Non-Traditional Credit

Temple University awards limited academic credit and course placement to students based on previous academic, employment, and/or other learning experience in addition to credit earned in a traditional classroom setting.  Non-traditional credits are not applied to the minimum number of credits (60) required to earn honors at graduation.

Advanced Placement Tests

Temple awards college credits to students who in high school participated in the Advanced Placement program sponsored by the College Examination Board as follows:

• Art History, Chemistry, English (Language and Literature), Political Science (Comparative Government and U.S. Government), History (American, European and World), Latin (Virgil and Literature), Physics -- Minimum score of 4
• Other subjects -- Minimum score of 3
• Students who receive the minimum score in the English Advanced Placement test will receive English elective credit, not Composition credit.

Students should have taken these tests in high school and should have their scores sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Transfer students must request Educational Testing Services to send their Advanced Placement Test scores to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, even if they have requested them for a previously attended college.

If credit is awarded, a student's university record will carry notation of credit, but no grade will be recorded.  Credit awarded will not affect a student's grade-point average at Temple University.

Limitations on credit earned through the Advanced Placement Examinations are as follows:  (1) the credit must be useful in a student's program of study; (2) duplicate credit in the same course is not awarded in any case.

Advanced Placement equivalencies will be reviewed annually and are subject to change.  Students will receive the equivalency that is in effect at Temple at the time of their matriculation.

Advanced Placement credits can be counted toward eligibility for the 45+ Transfer Core if the student also has transfer courses from another college or university.  See Core Curriculum: Core Transfer Programs.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

CLEP provides a mechanism for students to meet the requirements of a class through examination. Temple recognizes students' prior learning by accepting the CLEP tests indicated in the below CLEP equivalencies chart. In addition, credit is granted for acceptable performance on the following sections of the General Examination: Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and History. Students should contact the advising center in the College of Science and Technology (for Mathematics or Natural Sciences) or the College of Liberal Arts (for Social Sciences and History).

Students must obtain permission to take any CLEP test from the dean of the college in which they are matriculated.  See the below CLEP equivalencies chart for a list of the subject examinations, number of the course equivalent for which Temple grants credit, and the minimum score.

All literature, history, and political science examinations require an essay in order to receive credit at Temple. Students planning to take CLEP tests are urged to do so no later than the semester before they expect to graduate. Information about test dates, fees, and the application process may be obtained from the Measurement and Research Center, Third Floor, Sullivan Hall, Main Campus, 215-204-8611.

Transfer students can earn credit through prior CLEP exams if their scores meet the Temple credit-granting standards. They should have their CLEP scores sent directly to their academic advising center.  If that college approves the granting of CLEP credit, it is posted to the student's record by the Office of Academic Records.

CLEP credits granted by Temple, and those taken prior to admission to Temple and confirmed by the appropriate Temple department, can be counted toward eligibility for the 45+ Transfer Core if the student also has transfer courses from another college or university.  See Core Curriculum: Core Transfer Programs.

Assessment of Prior Relevant Academic Learning

Semester hours that count toward the minimum requirement of a college or program occasionally may be earned through work experience and prior learning. Decisions to assess learning experiences are made by the individual colleges. An evaluation or work experience may be based on the submission of papers, presentation of a portfolio of completed work, and/or a demonstration of acquired skills.

Credit so granted is based on a faculty evaluation of the respective learning experiences in terms of their identified relationship to the knowledge and skills required, either in the pursuit of educational programs in the college or in the performance of tasks related to the substance of study. Semester hours credited toward the minimum number for a degree are always granted relevant to a specific program. If students change their programs of study, semester hours credited toward an earlier program of study may not be recognized in the new program.

Credit for relevant prior learning will be granted after completion of a minimum of 30 credits of formal coursework.

Approval of relevant prior learning credit must be in writing over the signature of at least one sponsoring faculty member, the appropriate department or committee chairperson, and the Dean of the college that is granting the credit.

The total number of semester hours granted by all non-traditional means seldom exceeds eight semester hours; and individual colleges or programs may choose not to grant any credit for prior learning.

Grades are not assigned to academic and prior learning credit.

Each college engaged in the assessment of academic and work experiences determines its own procedures for review and testing; students should contact the appropriate advising office for information about the procedures for assessment.

International Baccalaureate

Temple awards college credits to students who pass the International Baccalaureate Program's higher-level course exams with an exam grade of five or above. International Baccalaureate transcripts should be sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Limitations on credit earned through the International Baccalaureate: (1) credits must be useful in a student's program of study (2) duplicate credit in the same course is not awarded in any case.

Permission to Take Courses at Another Institution

Students will not receive transfer credit for courses they take at another institution while they are matriculated at Temple, unless

1. They receive prior permission from their Temple school or college
2. The courses are taken through an approved study abroad program

1. Prior permission to take courses elsewhere may be granted by the student's academic advisor after a review of the student's request and academic program. Advisors will not approve requests from matriculated Temple students to take courses at other institutions within commuting distance (50 miles) of Temple unless there is a compelling academic justification.

To receive prior permission to take courses elsewhere, students must be in good academic standing. Permission is rescinded if the student's GPA falls below 2.0 or the student is placed on academic warning or probation. During the semester prior to the one in which they wish to take the course(s) elsewhere, students must fill out a Request for Permission form obtained from their academic advisor, and return it to the advisor with a copy of the official course description(s) from the school at which they wish to take the course. For courses intended to fulfill requirements in a student's major, written approval from the departmental coordinating advisor must accompany the form.

Students should note that

• some Temple schools and colleges have additional limitations on the kind or number of transfer credits accepted.

• transfer credits do not affect a student's Temple GPA.

• a student cannot receive credit for the same course twice.

• thirty (30) of a student's last 45 credits must be taken at Temple University. See Academic Residency Requirements.

• to graduate from Temple with Honors, students must complete "at least their last 60 hours toward their degrees in residence at Temple University." See Honors.

Once a student has received prior permission and taken a course elsewhere, the student must have an official transcript from that institution sent to the student's Temple advising office before the beginning of the following semester.

As with all courses accepted in transfer, only courses passed with a grade of C- or higher are granted transfer credit. See Admissions: Transfer Credit.

2. Study abroad programs. For information about Temple study abroad programs, see International Programs and Study Abroad. For information about receiving permission to study abroad through another institution, see Study Abroad Approval Procedures for Non-Temple Programs.

Placement Testing

Go to the Measurement and Research Center website at www.temple.edu/marc/placements.html for details.

Also, see the Admissions: Placement Testing section of the Bulletin.

Plagiarism and Academic Cheating

See Academic Honesty in the Student Responsibilities and Rights section of the Bulletin.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

A course prerequisite is any requirement an academic department identifies as essential for a student to complete before taking a course. The University is responsible for publishing prerequisite requirements. All prerequisites, whether they apply to an individual course or to all courses in a department, should be stated in the printed and electronic versions of the current edition of the University’s Undergraduate Course Descriptions. They should also be stated in the course syllabus.

Course prerequisites consist of one or more of the following: completion of placement or proficiency tests or other assessments; achievement of specified scores on placement or proficiency tests or other assessments; possession of specified knowledge or skills; approval after audition; approval of portfolio; declaration of major or admission to restricted program; completion of specific courses, sets of courses, and/or kinds of courses; completion of a specified number of semester hours or achievement of a specified class level; achievement of specified grades in prerequisite courses or sets of courses; achievement of a specified GPA; approval of an application or proposal; permission of the instructor, department, or other person or office; satisfaction of other specified requirements.

Students are responsible for knowing and completing all published prerequisite requirements for a course before taking that course. The University has the obligation to inform students of prerequisite requirements. It has the right to cancel a student’s registration in a course if the student has not satisfied the published prerequisite requirements for that course.

A course co-requisite is a requirement that must be completed at the same time as the course for which it is required. The University is responsible for publishing co-requisite requirements. All co-requisites, whether they apply to an individual course or to all courses in a department, should be stated in the printed and electronic versions of the current edition of the University’s Undergraduate Course Descriptions. They should also be stated in the course syllabus. Co-requisites may be specified courses, permissions, admission to programs, and/or other requirements. Students are responsible for knowing and completing all published co-requisite requirements for a course. The University has the obligation to inform students of co-requisite requirements and the right to cancel a student’s registration in a course if the student has not arranged to satisfy the co-requisite requirements for that course.

Probation and Dismissal

See Academic Warning, Probation, Dismissal and Reinstatement.