Requesting a CMU Transcript
Transfer of Credit
General Education Requirements for Transfer Students
Earning non-Transfer Academic Course Credit
    Credit by Institutional Examination
    CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) Credit
    AP (Advanced Placement) Credit
    IB (International Baccalaureate Credit)
    DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support) Credit
    Military Credit
Transcription of Transfer Credit

Requesting a CMU Transcript

The student's permanent record is confidential, and, by the terms of the Family Education Rights of Privacy Act, transcripts of the student's record are not issued except upon receipt of a signed request from the student. A fee of $7.50 is charged for each transcript. Electronic PDF is available for $9.25. Priority mailing for official transcripts is available for an additional $25.00 per address and FAX service for unofficial transcripts costs an additional $7.50 per transcript.

Official transcripts are issued directly to other schools, employers, official governmental agencies, or other persons or organizations entitled to receive an official statement of the student's record. Unofficial transcripts are issued to the student or parents.

No transcripts will be issued for any student or former student who is not financially in good standing with the University. Transcripts will not be issued to current students during the last two weeks of the term, until grades for that term are recorded.

To have a transcript issued, complete the online request form. For further information call the Registrar's Office at 660-248-6208.

Transfer of Credit

Students who have attended other Colleges (including dual credit courses taken while in high school) must request an official transcript to be sent to Central Methodist University (CMU). The transcript can be mailed or presented to the CMU Office of the Registrar; it can be presented to an extended campus site in a sealed envelope from the sending College’s Academic Records and Registrar office; or it can be delivered as an e-transcript through the National Student Clearinghouse. Any other form of transcript will be considered “unofficial” and will not be accepted for transfer credit. Official transcripts are required to transcript credit. Courses that cannot transfer are not used in GPA calculations.

The Office of the Registrar will transfer credit from accredited institutions, which may be used to satisfy any course requirements where the courses or course categories are generally equivalent to CMU requirements. In regards to transfer of credit, CMU recognizes the following accrediting bodies for the definition of “accredited institution:” Higher Learning Commission, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Middle States Commission on Higher Education, New England Commission of Higher Education, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, WASC Senior College and University Commission, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, National Association of Schools of Music, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, The Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs, Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, and other accrediting bodies subject to approval by the Registrar.

To determine transfer credit from the aforementioned list of accrediting bodies, CMU will: 1) Review the most current Higher Education Directory for College Accreditation, 2) Transfer courses with CMU equivalencies or check course descriptions, 3) Transfer general education block and/or courses with institutions listed who are a part of the CORE 42 state program. Courses not in the CMU catalog but earned at a CMU recognized accredited university, will be accepted as elective credit on a case-by-case basis. The Office of the Registrar, in consultation with division chairs, is responsible for these determinations.

The Office of the Registrar will consider credit from accredited institutions (not noted above) on a case-by-case basis. To determine transfer credit from colleges accredited by associations not noted above, CMU will:  1) Review the most current Higher Education Directory for College Accreditation, 2) Obtain course descriptions for courses under consideration for transfer,3) Request additional documentation as needed, such as a syllabus, 4) Conduct review and approval through academic division chair, 5) Provide approval or denial information to student’s advisor.

A Transfer/Articulation Agreement or Transfer Guide outlines courses as part of a completed program taken at a community college or other institution of higher education, which apply toward degree requirements at CMU. CMU personnel work in consultation with the Office of the Registrar to establish a transfer agreement. Agreement drafts are submitted to the Office of the Registrar for consideration, which will consult with academic divisions and faculty as needed. Approved and final agreements will be posted to the University web site and with the Office of the Provost.

CMU strongly encourages CMU students to get prior written approval (from the appropriate Division Chair, Provost, and Registrar) before enrolling for any courses at another institution and then attempting to transfer the credit to apply to any CMU degree program. This will ensure that the proposed transfer coursework will apply to their degree programs as they intend. If students take courses at another institution without advanced written CMU approval (from the Division Chair, Provost, and Registrar), CMU accepts no responsibility for the applicability of these courses to the student's degree program.

Students Transferring to Central Methodist University

CMU subscribes to the guidelines of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education of the State of Missouri. CMU welcomes students with course work or associate's degrees from other accredited colleges and pledges to seek harmonious solutions to any problems that transfer students may encounter. Transfer credit from an accredited institution may be used to satisfy any course requirements where the courses or course categories are generally equivalent to CMU requirements.

General Education Requirements for Transfer Students

Students with a Bachelor's Degree

Students with a Bachelor's Degree from another accredited institution have met all requirements for the General Education Common Core with the exception of CMU103 Orientation to CMU, and must satisfy any additional General Education requirements for each program and/or degree. When CMU accepts bachelor's degrees from other regionally accredited institutions of higher learning, we honor the means by which those institutions granted credit (including credit granted by internal testing-out procedures, Advanced Placement scores, International Baccalaureate scores, CLEP scores, etc.). However, in the case of transfer, the institution reserves the right to review the courses accepted by the other institution to determine if it meets particular course or program requirements of Central Methodist University.

Students with an Associate's Degree

Students transferring to CMU with a post-1995 Associate of Arts degree and Associate of Arts in Teaching degree (and 60-89 hours of transfer credit) from a Missouri institution of higher education (or with a completed general education program consistent with the "Core 42" as outlined by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development) are required to complete additional general education courses, including upper divisional general education requirements, for the particular program or degree, as identified in the catalog or as designated in any subsequent catalog. Students are cautioned, however, that Associate of Arts coursework might not meet individual program requirements.

When CMU accepts an associate level degree from other institutionally approved accredited institutions of higher learning, we honor the means by which those institutions granted credit (including credit granted by internal testing-out procedures, Advanced Placement scores, International Baccalaureate scores, CLEP scores, etc.).  However, in the case of transfer, the institution reserves the right to review the courses accepted by the other institution to determine if it meets particular course or program requirements of Central Methodist University.

General education credit from an Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degrees from an accredited Missouri college, which are signatories to the CORE 42 transfer, will satisfy CMU’s lower level general education requirementswith the exception of CMU103 Orientation to CMU. General education courses from an earned Associate of Arts degree from an out of state institution approved by the Registrar, will satisfy CMU’s lower level general education requirementswith the exception of CMU103 Orientation to CMU.  Students will still be required to take any upper level (junior or above) general education requirements, the Missouri Civics requirement, as well as those general education requirements that are required of a specific degree or program. Note:  Courses that meet CORE 42 requirements align to specific areas of requirements, such as humanities and sciences.  However, unless CMU has submitted a course for a specific course to course requirement, CORE 42 courses may be accepted as discipline specific electives, such as a mathematics elective, not as a specific course.

CMU will accept as general elective courses, those courses meeting graduation requirements from the transferring accredited institution but not counting toward specific major or general education requirements, at CMU, if a degree is completed.  Other courses taken will be evaluated on a case by case basis and subject to approval by the Registrar. Repeated courses may only be counted once. Special Topics courses, Special Problems courses, and Internships may be repeated for credit in accordance with CMU regulations (see catalog course description for details). Transfer students may apply a maximum of four (4) hours of activity courses in Physical Education toward any degree. CMU does not accept for transfer those courses in which failing grades (F) were received, nor withdrawn (W). Developmental courses (numbered below 100) are not transferred.When a student repeats a transfer course at CMU, originally taken from another institution, the most recent course grade will be used to calculate hours earned and the GPA. The repeated course and grade remain on the CMU transcript. The most recent course grade will be used to determine graduation requirements. If a student changes his or her major, a request must be made to have transfer credit reevaluated and a new degree plan will be required. Any student who is classified as a visiting student or a personal interest student will only have prerequisite courses transcripted.

Central Methodist University has a wide range of articulation agreements and transfer guides for partner institutions that may be found on CMU’s website.  These agreements provide course level and program level information regarding transfer.

General Education Program Transfer Policies

The following general transfer policies apply to CMU's General Education Program:

Earning Non-Transfer Academic Course Credit

CMU recognizes the need for students to earn credit in a variety of ways. The following information recognizes different ways in which CMU will accept credit other than transfer credit from other institutions of higher education. A maximum of 32 hours of such credit may be counted toward the hours required for graduation. Such non-transfer academic credit appears on the student's transcript as being non-transfer academic credit earned with "P" as the grade received.

Credit by Institutional Examination: 

Students enrolled in the University may receive credit for 100-level courses if they earn at least a C on a comprehensive institutional examination approved by the appropriate Division Chair, Dean, and Registrar. CMU charges an examination fee for such institutional examinations. See the appropriate Division Chair for additional information. Students may receive credit by institutional examination for courses beyond the 100 level only if the instructor agrees that the course can be adequately assessed by an examination the instructor provides and administers, and only with the approval of the Division Chair and the Dean. Students must complete the process of receiving credit for all prerequisite courses before taking the next course above the course taken by examination. Currently, institutional examinations are possible for the following courses only:

• AS101 Descriptive Astronomy
• AS102 Descriptive Astronomy-Beyond the Solar System
• BI101 General Biology
• BI102 General Biology
• BI105 Introduction to Environmental Science
• BI106 Human Biology
• BI204 Human Anatomy
• BI108 Biodiversity
• BI110 Introduction to Biotechnology
• BU110 Introduction to Business
• CH107 Chemistry/Allied Health
• CH114 General Chemistry
• CJ100 Introduction to Criminal Justice
• CS121 Introduction to MS Office
• CS122AW Computers in the Academic World
• CS172 .NET 1
• GL105 Exploring Geology
• HI101 World History I
• HI102 World History II
• HI103 Introduction to Missouri Civics (same as PS103)
• HI117 Development of the U.S. I
• HI118 Development of the U.S. II
• MA103 College Algebra
• MA104 Analytical Geometry & Trigonometry
• MA105 Elementary Statistics
• MA107 Discrete Mathematics
• MA112 Selected Topics in Calculus
• MA118 Calculus & Analytical Geometry
• PH111 General Physics I
• PH112 General Physics II
• PS101 Introduction to American National, State, and Local Government
• PS103 Introduction to Missouri Civics (same as HI103)
• SC101 Concepts in Physical Science
• SO101 Introduction to Sociology
• SO102 Social Problems
• SO150 Introduction to Anthropology

CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) Credit:  When approved by the appropriate Division Chair, Provost, and Registrar, CMU gives 100-level credit for subject examinations administered by the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).

AP (Advanced Placement) Credit: CMU affirms the intellectual achievement of students who have participated in the Advanced Placement program. Students may apply for credit for Advanced Placement (AP) courses that they have successfully completed with an AP score of 3 (three) or higher; acceptance of any AP examination or examination score is subject to approval by appropriate Division Chair, Provost, and Registrar. Students must provide an official copy of the score report from AP, sent directly to the Office of Admissions.

*Students must take HI103 to fulfill the constitution requirement.

IB (International Baccalaureate) Credit: CMU recognizes the high achievement and academic excellence of students who have participated in the International Baccalaureate degree program. IB's breadth of focus and commitment to scholarship are commensurate with the Mission and educational goals of CMU. Usually, a score of 4 (four) or above on the Higher Level IB exam or a score of 5 (five) or above on the Standard Level IB exam will be assessed as equivalent credit for specific courses. Specific course equivalents will be designated in consultation with the appropriate Division Chair, Provost, and Registrar. Students must provide an official copy of the score report from IB, sent directly to the Office of Admissions.

DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support) Credit: CMU awards semester-hour credit recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE ) upon attainment of an acceptable passing score per section, or CMU awards credit as determined by the testing authority at the time the test was taken. Students must provide an official copy of the test results, sent directly to the Office of Admissions. At the time of application, students must send an official record of test results to the Office of Admissions. Acceptance of any DANTES credit score is subject to approval by the appropriate Division Chair, Provost, and Registrar.

DSST Exam Name and CMU Equivalencies

Business

Humanities

Mathematics

Physical Science

Social Science

Technology

 For additional information please call the Office of the Registrar at 660-248-6208. 

Military Credit: Military veterans may receive limited credit for military training as recommended in the Handbook of the American Council on Education. CMU will review all credit on an individual basis. Please consult CMU's Registrar for more information. Acceptance of any military credit is subject to approval by the appropriate Division Chair, Provost, and Registrar.

Transcription of Transfer Credit

The Office of the Registrar enters transfer credit on the student’s CMU transcript after evaluating the student’s official transcripts. Some departments or degree programs have time limits for transfer courses. A course may transfer as a CMU equivalent but because of its age, may not be applicable to a specific major. (See individual programs for more detail.)

If a student does not agree with the evaluation of a course for transfer credit, he/she may submit a catalog course description or course syllabus from the sending College to the Office of the Registrar to have the course re-evaluated. The Office of the Registrar will review with division chair and provide decision back to student. If the appeal regarding the disputed course is not resolved, the student may appeal utilizing the Grievance Policy and Process.

The Registrar reviews credit earned by credit-by-exam (CLEP, DSST or AP) and from non-traditional sources (military experience, standardized occupational testing or department exams). Official reports or transcripts must be submitted to CMU for review and transfer of credit-by-exam.

Transfer credit is awarded for courses completed at colleges and universities outside the United States that are accredited or approved by the Ministry of Education (or other appropriate government agency) of the country in which they are located. The transcripts must be translated into English and evaluated course-by-course by one of the recognized transcript evaluation services. A student may be asked to provide course descriptions or course syllabi to determine course equivalencies. (Contact the Office of the Registrar for information.)

Any irregularities in transcripts that are received will be checked and if a document is determined to not be authentic, admission will be denied and registration at CMU will be cancelled.

All College transcripts must be on file prior to enrollment. A registration hold will be placed on the student’s record until all official transcripts have been submitted.