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GPA is the Grade Point Average required by schools on transferable courses for the student to be admitted to major programs. Courses you take at your previous institution which is accepted by the new institution are the transferable courses. There are various pitfalls associated however with transfer of courses. For instance, sometimes the receiving college may not accept all credits transferred by the college you are coming from.

There are quite a few reasons for this. If for example, you have taken certain remedial courses, these may not be accepted as transfers. This becomes an apparent disparity especially when you are transferring from a community college to a higher education institute.

Courses offered by two year schools usually equip students with specialized knowledge on certain subjects which include the English courses excluding composition.  Similarly, those who lack in foundation mathematics may take intermediate or even elementary algebra courses. However these courses are considered by most universities to be remedial courses.

Other credits that are not accepted for transfer include the vocational and technical courses credits. This is especially true for two year courses that form a part of the terminal technical program. If the student passes his course with grade D, such courses are also not usually considered for transfer. It is in your interest to check with the school you are planning on shifting to regarding their transfer policies.

Credit hours are worked out based on class hour ratio and the time element. If you take up a course three times a week for the whole semester of fourteen to sixteen week, it means you complete a three semester-hour credit course. As the number of contact lecture hours follows the ratio: 15 equal to one semester hour throughout, it is also called a three-hour course.

Students will have to attend a minimum of 45 contact class hours through the semester in order to complete a three semester-hour lecture. You are on a full load if you opt to complete 15 semester hours. Two such semester hours enables you to complete 30 hours for the year. A typical bachelor’s degree following a semester calendar at school requires you to complete a minimum number of 120 hours during a period of four years.

As soon as you arrive at your new school campus, you must visit the academic advising officer and the administration office. Credits are applied to the proposed degree plan from the initial evaluation by the advising office. A little effort goes into pushing both the offices to refine the admissions office’s evaluation of the advising office’s degree credit requirements. In order to do this, it is necessary for students to bring the course syllabus and explain in detail regarding the courses you have already completed at your previous school.

The very process of course transfers depends essentially on two major aspects namely the receiving institution’s transfer credit practices and all US institution’s residence requirements. There is usually no limit on the number of credits you can transfer.  You can be assured of a hassle free transition if you take the trouble in understanding the credit transfer policies of the receiving institutions before applying for it.