The College of New Jersey Logo

Apply     Visit     Give     |     Alumni     Parents     Offices     TCNJ Today     Three Bar Menu

Frequently Asked Questions


TRANSFER, ADVANCED PLACEMENT, AND BY-EXAMINATION CREDIT

How are transfer credits related to course units?

One course until equals four (4) credits. For example, a 3 credit course will equal 0.75 course units. If you earn 3 transfer credits as the equivalent of a TCNJ course that is worth 1 course unit, you would have that course completed towards degree requirements, but only earn 0.75 course units toward the course unit total required of your degree program. You would need to make up the remaining 0.25 course units to satisfy degree requirements. You can do so with elective credit (regardless of content), or by taking an extra class in any subject that is worth at least 0.25 course units.

What is the maximum number of credits I can transfer to TCNJ?

You can transfer up to 16 course units (64 credits) from a community or junior college. You can transfer up to 20 course units (80 semester hours) from all sources (four year institutions and community/junior colleges). No more than 3 units in the senior year may be earned away from the College.

I am a new TCNJ transfer student. Who determines what transfer credit I am awarded?

If you are a transfer student, the Office of Records and Registration will evaluate credit from other institutions and post approved equivalencies to your PAWS account, which can be viewed in your Academic Requirements Report. Transfer courses in your major should be evaluated by your department chairperson.

I am a current TCNJ student who wants to take a course at another institution. Who determines what transfer credit I will be awarded?

If the course is not offered by an NJ community college, then the student needs to present a course description and/or syllabus for consideration to either the department chair (for major requirement) or the Academic Evaluators in Records and Registration, if it is a liberal learning course, along with a Course Authorization form. No more than 3 units in the senior year may be earned away from the College. Current students should complete a Course Authorization Form which can be found online or in the Office of Records and Registration. If the course is at an NJ community college, you may use NJtransfer.org to determine transferability. The course authorization is conditional upon earning a grade of C or above from the offering institution. Please note that some courses require a grade higher than a “C” to count toward a major requirement. Please consult academic requirements report for specific grade requirements. Transcripts need to be sent to TCNJ for credit to be applied to a student’s record.

Does The College accept Advanced Placement credit?

The College publishes an annual table listing the minimum score required on an AP exam to obtain AP credit at TCNJ, and the course for which the credit is awarded for. Students must have their scored sent from Collegeboard directly to the Office of Records and Registration.

How can I get credit for knowledge earned?

Departments may offer credit by examination for a particular course. If you are interested in obtaining credit by examination, please consult with the Department Chairperson with oversight over the course you seek credit for. If appropriate, the Chair will assign a faculty member to administer the exam. The student must complete a form available online, and pay the required fee.


PREPARING FOR REGISTRATION

Can I take more than 4.5 units during a semester?

Students interested in taking more than 4.5 during a semester must seek approval from the academic department and subsequently the Assistant Dean.

How many courses am I allowed to enroll in for the summer?

You may take up to 3 course units over the summer.

Can I take courses at other institutions while concurrently enrolled at The College?

You can take courses at other institutions while concurrently enrolled at The College; however, you cannot exceed the maximum term course load set by The College, 4.5 units, without special permission.

How can I enroll in independent study?

Students interested in pursuing independent study must first identify a faculty sponsor. In consultation with the sponsor, the student must complete both The College’s application for Independent Study as well any supplemental documentation required by the academic department. The School requires signature of the student, faculty sponsor, as well as chair and assistant dean’s level approval for consideration. Upon securing the required signatures, the form is forwarded to the Office of Records and Registration for further processing.

How can I receive academic credit for an internship?

Students seeking credit for an internship must follow the guidelines provided by their academic department. This will including filling out the Records and Registration Internship Enrollment form. Internships must be sponsored by a faculty member and approved by their department chair and assistant dean.

Can I check for completion of prerequisites prior to my registration appointment?

To confirm that you have fulfilled prerequisites, you can use the “Validate” feature in PAWS. Instructions on how to do so are available online at http://www.tcnj.edu/~it/paws/documents/validate.pdf. PAWS will conditionally allow for registration if you are currently enrolled in a prerequisite course. Should you not pass prerequisite coursework, you will be asked to de-register from any courses for which you have not completed prerequisites for by the end of the add/drop period. Students will be allowed to use transfer credits towards prerequisite completion, if appropriate. If the validate feature shows that you have not completed a prerequisite but you believe it to be an error (i.e., PAWS does not recognize transfer credit), please inform your respective department chair.


ACADEMIC POLICIES

How is the GPA calculated?

A student’s grade point average (GPA) is based only on courses taken at TCNJ. These include courses taken during The College’s summer sessions and credits earned through the National Student Exchange Program. Not included in the calculation of the grade point average are: courses taken below the 100 level; courses taken on a Pass/Unsatisfactory basis; courses transferred from other institutions; and credits learned through international exchange/study abroad programs. The grade point average is calculated by dividing a student’s total quality points by his or her total quality hours. Quality points are calculated by multiplying the number of credits for a course by the weight of the grade earned in that course.

What determines probation/intervention status?

Good academic standing is achieved by attainment of the minimum required GPA (1.75 for up to 8 attempted courses and 2.0 for more than 8 attempted courses, excluding credits transferred from other institutions and classes graded with W’s, P’s, and NC’s). Failure to meet good academic standing places a student in academic intervention or probation for the term. Students can only enroll in 3 course units per term while on academic probation.

What is the Dismissal Policy?

Students placed on academic warning or probation for two consecutive semesters or a total of three semesters are dismissed from the College. Students can appeal the dismissal decision. Details are available on the Records and Registration website.

Can I repeat courses?

Courses may be repeated once. If a student wishes to repeat a course more than once, approval of the department chair of the student’s major and that of the department offering the course is required. Students must submit a completed Repeat of Course Authorization Form available online (http://www.tcnj.edu/~recreg/policies/repeatingcourses.html) to the Office of Records and Registration.

Contact

School of the Arts and Communication
Art and Interactive Multimedia Building
The College of New Jersey
P.O. Box 7718
2000 Pennington Rd.
Ewing, NJ 08628

609.771.2278

artscomm@tcnj.edu

Top
Announcing Our Spring 2024 Season!LEARN MORE
+