Applicants who have completed courses that are different from, but are the equivalent of, those required for admission, should submit transcripts and course descriptions to their Admissions Advisor for review.
Institutional Criteria
To be considered, the institution where the credit was previously earned must be accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) at the time the student earned the credits.
Exception: Denver College of Nursing has formally evaluated and approved alternative credit providers, including Sophia Learning and StraighterLine (American Council on Education (ACE) or National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) recommended) and Portage Learning (through Geneva College, a regionally accredited institution). Prerequisite courses completed through these providers are accepted under the conditions outlined in the “Prerequisite Transfer Credit Policy – Alternative Credit Providers.”
If students earned educational credits at a post-secondary institution outside the United States and not accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education at the time the student earned the credits, then that postsecondary institution must have equivalent accreditation standing with the central accrediting body in its country of residence at the time the student earned the credits.
Credit Transfer to Denver College of Nursing
Denver College of Nursing generally does not accept nursing-specific courses (i.e.. Courses with “NUR”, “NRS”, “PNR” prefixes) from another nursing program in the pre-licensure programs. Post-licensure program course equivalencies may be accepted with review and approval by the Dean of Nursing. For more information regarding transfer of nursing courses see “Additional Requirements for Transferring Credits for Specific Programs” below.
Denver College of Nursing accepts transfer credits if the credits meet the following requirements:
- The content of the course and the learning objectives or competencies are similar in scope.
- The unit of credit is comparable.
- A GPA of 2.0 or better and with grades of C or above (C- or below are not acceptable) for all listed pre-requisite courses.
- Listed pre-requisites must be from an accredited institution (or approved alternative credit provider noted below).
- All specific pre-requisite courses must come from a U.S. Institution or approved alternative credit provider noted below.
- Microbiology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Pathophysiology courses cannot have been completed more than seven years prior to the applicant’s Denver College of Nursing start date.
Transfer credits are recorded as hours earned toward the program without counting toward a student’s Grade Point Average (GPA). General education credits are transferred if they meet “general education” standards as defined by Denver College of Nursing. Official transcripts verifying all pre-requisite course completion must be received by the College before the start of the first quarter term for pre-licensure programs and before the end of the first quarter term for post-licensure programs. No transfer credits will be accepted after the first term.
Prerequisite Transfer Credit Policy – Alternative Credit Providers
Denver College of Nursing has established seamless transfer pathway partnerships with several providers of alternative credit courses. DCN has formally evaluated and approved the alternative credit providers Sophia Learning and StraighterLine (American Council on Education (ACE) or National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) recommended) and Portage Learning (through Geneva College, a regionally accredited institution). These partnerships allow students to complete approved prerequisite coursework in a flexible, affordable, and accelerated format while ensuring alignment with DCN’s academic standard. All prerequisite courses offered through these providers have been evaluated against DCN’s general education course descriptions and will be accepted for transfer credit.
Transfer of Veterans Administration (VA) Credits
A Veterans Administration (VA)-funded student enrolling at Denver College of Nursing (Denver campus only) with prior credit from another school or military education or skills training will be evaluated according to the Transfer Credit Policy for all students. Previous transfer credit evaluation for VA students is not an option, all veterans and other students eligible for VA funding must apply for credit for previously completed training. The College will evaluate and grant credit, if appropriate. Training time will be adjusted appropriately, and tuition reduced proportionately if credit is granted for previous training.
The College must receive and evaluate official transcripts from all postsecondary school(s) previously attended by a Veteran and the Veteran’s military transcripts before enrollment can be certified. It is the Veteran’s responsibility to request all transcripts and pay any fees assessed by the previously attended school(s).
Students who wish to appeal a decision must appeal in writing to the Campus President. The student must submit a letter stating clearly why they should receive credit. The student must supply additional documentation to support the appeal. If no additional documentation is received, the appeal will be automatically denied. All appeals should be requested within 14 days of the decision to deny credit. Decisions related to appeals will be returned to students within 14 days of their receipt.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Students who have achieved required credit-granting scores of College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams can earn college credit. CLEP examination credit is not given where it duplicates credit previously earned by the student or accepted for work done elsewhere. To obtain credit or placement for subject exams, a student must receive a score of 50 (Computer Based Testing [CBT] scale) or higher. To obtain credit for College Composition, a student must receive a standard score of 610 (1978 scale), 500 (1986 scale), or 50 (CBT scale). This is a scaled score, equivalent to a grade of C in the corresponding course.
Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES) Subject Standardization Test (Military or Approved Government Personnel)
Credits may be awarded to current and former members of the armed forces upon submitting documents received from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Department of Defense. Additional credit may be awarded to veterans of military service who have attended military service schools (Denver campus only). This credit is evaluated by the Office of Admissions according to suggested guidelines by the American Council of Education.
Advanced Placement (AP) Examination
Denver College of Nursing accepts Advanced Placement (AP) credit only when it appears on a college transcript as “Transfer Credit Applied.” Students who have performed satisfactorily in special college-level courses while in high school, and who have passed appropriate Advanced Placement (AP) examinations conducted by the College Entrance Examination Board may have official scores submitted directly to the Office of Admissions for consideration for college credit. This office, in consultation with the appropriate department chair, determines the amount and nature of the credit and/or advanced placement granted. Students should contact www.collegeboard.com or 866-630-9305 to request official AP scores; the code for Denver College of Nursing is 7419. Documentation may be requested that verifies credit has been applied. Score must be “three or higher” to receive credit.
Note: All pre-requisite course work listed above must be completed from a U.S. Institution.
Transfer of Credits Obtained Outside of the United States
Applicants that have completed course work in a country other than the U.S., must provide an equivalency statement from a member agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). This statement must be found equivalent or higher than a U.S. high school certificate or associate or bachelor’s degree equivalency from a regionally accredited institution and is subject to the approval by the Denver College of Nursing.
Transfer of Denver College of Nursing Credits to Another Institution
Transfer of credit is always the decision of the receiving college or university and is controlled by that institution. Accreditation does not guarantee transfer of credits. Students interested in transferring credits earned at Denver College of Nursing should check with the receiving institution directly to determine to what extent, if any, credits can be transferred. Denver College of Nursing does not guarantee the transferability of its credits to any other educational institution.