Transfer Policy

Applicants with a bachelor’s degree
Applicants with a bachelor’s degree may be eligible to transfer up to 12 credits of post-baccalaureate graduate coursework to the Psy.D. program if completed at another regionally accredited institution. The requested transfer coursework must have been:

• Completed within the last five years at a regionally accredited graduate institution, and
• Awarded a grade of B or greater

Please note: life experience, workshops, seminars, and individual learning programs do not qualify for transfer credit.

Students may not transfer credit for any of the following courses:

• Professional Development Seminars
• Dissertation Proposal Development
• Dissertation Development
• Cultural Influences on the Self
• Cultural Competence in Clinical Practice
• Clinical Internship

The program does not accept transfer for the Clinical Internship.

Applicants with a completed graduate degree
Applicants with a completed graduate degree from a regionally accredited graduate institution in psychology, social work, mental health or a closely related field may apply to transfer up to 30 credits toward the PsyD degree. This may allow them to complete the program in less than five years. The requested transfer coursework must have been awarded a grade of B or greater.

Students with a master’s degree who transfer 18 credits or more of coursework may be eligible to receive six (6) credits for successfully completed prior practica experiences, transferring one year (minimum of 600 hours) of practicum. Transfer of practica can only be requested for prior training experiences completed within 2-3 consecutive terms/semesters during their master’s program. Partial practica experiences will not be considered eligible for transfer. These prior practica training experiences and supervision must meet the current Psy.D. program criteria, as specified in the Handbook. All requests for practicum waivers will be reviewed and must be approved by the Director of Clinical Training. This approval process will include a review of all of their academic work as well as placement summaries and supervisors’ reports from all practica experiences supporting this request. The petition must include, but not be limited to:

• CVs of supervisor(s)
• Description and documentation of completed hours
• Supervisor evaluations
• Any supplemental supportive documentation

Request for Transfer of Credit
Requests for transfer of credit can only be made by petition after the student has been formally admitted to the program and prior to the beginning of the student’s first term in the program. Transfer requests are handled on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the Director of Clinical Training (DCT).

All requests for acceptance of transfer credits are handled individually. The following process will be followed in petitioning for and approving of transfer of credits:

1. Submit Transfer Request Forms A & B to the Director of Clinical Training prior to the beginning of the first term. This must include the course syllabus for each course being proposed to meet the transfer criteria and any other pertinent materials.
2. The Director of Clinical Training will forward the petition to the Psy.D. program faculty member who teaches the UI&U course. The submitted material must demonstrate that the prior coursework meets at least 75% of the current course content offered by the Psy.D. program, as found in the current course syllabus. The faculty member will evaluate the materials and make a recommendation to the Director of Clinical Training.
3. The Director of Clinical Training will make a determination and notify the student of his/her decision.
4. The decision of the Director of Clinical Training is final.

Students who are planning to request transfer of practicum credits are advised to carefully review the licensing requirements in the state(s) where they are intending to practice in the future. Some states will not allow master‘s practicum hours to count towards hours of required practicum hours in the doctoral program for licensing purposes.

Students who enter the program with prior practicum experience are strongly advised to complete the minimum number of required practicum hours (1200) while in the Psy.D. program. This will significantly increase their knowledge and skill levels, as well as enhance their application portfolio for their internship.

PLEASE NOTE: All transfer credits accepted toward the degree program are used to determine the student‘s program of study and are included in the total of 124 required credits. Transfer credits are not calculated in the GPA. The Psy.D. program includes a minimum of three full-time academic years of graduate study at Union Institute & University, with one year of full-time residency at UI&U (see Residency in the Handbook).

Transferability of Credit
Students should be aware that decisions about acceptance of credit in transfer are up to the receiving institution. There is no guarantee that credits earned while enrolled in Union Institute & University’s Psy.D. program will be accepted by another educational institution.

• Download Transfer Credit Instructions
• Download Transfer Credit Form

Contact
For further information contact us at:  admissions.psyd@myunion.edu or 888.828.8575 or 802.257.9411 x8902.