Transfer Credits from Other Sources
Palomar College is not the custodian of transcripts/test scores from other institutions. When a student has never applied and we have no record of attendance, transcripts/test scores from other institutions will be purged and the student must re-submit upon application for admission.
It is the policy of Palomar College to grant credit for most courses taken at regionally accredited (Associations of Colleges and Schools) institutions of higher learning. Credit earned at a time when an institution was a candidate for accreditation may be accepted. Official transcripts must be on file with the Records Office to have transfer credit course work applied to Palomar degree, certificate, or transfer evaluations. Hand-carried official copies of transcripts are accepted provided they are received in sealed envelopes. Transfer credits from institutions using the quarter system shall be evaluated as follows: each unit of work at a quarter system is equivalent to two-thirds of a semester unit (i.e., 3 quarter units equals 2 semester units).
Non-traditional credit may be used to satisfy general education, elective, or major course requirements. Palomar College will not grant non-traditional credit for non-degree applicable course work.
The California Community College System, the CSU System, and the UC System all award credit for Advanced Placement (AP) Exams. Palomar College grants credit toward its Associate degrees and CSU GE and IGETC certification patterns to high school students who attain scores of 3, 4, or 5 on the Advanced Placement Examinations of the College Board. Students may earn a minimum of 3 semester units of credit for each AP exam satisfactorily passed. Access the Advanced Placement Program Guide on the Articulation website to identify how AP exam credit can be applied. See a counselor for specific information regarding AP exam placement and credit awarded. Students intending to transfer to a four-year institution should consult a counselor or the individual university regarding its AP credit policy. To receive credit, students must submit an official AP transcript to the Records Office. For information on obtaining a transcript, contact the College Board.
The High School Articulation/Credit by Exam program (formerly known as the Tech Prep Program and CTE Transitions) is a technical and academic preparation program that enables high school students to prepare for a career and college at the same time. Students can even earn college credits while still in high school! High School Articulation/Credit by Exam is a bridge that connects learning to careers. It is designed to help students gain academic knowledge and technical skills, whereby they can earn college credit for their secondary (high school) course work through the completion of articulated courses. Programs are intended to lead to an associate degree or a certificate in a specific career field, and ultimately, to high wage, high skill employment or advanced postsecondary (college) training. Through the Credit by Examination process, high school students may receive credit at the college level for some articulated courses. Palomar College awards college credit to high school students who earn an A or B in career-related, articulated high school course work and who pass an exam approved and/or conducted by Palomar College faculty. An articulated course is one in which the high school teacher and Palomar College faculty have formally agreed that the high school’s course outline, syllabus, textbook, and final exam are comparable to those in a course of the same major at Palomar College. For more information contact High School Articulation/Credit by Exam.
Palomar College grants credit for successful completion of certain CLEP examinations to students who attain satisfactory scores. Access the CLEP Program Guide on the Articulation website to identify how CLEP credit can be applied. Students may earn a minimum of 3 semester units of credit for each exam satisfactorily passed. See a counselor for specific information regarding CLEP placement and credit awarded. Students intending to transfer to a four-year institution should consult a counselor or the individual university regarding its CLEP credit policy. To receive credit, students must submit an official CLEP transcript to the Records Office. For information on obtaining a transcript, contact the College Board.
Palomar College may award credit for successful completion of certain DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Test) exams to students who attain satisfactory scores. Access the DANTES Program Guide on the Articulation website to identify how DANTES credit can be applied to the Associate degree. See a counselor for specific information regarding DSST placement and credit awarded. The College is guided by the credit recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE). To receive credit, students must submit an official DANTES transcript to the Records Office. For information on obtaining a transcript, visit the DANTES website.
Students who have satisfactorily completed course work from a foreign nation’s appropriately accredited university may be able to apply those course credits toward an Associate degree at Palomar College. Course work must first be evaluated by an approved credentials evaluation agency and then reviewed by Palomar’s Evaluations Office. Some course work may also require approval by Department Chairs. To have foreign course work credits evaluated, students should contact one of the approved credentials evaluation agencies. A list is available in the Evaluations Office. Request a detailed equivalency report that indicates – for each course – whether it is an upper or lower-division course, it’s U.S. semester equivalency, and the grade the student earned. The Evaluations Office will determine how course work will be applied to requirements. Palomar College will not determine course transferability to other colleges and universities. Please note foreign course work will NOT satisfy general education requirements for English composition and oral communication courses.
Palomar College may award International Baccalaureate (IB) Examination credit toward the Associate degree, or for CSU GE or IGETC transfer certification, to high school students who attain an appropriate score on Higher Level exams. Access the IB Program Guide on the Articulation website to identify how IB exam credit can be applied. See a counselor for specific information regarding IB exam placement and credit awarded. Students intending to transfer to a four-year institution should consult a counselor or the individual university regarding its IB credit policy for major course work. To receive credit, students must submit an official IB transcript to the Records Office.
Palomar College may award credit for schools and training completed while in the military. Typically, credit awarded is applied only toward the Associate degree, usually as elective units. However, completion of Basic/Recruit Training will meet the Health and Fitness requirement for the Associate degree, and will meet Area E requirements for both Associate Degree GE and CSU GE. Credit is awarded for work satisfactorily completed at the lower-division baccalaureate and associate degree levels only. Students intending to transfer to a four-year institution should consult with the individual university regarding its military credit policy. To receive credit, students must submit an official transcript to the Records Office. These may include the following: Joint Services Transcript (JST); Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript; Coast Guard Institute (CGI) transcript; official transcripts from DANTES/USAFI; or verified copies of DD214 or DD295 military records.
Palomar College will not accept any course, even from a regionally accredited institution, that promotes a specific religious doctrine. Courses with a broad philosophical perspective will be accepted. Examples of courses which may be appropriate for general education include The Bible, The New Testament, The Koran, and The Torah, as long as the treatment of these topics is academic and stresses these books as literary works in an historic or philosophic way. We will not accept courses that are taught from a specific doctrinal perspective or which attempt to proselytize. Examples of courses which are not appropriate for general education include Preparing for a Mission, The Baptist Ministry, and Living as a Christian. Courses which by title may not appear as faith-based may still be unacceptable if the description includes dogma.
The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a three or four year program designed to equip students with leadership skills and commission officers for tomorrow’s Air Force. Required course work includes lectures, a leadership laboratory practical component, panel discussions, dialogues, problem solving, and physical training. All course work is completed on-site at or near San Diego State University (SDSU), with the exception of a four-week summer Field Training encampment conducted on a military base between the second and third year. Palomar College does not have an ROTC program; however, under the provisions of a special agreement, students may participate in the ROTC program at SDSU. Students may enroll and attend ROTC classes at SDSU by contacting the SDSU Aerospace Studies Department at (619) 594-5545. Scholarships may be available for qualified cadets. The credits in these classes may be transferred as electives to meet degree requirements. Upon successful completion of the program and all requirements of a bachelor’s degree, cadets are commissioned as Second Lieutenants and serve a minimum of four years of active duty in the Air Force.
