Whether this is your first time in college after high school or you are transferring from another college to finish your bachelor’s degree, we understand that one of your top priorities is to learn how your past credit will apply to your Florida Poly degree.
All official transcripts and test score reports must be sent to the Office of Admissions as soon as possible. If a transcript is sent while a term is in progress, students are required to send another official copy once final grades are available. This is to include final transcripts reflecting high school, associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate degrees earned at a prior school.
After the transfer credit evaluation is completed, a Degree Planner will be provided to the student during their first term. It will outline how transfer credit was applied and show the remaining courses and requirements needed to complete the degree. The Degree Planner serves as a guide students can reference each term to plan their schedules for future terms.
After a student earns 72 credit hours, the Registrar’s Office will complete a Degree Audit which will show a student’s updated academic progress since their first term at Florida Poly. Degree Audits will only be completed prior to a student earning 72 credit hours if they change majors and/or catalog years.
Students can log in to their CAMS Student Portal and select the Document Tracking link in the left-hand menu. The My Documents screen will list various documents shared with students from different University departments. The Degree Planner and Degree Audit will be part of the “REGISTRATION” department.
Note: Students may need to select the “Include Completed Items?” checkbox on the top of the document list to view items that may be hidden.
To view the document, click on the “IMG” link on the same row as the item you wish to view. Depending on the image, you may have to have a plug-in installed on your browser (Internet Explorer is recommended) in order to see the image in a browser. To save an image document to your hard drive, right click on IMG and select -Save Target as-. Not all document items will have an image associated with it. Email the IT Helpdesk for need technical assistance.
All baccalaureate degree programs at Florida Poly require a minimum of 120 credit hours to complete. Our degree programs provide students with a strong foundation in the fundamentals of their chosen discipline with opportunities to focus in leading-edge areas or simply explore a range of possibilities within the program.
There are also State of Florida requirements and regulations, such as the Excess Credit Hour Surcharge Law, which students must adhere to while completing their degree. When reviewing transfer and exam credit we take this under consideration and will only apply credit that will contribute to the State and University degree requirements. The transfer credit we do not use is most likely credit that will not apply to your degree.
With that said, at Florida Poly, we believe all knowledge and past academic experiences are valuable and will contribute to make a student more well rounded and versatile for their future career. Many of our STEM students have passions for music, literature, art, and athletics, and are able to further embrace these interests by joining one of our student clubs and organizations.
If you have any questions about why a course or credit is not being used toward your degree, or if you have changed majors and a course we previously did not apply is now applicable, contact the Registrar’s Office.
Florida Poly requires a student to earn a minimum of C or higher (a grade of C- (minus) does not meet the minimum grade requirement), to be transferrable and applicable to their degree. If an institution uses Pass/Fail grading, passed coursework equivalent to a C or higher (as indicated by the transfer institution) will be considered transferable.
Any transfer credit that is applied to a student’s degree will count toward cumulative attempted and earned credit hours. Transfer credit will not contribute to a student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA). The cumulative and term GPAs will only include coursework completed at Florida Poly. In other words, students cannot use transfer credit to improve their Florida Poly GPA or academic standing.
Transfer credit may not be used to forgive grades earned at Florida Poly. See the full Grade Forgiveness policy (FPU-5.006AP) for more information.
For detailed information regarding how your transfer credit will apply toward Section 1009.286, Florida Statutes, visit the Excess Credit Hour Surcharge webpage.
Evaluations will only be completed once we have received all of a student’s transcripts and test scores. Incomplete and missing documents will delay the evaluation process and could potentially reduce the course options for a student’s first term of enrollment.
Evaluation time can vary depending on how close it is to the start of a new term and how many institutions a student attended prior to Florida Poly. Evaluations will typically take one to three weeks after documents are received. Our goal is to complete the evaluation within ample time, so students can review how transfer credit has been applied, which program requirements have been satisfied, which requirements are remaining, and the courses they will be enrolled in for their first term at Florida Poly.
It is important for new students start off on the right foot when they begin their academic careers at Florida Poly. Many of our programs are designed to guide students through the necessary curriculum to graduate in the most efficient way possible. We register all new students in their first semester of classes so we can ensure they are in the right courses to be on track for future semesters. The added benefit of this is that we are often able to work closely with our academic departments to help new students get a full-time (12 to 15 credit hours) schedule.
First-semester schedules are created after the admissions deposit is submitted and all required documentation is received and evaluated. Students are responsible for creating their schedules thereafter and are encouraged to update and work off of their Degree Plans.
Please Note: Undecided majors may have limited course options dependent upon the courses transferred in. Please discuss your options with the Office of Admissions so they may collaborate with the Registrar's Office to create an optimal plan.
Below are the university policies on transfer credit and requirements for the awarding of Baccalaureate and Graduate Degrees.
Florida Poly generally adheres to the Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS) when determining transfer eligibility for FCS and SUS institutions. If the prefix (first three letters) and last three digits of the course number are the same, then the course is considered equivalent. For example: A student who has earned credit for MAC 2311 from Polk State College (and receives a C or higher), will receive credit for MAC 2311 at Florida Poly.
Course substitutions may be awarded for courses that do not directly match the courses we offer but are close in content. These courses will require additional review and approval, and will be determined by the academic department chair for the respective course subject(s). Students should be prepared to supply syllabi and course descriptions promptly to complete the evaluation process in a timely manner.
An official score report must be submitted to determine credit-by-examination. Eligible exams completed with the required score (and applicable to a student’s program of study), will be accepted through one, or a combination of state-approved acceleration mechanisms not to exceed 45 semester credit hours. Please visit the Credit-by-Exam webpage for a list these examinations and credit eligibility.
College credit will be granted to students with military training or coursework that is recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE). Military training or coursework is subject to regular University transfer policies and procedures including limitations on the amount and level of transfer credit for a given degree.
Students transferring from out-of-state institutions may be required to provide additional materials to demonstrate course equivalency including, but not limited to, course descriptions, course syllabi, exams and/or sample assignments.
International transcript evaluations require an independent accredited foreign transcript evaluator. Visit the International Admissions Requirements webpage for additional information, and a list of approved international evaluation services.
Florida Poly works with state and community colleges to develop special agreements for students transferring from these institutions (for some or all of our programs). Presently, the University has an agreement with Polk State College for all of Florida Poly's programs, and an agreement with South Florida State College for electrical engineering. Students at these institutions must work with their college advisors to learn more about these opportunities and ensure they are on the right path to maximize their transfer experience.
Institutions of higher education in the state of Florida, under legislative mandate and through the direction of the Articulation Coordinating Committee, established a list of common prerequisite courses for every degree program. This list is provides students, especially those who plan to transfer between institutions, with information regarding the courses that they will need to take to be admitted into upper division programs.
Common prerequisites should be taken in the first two years of study. The common prerequisite coursework required for a particular program is dependent on the student’s year of matriculation and year of admittance into the upper division. Special guidelines apply to students who transfer from one public institution to another in the State University System or Community College System. For additional information, refer to the Academic Catalog, contact the Registrar's Office, or access the Common Prerequisite Manual on the FloridaShines website.
Since the initial implementation of the Florida SCNS, specific disciplines or types of courses may be exempt from the guarantee of transfer for equivalent courses, these courses must be evaluated individually. The following are exceptions to the general rule for course equivalencies that may not be transferrable:
Transfer credit for grades of P or S (transcripts that verify these grades are equivalent to a grade of C or higher will be subject to the approval of the University Registrar).
Reverse Transfer is a statewide articulation agreement to award the Associate in Arts (AA) degree to eligible students who transfer without earning the AA degree from a Florida public college (known as the Florida College System, or FCS), and subsequently complete the AA degree requirements at a Florida public university (known as the State University System, or SUS). Reverse Transfer provides eligible students the opportunity to earn the AA degree from their past institution even after they have transferred, if they meet the criteria below.
For more information about the Reverse Transfer program, visit the Florida Department of Education, Office of Articulation, Reverse Transfer website.
Currently enrolled Florida Poly students who meet ALL of the following criteria, as determined by the Florida Poly Registrar's Office:
To be awarded the AA from their previous FCS institution, students must also:
Students who meet the above criteria will be automatically identified and notified by the Florida Poly Registrar's Office by email. Students can reply to this email letting us know if they would like to:
All student information shared between Florida Poly and the FCS institution(s) to facilitate the reverse transfer process will be in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. section 1232g) requirements and applicable Florida statutes, rules, and regulations pertaining to privacy of student information.
To adhere to the FERPA requirements, only students who actively “opt-in” to the reverse transfer process will have their transcript sent to the FCS institution(s) where they earned more than 30 credits.
Is it necessary for me to get an AA?
No, earning an AA degree is optional. Students pursuing a Bachelor's degree at Florida Poly are not required to earn an AA degree, but may become eligible to do so while completing their Bachelor's degree requirements.
If I'm not eligible to earn an AA form my past FCS institution can I receive one from Florida Poly?
Yes. Students who are not identified as being eligible for reverse transfer, but who meet Florida Poly's AA requirements will receive a similar "opt-in/opt-out" email asking if they would like to receive their AA degree from Florida Poly.
If my FCS institution tells me I'm not eligible for an AA through Reverse Transfer, will that change my status at Florida Poly?
No, the AA is not required for students to complete their Bachelor's degree at Florida Poly. If your FCS institution tells you why you were not eligible (i.e., missing a course), and you later become eligible, we can send your records again to be evaluated by your FCS institution.
Are there any financial considerations for Reverse Transfer?
No, this is a free service to students who qualify. Additionally, there will be no impact on financial aid or scholarships students are eligible to receive at Florida Poly.
Will earning my AA through Reverse Transfer impact my Excess Credit Hours?
No, there is no impact on excess credit from the awarding of the AA degree. However, any coursework attempted at Florida Poly towards the AA will contribute to your excess credit hours as any other attempted credit would.
