Transfer Student Policies

This policy content has been developed to help new students transferring to Augustana for the first-time. If you are a current student seeking information about transfer policies or a returning student with transfer work visit our Transferring Coursework Page. 

Some of these policies have been modified for students who enrolled during the semester transition (2016-2018 academic years). See your My Progress report in Arches and your advisor for the most current information regarding requirements for your cohort. Additional information about transfer work and how it is applied to the student record may be found on the Advanced Standing page. 

Students who transfer to Augustana fulfill, with one exception, the same requirements as students who begin their college study at Augustana. The exception is the sequence of courses designed for first-year students. Transfer students do not complete the FYI/FYH sequence. However, they are expected to complete all other requirements of the college either through transfer coursework or while enrolled at the college. These requirements include:

1. FYI-101 or equivalent college-writing or Composition I transfer course (if taken prior to initial enrollment);
2. LSC-300, a course specifically designed for transfer students at Augustana;
3. 60 credits earned at Augustana, and the last 12 in residence at the college;
4. 40 credits at the 300-400 level;
5. Minimum competency through coursework or testing in a second language;
6. Minimum competency through coursework or testing in quantitative reasoning;
7. One course in Reasoned Examination of Faith at the 200 level;
8. One course in each of the six Learning Perspectives;
9. One 4-credit global perspective course and one 4- credit diversity course; and
10. Two credits of physical activity courses (PEA) or a comparable transfer course.

Semester Transition Notice Regarding Transfer Credits

Due to the recent transition to a semester calendar and curriculum, transfer coursework is evaluated by comparing courses taught during the same time period in Augustana's curriculum. For example, a course taken in Fall 2017 at another institution is compared to Augustana courses taught under trimesters, while courses taken after June 1, 2019 will be compared to the semester curriculum. 

Students are required to send their final transcripts (from their most recent high school and/or college experience) to Augustana as a condition of continued enrollment. Please see Transcript Policies for further information about the parameters for sending your transcripts to Augustana and how transcripts are accepted.

Augie Next is a special partnership between partner community colleges and Augustana. This program seeks to make the transfer process seamless for qualifying students by engaging students in Augustana coursework at the same time students are completing their coursework at their home institution.

Through Augustana Next, students applying to a partner institution with the intention of completing an associate of arts degree may apply to Augustana at the same time. After completing the associate's degree, they can continue at Augustana to complete their bachelor of arts degree.

The agreement provides Community College students the opportunity to use Augustana’s resources from Day One. Students are provided an Augustana ID card, which grants them access to the library, databases, campus facilities, sporting and cultural events, and program evaluation software. These opportunities allow students to become involved at Augustana before they transfer.

Partner Institutions:

• Black Hawk College
• College of Lake County
• Eastern Iowa Community College
• Harper College
• Sauk Valley Community College

Under the Augustana community college transfer agreement, Augustana will consider the six Learning Perspective (LP) requirements fulfilled when a student has earned an Associate of Arts degree from an institution already vetted and approved by the college faculty, found below. This policy only applies to students who earn their Associate of Arts degree prior to their first enrollment at Augustana. On a case-by-case basis, Academic Affairs and the Registrar's Office shall be permitted to extend the agreement to students earning an AA from other community colleges when their curricula similarly reflect the broad range of general education requirements at Augustana College. Qualifying students are required to obtain an Associate of Arts degree and achieve a minimum of 33 credits of transferable coursework (a grade of C or better.)  Individual credits for all transfer students are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Requirements not fulfilled by this agreement include:

• FYI-101 or college-writing (or equivalent course if taken prior to transfer);
• Suffixes (Q, D, G);
• LSC-300;
• Reasoned Examination of Faith;  
• Health and Physical Education (PEA) activity requirement;
• Second Language; and
• 300-400 level requirement

However, the qualifying transfer work may meet some of these requirements: 

• FYI-101 or college-writing or equivalent;
• Health and Physical Education (PEA) activity requirement;
• Second Language; or
• 300-400 level requirement

Approved institutions:

Black Hawk College        

College of DuPage          

Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (Clinton, Scott and Muscatine) 

Harper College               

Kirkwood College            

McHenry College             

Oakton College              

Please see the degree requirements for a complete list of the coursework required for a Bachelor of Arts Degree.

This agreement is not extended for students with an Associate of Science (AS) or Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees.

                                     Policy adopted as academic pilot by Faculty Senate January 30, 2014 

                                     Adopted as permanent policy by faculty Spring 2019

                                     updated on 7.21.23