Grad

Advanced Standing for Graduate Courses Taken Outside of UC

  1. Programs are permitted to award up to one third of the credits of a UC graduate program through advanced standing (e.g., 10 credits are eligible in a 30 credit hour program or 13 credits in a 40 credit hour program). The relevant number of credits is based on the minimum credits required to earn the advanced degree starting from the minimum degree qualification (usually a baccalaureate degree). Note that for doctoral students the advanced standing credit total will include any use of the ODHE allowance of up to 30 credits for a prior master's degree.
  2. Any graduate course credits, including those earned from previously earned graduate or undergraduate degrees, are eligible as advanced standing credits. 
  3. Advanced standing can only be offered for courses (including electives) entered in e-curriculum for the UC program.
  4. Program faculty must evaluate courses for equivalence or comparability prior to granting students Advanced Standing credit for courses taken at another institution, meeting all the following criteria;
    1. Courses taken at a recognized University or College
    2. Courses taken at the graduate level
    3. Requested advanced standing credits must be the lower of the following two choices
      1. Credits originally earned for the course
      2. Credits available in the UC course listed in e-curriculum
    4. For 1:1 course equivalency, one or more of the following criteria must be met when compared to the University of Cincinnati course for which Advanced Standing credit is sought:
      1. Course was taken in the same field with the same title 
      2. Course had similar topics 
      3. Course had similar learning outcomes
      4. Course assignment and assessment requirements were similar
      5. Course readings requirements are similar
    5. This evaluation process should be documented for each case in which it is applied
  5. The one third rule doesn’t apply to dual degrees, sequential master's to doctorate programs, or others with shared content that have received approval from the Graduate College.
  6. Advanced standing credit recommended by program faculty must first be approved by the graduate program director and then submitted for final review by the Graduate College to assure the request complies with the criteria above.