For credits to be transferred from another institution, the other institution must be regionally accredited, the grade received in the course must be "C" or higher, the course must be applicable to the degree being pursued at CUA, and the course must first be evaluated for equivalency. When transferring credits, if a student's prior institution awarded more credits for a course than CUA awards for an equivalent course, only the number of credits awarded by CUA will be granted for the course; surplus credits for the course may be used as free music elective credits, if necessary. If a student's prior institution awarded fewer credits for a course than CUA awards for an equivalent course, the missing credits must be made up in music electives. An exception to this latter policy will be applied lessons for which the student's prior institution awarded one or two semester hours of credit for weekly hour-long lessons during the entire course of a semester; in such cases, CUA will award three semester hours of credit upon written confirmation from the institution. (See the School of Music section of the Undergraduate Announcements.)
Graduate Music Students:
Six semester hours of graduate work earned at another accredited institution, in which a student received grades of B or above may be applied toward course requirements for the master's degree, upon recommendation of the appropriate department and with the approval of the academic dean. Students in master's degree programs, which require a minimum of two years of full-time residence, may be permitted to transfer up to the maximum number of credits earned during one year of residence in an accredited program at another university. (See the Academic Graduate Master's and Licentiate Degree Policy.)
Up to 24 semester hours of graduate work earned at another accredited institution in which the student received a grade of B or better may be applied toward course requirements for the doctoral degree upon recommendation of the appropriate department and with the approval of the academic dean. Transfer of credit must be approved before permission is given to take the comprehensive examination. (See the Academic Graduate Doctoral Degree Policy.)
D.M.A. students
The School of Music does not follow university policy with regard to transfer credits for D.M.A. students. The provisions regarding the transfer of credits stated under the heading The Doctoral Degree in the General Information section of the Graduate Announcements do not usually apply to the D.M.A. degree. A limited number of post-master's degree credits earned at another institution at a grade level of B or better may be accepted with the approval of the faculty and dean of the school. (See the policy as stated in the School of Music section of the Graduate Announcements.)