Transfer Credit Policy

Transferability refers to the conditions under which the University accepts credits from other postsecondary institutions for inclusion in a student’s record. At App State, only courses with a grade of 'C' (2.0) or higher from regionally accredited institutions are eligible to transfer and be counted as transferable hours for admission purposes.

Additionally, we do NOT accept developmental or supplemental coursework. Please see additional information on transferring credits below.


 Transfer credits are accepted only from the regional accrediting institutions listed below:

  • EH – New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
  • HL – The Higher Learning Commission / North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)
  • M – Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education (MSA/CHE)
  • NW -- Northwest Commission on College and Universities (NWCCU)
  • SC – Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACS)
  • WC – Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASC-Sr)
  • WJ – Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (WASCACCJC)

In addition to equivalent credit, elective credit will be awarded if a course could be applied to General Education or any major at Appalachian. Credit can be evaluated in three different ways: equivalent, elective or no credit at all. ASU accepts all credit under the guidelines of the North Carolina Comprehensive Articulation Agreement.

The CAA enables students to meet the lower level general education requirements at UNC system institutions by completing the Associate in Arts, or the Associate in Science degree with a GPA of at least a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and a grade of "C" (2.0) or better in all CAA courses. If a student from a North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) college believes the terms of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) have not been honored by a University of North Carolina (UNC) institution to which the student has been admitted, the student may invoke the CAA Transfer Credit Appeal Procedure.

All Bachelor of Arts degrees and some other degrees require students to complete 6 hours of foreign language at the intermediate level or higher.

A minimum grade of “C” (2.0) is required for all transfer coursework. Grades of "C- (minus)" and below will not transfer. Coursework in excess of 10 years old is subject to validation.

The transfer GPA is used for admission purposes only and does not count toward the Appalachian GPA. The Appalachian GPA is computed only on the basis of coursework taken at Appalachian.

All coursework over ten years old will be reviewed by academic departments to determine transferability.

AP, IB, CLEP, and Cambridge AS & A Level credits may be accepted by ASU. Check out our External Credit by Exam page for more information.