in accordance with the following rules:

    1. Individuals must be admitted to study or enrolled as a Millikin University student at the time the request for proficiency examination is made.
    2. Current students must be in good academic standing at Millikin University. The Registrar must confirm the eligibility of the student to earn credit through demonstrated proficiency.
    3. The student may make only one attempt to earn proficiency credit for a course.
    4. A student is not eligible for credit by proficiency examination for a course if any of the following conditions is satisfied:
      1. There is already an entry on the student’s permanent record for the course.
      2. The course substantially duplicates one or more courses accepted for college entrance or for transfer of credit.
      3. The student has credit in one or more courses in the subject more advanced than the proficiency course.
      4. The student is currently enrolled in the course or in a course more advanced than the proficiency course.
    5. The form used to request completion of a proficiency exam should be completed by the student and submitted to the Office of the Registrar. The Registrar will confirm eligibility and forward a request for exam to the appropriate department chair or school director.
    6.  A report on the outcome of a proficiency exam will be forwarded to the Dean, reporting the score and including a recommendation regarding the awarding of credit for the course. The Dean will, in turn, report the recommendation for credit by proficiency to the Office of the Registrar.
    7. Credit by proficiency examination is entered on the permanent record with a grade of ‘P’ associated with the number of credit hours paid for and approved.

    Students with disabilities should notify the appropriate departmental office of the need for any special accommodations prior to the date of the proficiency examination. Accommodations will be coordinated by professional staff in the Student Success Center.

  • Reverse transfer is a unique process for awarding associate degree to students who have transferred in pursuit of a bachelor's degree before completing the requirements for an associate degree at a two-year institution.  Through reverse transfer, students can combine credits they earned as two-year and four-year institutions to be awarded an associate degree while also working toward a bachelor's degree.  If students provide a signature releasing their academic record and/or transcript to a community college listed below, Millikin University will send an official record to the school.  The community college will determine if they have met the A.A./A.S. degree requirement.