Transfer Credit

Athens Technical College recognizes that it is necessary to establish reasonable and definitive policies for the acceptance of transfer credit. The college developed these guidelines in accordance with the standards set by the Technical College System of Georgia, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

While the Director of Registration and Records is responsible for evaluating transcripts to determine transfer credit, the ultimate authority for the transfer evaluation rests with the instructional faculty and division deans in the discipline. For example, the designated mathematics faculty and dean of general education are the ultimate authorities on the transferability of math courses to the college.

The Director of Registration and Records, instructional faculty, and division deans determine the transferability of courses taken at other postsecondary institutions by considering the educational quality of the learning experience for which students seek transfer credit; the comparability of the scope, content, and level of the learning experiences to the courses offered at Athens Technical College; the appropriateness and applicability of the learning experiences to the programs offered at Athens Technical College; and any applicable accreditation policies, procedures, and standards relevant to a program of study.

Credit-By-Examination Awarded at Other Colleges — Athens Technical College does not award transfer credit for credit-by-examination tests administered at other postsecondary institutions.

Official Transcripts with Final Grades — Students must submit official transcripts from all colleges attended in the past. All official transcripts must include final grades. Students who submit transcripts within progress coursework must submit official transcripts again once they complete the in-progress coursework and receive final grades before college officials can determine whether to award transfer credit.

Quarter System Coursework — The Director of Registration and Records converts credit hours for courses taken on the quarter system to semester credit hours by multiplying the quarter hours by 0.6667. This conversion may result in students receiving fewer credit hours for coursework offered at Athens Technical College. Students may need to complete additional coursework in order to satisfy the graduation requirements at Athens Technical College.

Transferable Coursework — Students may receive transfer credit for courses taken at regionally accredited colleges and universities. Students who attended colleges that were not regionally accredited at the time of attendance may be asked to provide additional materials including course syllabi, college catalog course descriptions, and instructors' credential information before the Director of Registration and Records can determine whether the courses are transferable. Students must have earned final grades of A+/-, B+/-, or C+/- for courses to be transferable. Course credit must equal or exceed the number of semester hours established for similar courses at Athens Technical College.

Transferring from Other Technical Colleges in Georgia — Courses taken under state-approved standards at other Technical College System of Georgia colleges are transferable provided the technical colleges were accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at the time of attendance. Students who attended technical colleges that were not regionally accredited at the time of attendance may be asked to provide additional materials including course syllabi, college catalog course descriptions, and instructors' credential information before the Director of Registration and Records can determine whether the courses are transferable.

Prior Learning — Students may refer to the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) section of the Athens Technical College website for additional information, guidance, and options.