Transfer Activity After Matriculation

Transfer Guidelines for Activity Taken After Matriculation

A cadet who wishes to earn transfer credit for a course taken at another accredited college must have the approval of the head of the department in which a similar course is taught at VMI. The cadet should provide a written description of the course and the VMI Transfer Credit Approval Form to the appropriate department head and secure his/her written permission before registering for the course. 

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Transfer Requirements

Any course taught by an accredited institution will be accepted for transfer credit by VMI provided that the VMI academic department head certifies that the course meets VMI’s curricular content standards.  If the semester-hour value of a course taken at another college is greater than that of the VMI course for which it is substituted; only VMI’s number of hours will be transferred.  If the semester-hour value of the course taken at another college is less than that for VMI, the deficient semester hours will have to be earned in order to reach the total required for graduation.

Transfer Limits and Residency

VMI is a four-year undergraduate experience and it is expected that all cadets complete a majority of their requirements in residence. Beginning with the academic class of 2015, cadets matriculating with no advance standing credit must complete a minimum of six semesters and 75% of their degree requirements in residence at VMI. Cadets matriculating with advanced standing credit will be credited with appropriate time reduction based on transferred activity, but must complete a minimum of six semesters and 50% of their academic activity in residence at VMI.

For academic classes prior to the class of 2015, a cadet may transfer no more than one-half of the total hours required for graduation from VMI.

All Classes – Summer/Intersession Limits: A maximum of 18 semester hours may be transferred from summer sessions, inter-semester sessions and internet activity from other colleges. Summer hours earned prior to matriculation or in the VMI sponsored summer study abroad programs are not included in this 18-hour limit.

All Classes – Transfer limits while in residency: Internet-based courses are NOT allowed while cadets are simultaneously enrolled full-time at VMI for the Fall or Spring semesters.

Grade Requirements

Transfer credit will only be awarded for courses passed with a grade of “C” or better from an accredited college, and with the approval of the respective department head. No transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken as pass/fail, satisfactory/unsatisfactory or other such arrangements.

Transcript Requirements

It is the responsibility of the cadet to see that an official transcript is sent directly from the other college to the Virginia Military Institute — Registrar’s Office, 510 Burma Road, P.O. Box 1839, Lexington, VA, 24450. Courses and grades will not be posted until the official transcript is received by the Registrar.

Transcripts will not be accepted directly from the cadet unless delivered in a signed and sealed envelope from the attending college. If the transcript reports a numerical grade, it will be translated into equivalent letter grades at VMI.

Effect on GPA

Quality points do not transfer to VMI, only semester hours transfer.  However, the hours transferred may improve the cadet’s GPA if they are for a course that replaces one in which he/she earned a grade of D or F.

Beginning with the academic Class of 2014 and beyond:  Cadets have a one-time course replacement option.  Any class repeated a second time, the last grade counts in the GPA.  Courses repeated after two attempts at VMI will include all grades attempted in the cumulative average except for the first attempt.  For courses repeated after a second time based on transfer credit, the class with an earned grade of C or better will be accepted towards a cadet’s program, however, grade replacement will not be allowed.

Academic Classes prior to 2014:    Last grade counts with no restrictions or limitations on attempts.

Quarter Hours to Semester Hours

Courses taken on the quarter hour system will be transferred into VMI as follows:

• Three (3) quarter hours may be transferred for a two (2) semester hour VMI course, but cannot be used as credit towards a three hour VMI equivalent.
• Five (5) quarter hours must be transferred in order to receive credit for a three (3) semester hour course.

Transfer Credit for Meeting Degree Requirements:

Any cadet who, after their last semester of full-time attendance, has a conduct record satisfactory to the Superintendent, has met VMI’s residency requirement and has a cumulative and major GPA of at least 2.00 (with no rounding up), may transfer in a maximum of 10 credit hours towards the final completion of his/her degree requirements.  All courses must be pre-approved, and the cadet must coordinate his/her completion with the Registrar’s Office in order to be properly tracked for completion.

IMPORTANT: Cadets need to plan appropriately for completion of degree activity outside of VMI. It is the responsibility of the cadet to meet all deadlines required for degree certification, and all final grades must be into the Office of the Registrar one week before the cadet’s respective commencement date.