Doctoral Programs and Transfer Credits

Hello, everyone.

A quick question...

What is a doctoral program (probably in education, but it could be in technology or English or the humanities or educational leadership) that accepts quite a few hours in transfer? By quite a few, I mean 30 or so.

Thanks,
basrsu

 

Doctoral-level credits? No school is going to transfer that many. Expect the number of credits transferred to be anywhere from near zero to zero.

Even if you have a doctorate, you start over again.

 

I apologize for not writing with clarity.

I do not already have a doctorate; my question is if someone knows of a doctoral program that will take a substantial number of graduate credits into the program. I know there are several that take around 30--maybe even more--but I just don't know the entire field.

I hope that clears up my initial post.

basrsu

 

For example, from the University of Missouri doctoral handbook:

The doctoral committee may recommend up to 30 hours of postbaccalaureate graduate credit from an accredited university be transferred toward the total hours required for the doctoral degree. It is the
responsibility of the doctoral committee to determine the appropriateness
of coursework for transfer credit. All requests for exceptions to this policy
must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. This policy applies
to students who begin their enrollment during the Fall Term 2006 and
subsequent semesters.

There are numerous others...

basrsu

 

Most graduate schools will take up to 30 credits into a PhD, because most masters degrees are around 30 credits. UF accepted 30 credits from my EBS MBA into my PhD program.

However, as Rich said, courses you take above those 30 credits as part of a doctoral program would probably not transfer.

 

The only exception that I know to this is Northcentral University; they may, under special consideration, transfer an additional 15 credits of doctoral work previously taken in a doctoral program, but again, this is considered on a case by case basis only. So, in other words, if you did 42 hrs in your master's program, you'll still only be able to transfer 30 of them, and the other 12 wouldn't qualify for special consideration, since you weren't enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the time that you took them.

But I echo edowave; most doctoral programs will transfer in 30 hrs of master's work. Capella U. transfers up to 48 (quarter) hours towards their 120 quarter hr Ph.D. programs, incidentally.

Cheers,
Adrienne

 

Just to restate, this transfer in concept is really just the acceptance of a Master's degree (in most cases). There are many doctoral programs that allow entry directly from an undergrad degree, however you essentially then just complete a masters equivilent on your way to the PhD. As such, when a school like Capella says they accept 48 transfer credits into their doctoral program, they are just saying we will take your masters degree, otherwise you would matriculate into the doctoral program and complete the Master's first. If you enter a doctoral program with a Master's already, there are very few programs that will allow credit transfer into the course work that is post Master's.

 

This post is pretty much the definitive explanation and answer to this question.

 

No. Read "postbaccalaureate." That means they'll accept someone else's master's (or an equivalent amount of credit). The "total hours required for the doctoral degree" includes the work to earn a master's degree along the way.

You won't find accredited doctoral programs that accept significant credit transfer, nor should you. The doctorate is supposed to be a unified body of work under the supervision of the university.

At the master's level, you'll find almost all schools limit transfer credit to just a few courses. Expect the same (or even less) at the doctoral level.

 

Has anyone from NCU shared with you the kind of circumstance(s) where they would consider approving more than 30 transfer credits?

 

Now that I think about it, and this is completely from my memory with no basis in anything I can point to; I do remember reading somewhere that some school on rare occasion may sometimes accept an ABD transfer, which technically would involve, I suppose, transfer of some doctorial course work.

 

I spoke to Argosy and they were will to take 30 credits from my masters and 9-12 from my NCU PhD to enter their DBA program.

 

Re: dlady

Now that I think about it, and this is completely from my memory with no basis in anything I can point to; I do remember reading somewhere that some school on rare occasion may sometimes accept an ABD transfer, which technically would involve, I suppose, transfer of some doctorial course work.

Harvard has the following link:
http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/programs_of_study/programs_of_study.php
It includes a paragraph - Persons holding the doctoral degree (or its equivalent), or those with comparable professional experience, may apply for Visiting Fellow status. This status is also open to advanced doctoral candidates who have completed all required coursework and would like to pursue dissertation research at Harvard.
I suspect that your degree would be from your original school and not from Harvard. Please let me know if anyone knows differently.

An NCU link states:
http://www.ncu.edu/info.asp?i=45
It includes a paragraph - If you have completed doctoral courses at another institution or have completed all coursework but are ABD, now is the time to revisit your goal and obtain your doctoral degree without the need to leave your job and return to a campus. Contact us for more details.

 

If you can find a second school that will take you in ABD status, which is rare but possible, your degree would be from that second school. Moreover, unless there is some sort of reciprocal or partnership agreement, matriculation in one school will not result in another school conferring a degree. Generally, transfer of doctoral credits is for identical coursework only and limited by State law, essentially with each doctoral program pretending that others don't exist.

Dave

 

I suppose another option for an ABD would be to do a UK or UNISA research only degree.

 

We have UF students that do this all the time. It is only to study or do research with a particular professor at a different institution. The degree you earn is from your home institution.

 

It doesn't sound like the original poster is ABD, so I'm not so sure any of the above would apply. And if he/she was ABD, why not finish at the original school? Anything that interferes with that would also create problems with the examples cited here.

One way or another, it's great infomation. Thanks!

 

Embry-Riddle has an agreement that their masters credits can be transferred to the NCU Ph.D. In my case I was credited with 36 units.
See http://www.erau.edu/ec/wwc/articulation/ncu-mas.pdf

 

But the original question was regarding doctoral-level credits, not master's level.

By the way, even though school literature may say one thing, it doesn't hurt to talk to the school(s) directly. Negotiating can bring surprisingly good results.