Course Equivalency Forms

Course Waivers are for Graduate and Credential students only.

Course Waivers and Unit Transfer Limits

Students who believe that they have taken coursework at a regionally accredited institution that is applicable to their current program may submit an e-form waiver either through the student portal or with the assistance of an admissions advisor. An official course description for each course must be attached to the e-form request. Course descriptions can usually be obtained directly from the issuing institution, copied from an institution’s catalog, or found online through an institution’s course catalog. The Office of the Registrar must receive official transcripts from the transferring institution before a course waiver request may be submitted. If a course description is not sufficient for determining transferability, students may be required to submit a course syllabus.

Maximum graduate units accepted in transfer vary by program and range between 4.5 and 13.5 quarter units. Students can transfer units at the graduate level provided that the units have not been used to satisfy the requirements of an awarded degree. Regardless of the number of units transferred to the graduate program, students must meet residency requirements of their particular program in order to be eligible for graduation. Students must refer to their particular degree program to determine the maximum amount of transfer credit that can be applied. All courses considered for graduate transfer credit must have been taken in a graduate level degree program or notated as graduate level on the issuing institution’s transcript.

To be considered for a course waiver, the transferring course must have been completed with a grade of “B” (3.0) or better. No courses can be accepted in transfer as a waiver or credit where the grade earned was a “B-” or below.

If the transfer only qualifies for a waiver, the student does not have to complete the course but credit is not awarded. The Academic Advisement Report will show that course requirement has been met but that zero (0) units have been awarded. This may require additional graduate-level coursework to be taken in order to satisfy the graduate unit requirements for the student’s degree.

Prerequisite Waivers

Some graduate degree programs require students to complete undergraduate-level prerequisites. If a student has completed equivalent coursework at a regionally accredited institution then he/she must submit an e form course waiver request. The Registrar’s Office will then review the course content and make a determination on the waiver request. No graduate transfer credit will be awarded if the course was taken as part of an undergraduate level degree or classified as an undergraduate class by the institution attended.

Special Consideration Waivers Based on Non-Graduate Level Coursework

Students who have a course waiver approved based on a course taken through WES Training and Development or continuing education will typically not be awarded any units. If the issuing institution recognizes the credits as meeting graduate level academic standards, notates on the transcript that the course is granted graduate level academic credit, and confirms in an official letter from their Office of the Registrar that the course would be accepted to meet a requirement in their own graduate programs, National University may consider approving and awarding credit.

When a student has acquired mastery of a subject through a concentration of undergraduate courses or through considerable experience or training, the lead faculty member may recommend that a course be waived. The lead faculty will determine the required documentation that needs to be submitted in support of the waiver. The lead faculty will then make a recommendation. These exceptionsmust be submitted through an e-form to the Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS), not Course Waiver.

Time Limit

Coursework that is more than seven years old cannot be transferred into post-baccalaureate credential or degree programs. Similarly, coursework completed at National University more than seven years ago cannot be applied to post-baccalaureate credential or degree programs for re-enrolling students. Coursework that is more than seven years old must be repeated, or, with the approval of the school dean, a more recent, suitable course may be substituted.