Transfer Students & Transfer Credit

Dunwoody welcomes students who have completed prior coursework from an accredited institution. If you'd like to transfer into one of our certificate or degree programs, please note that a transfer evaluation is required and not all credits may transfer into the degree program.

Transfer Credit Policy

Dunwoody accepts course credits from other regionally or nationally accredited higher education institutions. 

The Registrar’s Office evaluates official transcripts for potential transfer credits. Only coursework earned at the institution issuing the official transcript will be evaluated. Courses will be considered for transfer if the course is comparable in nature, content, and level to a course offered by Dunwoody. A minimum letter grade of "C" or better or a "P" grade is required for transfer.  Transfer evaluations done by other institutions are not accepted. Dunwoody evaluates courses based on the content and rigor of individual courses and not on the course number or course title.  Students may be asked to provide a syllabus listing the course description and competencies of coursework. Experiential Learning such as study abroad, independent study, workshops, field experience, and internships may or may not transfer, depending on the level and the comparability of the learning experience.

Transfer courses are marked with a grade of TR. Transfer credits will not be computed into cumulative GPA; however, they will impact the student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress pace for completion.

Dunwoody makes no promises regarding the acceptance of credit, except for courses articulated through transfer agreements. The Registrar’s Office evaluates official transcripts for potential transfer credits and students may be asked to provide a syllabus listing a course's description and student learning outcomes.

Different Ways to Earn Credits

At Dunwoody, a student may satisfy program requirements through residency, transfer credit, or prior learning.

  • Residency: Courses taken at Dunwoody for academic credit
  • Transfer Credit: Courses taken at another institution of higher education for credit
  • Prior Learning: Includes exams such as AP, IB, CLEP; Dunwoody's MATH1000 Test-Out; and through Dunwoody's Credit for Prior Learning program

Residency Policy

In order to be awarded a degree from Dunwoody College of Technology, a student must take at least 45% of the total technical credits (major requirements) for their major field of study at Dunwoody. Total technical credits transferred in a student’s major field cannot exceed 55% of those required for the major. Courses transferred in should reflect the attainment of lower-level technical competencies while higher-level competencies should be attained at Dunwoody.

Transfer, Test-Out, and Prior Learning Assessment Policy

Dunwoody's residency policy establishes the maximum combination of credits earned using all forms of transfer, test-out, or prior learning, for technical courses. Dunwoody will not limit the total number of general education credits a student may receive through transfer, test-out, or prior learning.

Effective July 15, 2023, credits received for prior learning are marked with a grade of TO. Credit for prior learning is not computed into cumulative GPA; however, credits received will impact the student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress pace for completion.

Enrolling at Another Institution while a Student at Dunwoody

Students may enroll in classes at another institution while enrolled in a program at Dunwoody. To transfer completed credits into Dunwoody, students should follow the procedure below.

  1. Discuss your plans to take concurrent credits from another institution with your Academic Advisor and Financial Aid Representative so you understand any implications that may affect you, including full-time enrollment status and financial aid and scholarship packages.
  2. Submit a Permission to Transfer Credit form to the Registrar’s Office prior to registering for the course. This ensures that the course you plan to take meets the transfer requirements for the Dunwoody course.
  3. The Registrar’s Office will evaluate the proposed transfer course and students receive a response to their Dunwoody email.
  4. Register for the course at the named institution on the Permission to Transfer Credit form.
  5. Upon successful completion of the course, submit official transcripts to the Registrar’s Office for evaluation and transfer any applicable credits.

Procedure

Send official transcripts from all previously attended colleges to:

Dunwoody College of Technology
ATTN: Admissions
818 Dunwoody Blvd.
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Dunwoody also accepts electronic official transcripts which are sent directly from the previous institutions to Dunwoody. The Registrar's Office evaluates all previous transcripts for potential transfer credits based on the policy above and specific program transfer requirements.

Students will be notified of their evaluation via their Dunwoody email address. Students can see their awarded transfer credits on their Academic Plan and unofficial Dunwoody transcript on My.Dunwoody through Launchpad.

If students wish to appeal the evaluation, contact the Registrar’s Office by email at registrar@dunwoody.edu or by phone at 612-381-3360.

Click here for more information on transfers and transfer evaluations.

International Transcripts

International transcript evaluation follows all previous requirements as well as the below requirements:

Military Service Credit

Courses completed during military service may be eligible for transfer credit and are evaluated on American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations. Veteran and military students provide an official transcript for evaluation. Transcripts can be requested from the websites below:

Transferring Credits to Another School

Final decisions concerning the acceptance of credits by other institutions are made at the discretion of the receiving institution.

Some of Dunwoody's bachelor's degree programs have specific admissions requirements for transfer students. These are: 

Architecture (BARCH)

  • Completion of an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in architectural studies from an accredited institution
    • Dunwoody's Bachelor of Architecture has articulation agreements with many institutions. See if your previous college is one of them. Students earning an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in architectural studies (or equivalent) are eligible for a block transfer.

Business Management & Leadership (AMGT)

  • Completion of an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree (or equivalent) from an accredited institution
  • A resume and letter of recommendation

Construction Management (CMGT)

  • Completion of an AAS degree or equivalent coursework from an accredited institution
  • Interview with a principal instructor of academic program manager

Electrical Engineering (EENG)

  • 3.0 or higher overall college GPA
  • Completion of mathematics coursework through Pre-calculus

Industrial Engineering Technology (IENG)

  • Completion of an AAS degree in Robotics or Manufacturing from an accredited institution
  • 3.0 or higher overall college GPA
    • Note: Students with a GPA between 2.5 - 2.9 are eligible to start in Industrial Engineering Technology (IENG), but must achieve a GPA of 3.0 upon completion of the first 9 credits of IENG technical coursework (i.e., any courses that start with 'IENG'). 

Mechanical Engineering (MENG)

  • 3.0 or higher overall college GPA
  • Completion of mathematics coursework through Calculus II

Computer Engineering (CENG)

  • 3.0 or higher overall college GPA

Power & Construction Engineering Technology (PCET)

  • Completion of an AAS degree in an electrical-related field from an accredited institution

Automation & Controls Engineering Technology (AENT)

  • Completion of an AAS degree in Robotics or Manufacturing from an accredited institution

Dunwoody cares about your academic success and in some of our programs, prerequisite courses are imperative to your learning and thus some programs have specific requirements for transfer credit.

Radiologic Technology (A.A.S.)

Technical course credits eligible for transfer are Medical Terminology.  Students can transfer communication, social science, and arts or humanities courses.  

The following science courses are not eligible for transfer to the program due to course learning outcome requirements: Anatomy, Physiology I, Physiology II. effective 07.25.23

Computer Technology Programs

Software-specific classes completed within the past 5 years will be reviewed for transfer credit.

Automotive Programs

Dunwoody's Automotive programs will not consider technical transfer credits from a non-Automotive Service Excellence Education Foundation (ASE) accredited post-secondary automotive program.

Technical transfer credits from an Automotive Service Excellence Education Foundation (ASE) accredited post-secondary automotive program will be reviewed on the following criteria:

  • minimum grade for transfer coursework is a grade of B
  • coursework must have been completed within the last 5 years
  • experiential learning credits, such as field experience, or internships will not be accepted

Dunwoody's Automotive programs do not offer any test-outs for technical courses.  

School of Engineering 

For students to receive credit for Calculus Based Physics, only math and science components completed within the last 5 years will be reviewed for transfer credit.

Bachelor Completion Degrees

Architecture, Automation & Controls Engineering Technology, Business Management & Leadership, Construction Management, Cybersecurity, Industrial Engineering Technology, and Power & Construction Engineering Technology

General Requirements
  • Technical requirements will be reviewed by Dunwoody faculty for the application of a block transfer of credits.
  • A cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher will be considered for a technical block transfer.
  • The general education course(s) under consideration must be comparable in nature, content, and level to a course offered by Dunwoody or fulfill a general education elective.
  • Specific technical or mathematic courses taken outside of the last 5 years may be reviewed for content relevancy.
  • Experiential learning such as study abroad, independent study, workshops, field experience, and internships may or may not transfer, depending on the level and the comparability of the learning experience.
  • Lower-division credits may transfer as upper-division if the course content and rigor is comparable and allows the student to meet the upper-division degree major requirements.
Block Transfers

Block transfers are found on a student's academic plan and credit counts vary depending on the completion degree. Students can earn up to the listed amount of block transfer credit. Additional transfer credits accepted beyond the block transfer amount are reviewed per course and must be comparable in content and rigor to a course listed on the degree program's academic plan.

Bachelor of Science in Construction Management
  • A specific review for prerequisite credits allows for additional transfer credits in addition to the block technical transfer.
Bachelor of Science in Power & Construction Engineering Technology
  • A specific review for prerequisite credits allows for additional transfer credits in addition to the block technical transfer.

Prior Learning Assessment

Credit for prior learning (CPL) is a term for various methods that colleges, universities, and other education or training providers use to evaluate learning that has occurred outside of the traditional academic environment. It's also called prior learning assessment (PLA). It is used to grant college credit, certification, or advanced standing toward further education or training.  

Dunwoody uses recommendations from the American Council on Education (ACE) and The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) to evaluate PLA. Prior Learning Credits are displayed on a student’s transcript as TO and will not count in the calculation of a student’s GPA but will impact a student's Satisfactory Academic Progress pace for completion.

Types of Prior Learning Assessments

Dunwoody categorizes Prior Learning Assessment into three categories. 

  • Credit by Examination: College-level credit is formally articulated and recommended by ACE or CAEL. 
  • Faculty Administered Challenge Exams: Faculty determine courses where students who have prior learning that is not equated to college credit can "test out" of the course.
  • Credit for Experiential Prior Learning: A process by which a student provides a "portfolio" of evidence that demonstrates the course learning outcomes of a course to be awarded college credit. Faculty determine courses that are eligible for prior learning assessment.  
Credit by Examination

Dunwoody may accept credits by examination based on pre-determined scores to fulfill course requirements. Students who have completed one or more exams from the list below can request their scores be sent to Dunwoody to be evaluated for prior learning credit. Students may also request the Registrar's Office consider evaluating other exams not listed.

  • Advanced Placement Testing (AP)
    • Students can contact the Registrar's office or visit the Registrar's webpage for a listing of accepted minimum scores.
  • International Baccalaureate (IB)
    • Students can contact the Registrar's office or visit the Registrar's webpage for a listing of accepted minimum scores.
  • College Level Examination Program (CLEP) 
    • CLEP testing is completed at an official test center. ​Students provide Dunwoody with score verification through the CLEP testing center. Credit for CLEP exams is awarded for a score of 50 or higher (scaled score value). 
  • DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST)
    • ​DSSTs are evaluated based on the minimum score from ACE/CAEL's annual guidance.

Credits may be accepted based on the following conditions:

  • Credit will not be given in courses that are equivalent to credits already granted
  • Students cannot use CLEP exams to substitute for a course taken at Dunwoody that resulted in a failed grade.
Faculty Administered Challenge Exams

Dunwoody may award credits through a Challenge Exam proctored by a faculty member with the approval of their program director or dean. The list of Challenge Exams below is available for students to be awarded credits. Students should speak with their faculty advisor to learn about any Challenge Exams available in their technical fields. Not all technical programs offer these types of exams.

  • MATH1000: Students can test out of MATH1000, if the course MATH1000 is specifically included in their academic plan. Students whose academic plan includes a "Math/Natural Science 3 Credits" elective and/or "General Elective" may not apply for this test out.  Students are allowed one attempt to pass the test out exam with an 85% or better score. Students who are registered for MATH1000 and considering the challenge test-out option should note, must drop the math class within the add/drop period of the semester or incur the full tuition for the class. Students are encouraged to work with their faculty advisor to determine their readiness and appropriate time to attempt the test out as math courses can be prerequisites for other courses on the academic plan.  If the student, in consultation with their faculty advisor, assessed that they have the math exposure to test out, the student should e-mail Tom Finnegan tfinnegan@dunwoody.edu for guidance through the test out process.

Experiential Prior Learning Assessment

Experiential Prior Learning Assessment at Dunwoody is a joint endeavor led by the Registrar’s Office in collaboration with an academic team. Students who have prior learning to document for college credit can choose to participate in Dunwoody’s Credit for Experiential Prior Learning program where they are guided by the Registrar’s office and an Academic Evaluator to document evidence that their prior learning that aligns with the course learning outcomes of one or more of Dunwoody’s technical courses.