Transfer Procedures

Ferris recognizes courses recommended through the American Council on Education (ACE). If equivalencies have not been established and a student would like for a course to be reviewed, they should contact [email protected].

The Office of Transfer and Secondary School Partnerships (OTSSP) will advise students of the APL options and provide them with the resources to complete their APL portfolio. The OTSSP will uphold APL procedures and coordinate the portfolio process between the student and appropriate faculty/academic program. FSU and KCAD follow the academic standards of the Council of Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) when assessing prior learning experience.

The determination of competence levels and credit awards will be made by the relevant academic college or department personnel. Prior learning credit is awarded for college level learning. Knowledge learned must have a balance, appropriate to the subject, between theory and application. APL credit may be specific course credit, elective credit in a specific discipline, or general elective credit. Successful completion of the Assessment of Prior Learning portfolio will result in documented course credit(s) posted to the student's transcript. A credit grade, designated as CR, will be assigned for approved portfolios.

APL credit will be awarded in the semester the completed portfolio is submitted. The credits awarded may be used toward a Ferris State University or Kendall College of Art and Design degree. Credits awarded through prior learning assessment are not guaranteed to transfer to other institutions.

Students interested in completing an APL should contact the Office of Transfer and Secondary School Partnerships at [email protected].

Ferris State University, including Kendall College of Art and Design reserve the right to deny credit for transfer courses that are not deemed equivalent to those offered at Ferris State University or Kendall College of Art and Design.

Examples of courses that receive no credit include:

• Courses considered below college level (usually numbered below 100) unless they are equivalent to a 100 level or higher course
• Repeated courses or courses with duplicate subject content
• Courses offered for non-credit continuing education units (unless documented and approved through APL or a similar process)

Military training and experience are given full consideration in the awarding of college credit for military experiences and training. Eligibility for credit will be determined based on review of the student veteran’s military documentation and an interview. All training and experiences will be verified with the Joint Services Transcript or other military documentation depending on branch of military service. Student veterans may also apply for academic credit through the utilization of ACE recommendations or an Assessment of Prior Learning portfolio.

Ferris State University accepts many industry credentials, certifications, and professional courses or licenses for college credit.

Industry credentials demonstrate expertise and proficiency in a specific field or industry. Industry credentials typically require an individual to meet certain education or work experience requirements, pass an exam or assessment or maintain a credential through continuing education or recertification.

Contact [email protected] to:

• Determine if Ferris has a Credit for Credential Agreement for your certification or license
• Request a review of an industry credential to determine if it meets the requirements for Credit for Credential at Ferris

Credit for prior learning includes non-credit courses, experiences, learning, and trainings. Credit for prior learning may not exceed 22 credits toward an associate degree or 45 credits toward a bachelor’s degree.

Credit for Prior Learning includes:

• Advanced Placement (AP)
• American Council on Education (ACE) approved courses/credits
• Assessment of Prior Learning (APL)
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
• Course Competency Assessment
• Credit for Credential (CFC)
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• Military Training and Experience
• Secondary CTE Articulated Credits

Students must meet residency requirements to be awarded a degree from FSU or KCAD.

Transfer credits from non-regionally accredited or foreign institutions will be accepted when the coursework is deemed equivalent to an FSU or KCAD course or general transfer credits.

Ferris State University has agreements with community colleges throughout the state of Michigan that allow students to enroll in degree programs and receive financial aid from Ferris State University but take classes at the designated off-campus sites. Consortium agreements also allow students to be covered under the Consortium Transfer Policy.

Expore Financial Aid Consortium Agreements

Students can no longer complete the MACRAO Transfer Agreement as of fall 2019. Ferris will honor the MACRAO Transfer Agreement for students who completed the agreement prior to Fall 2019.

Visit the MACRAO website for more infomration.

The MACRAO Transfer Agreement facilitated transfer from community colleges to bachelor’s degree granting colleges and universities in Michigan. The agreement provided for transferability of up to 30 credit hours to meet many, if not all general education requirements at participating colleges and universities in Michigan.

The Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) replaced the MACRAO Transfer Agreement in fall 2014. The Michigan transfer Agreement (MTA) is designed to facilitate transfer from community colleges to bachelor’s degree granting colleges and universities in Michigan. The agreement provides for the transferability of up to 30 credit hours to meet many, if not all general education requirements at participating colleges and universities in Michigan. Students may complete the MTA as part of an associate degree or as a stand-alone package.

The MTA pertains solely to general education and does not exempt students from meeting specific prerequisite and/or course requirements for their degrees at FSU or KCAD. Only courses with a grade of “C” (2.0) or better will transfer as a part of the MTA Agreement. Many FSU and KCAD degrees require program-specific courses and prerequisites that also count towards institutional general education requirements. Specific prerequisite and general education degree requirements must be completed even if a student has the “MTA Satisfied” endorsement.

Students who have completed the MTA will have met the following general education requirements at Ferris State University:

• Two courses in Communication (One course in written communication and one course in oral communication or two courses in written communication)
• One course in Quantitative Literacy Competency
• Two courses in Natural Sciences including one with laboratory experience (from two different academic disciplines)
• Two courses in Self and Society (from two different academic disciplines)
• Two courses in Culture (from two different academic disciplines; studio and performance classes are not eligible)
• US Diversity and Global Diversity

Students transferring to Kendall College or Art and Design (KCAD) with the “MTA Satisfied” notation will have satisfied up to 30 credits of broad, integrative courses in Writing, Intro to Narrative Studies, Intro to Cultural Studies, Intro to Philosophy and Math or Science Elective.

Students should consult with a KCAD advisor to determine how their transfer general education courses meet the KCAD General Education Pathways.

Ferris students pursuing the MTA at Ferris should complete the MTA Certification Request MTA Certification Request Form and email it to the Registrar’s Office to request an MTA audit. Transcripts for Ferris students that meet the MTA will be updated to include the “MTA Satisfied” notation.

KCAD students pursuing the MTA should contact Academic Records at KCAD. Transcripts for FSU or KCAD students that meet MTA will be updated to include the “MTA Satisfied” notation on their transcript.

Students eligible for reverse transfer who have met the MTA requirements may request the “MTA Satisfied” notation from their prior institution at the time the reverse transfer audit takes place.

Ferris participates in and provides regular course equivalency updates to the MiTransfer Network. MiTransfer Network provides students and advisors with access to view transfer equivalencies for many colleges and universities in Michigan. In addition to providing information about course equivalencies, MiTransfer Network provides information about:

• Industry Credentials for Credit
• Institutional Profiles
• Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA),
• MiTransfer Pathways,
• MiWorkforce Pathways
• Additional information related to degree completion and transfer in Michigan.

To fulfill the residency requirement for an associate degree, a student must earn a minimum of fifteen credit hours from FSU or KCAD. To fulfill the residency requirement for a bachelor's degree a student must earn a minimum of thirty credit hours from FSU or KCAD. Students completing a BFA or BS at KCAD must complete at least half of their Major Studio credits through KCAD.

Students transferring to Ferris or KCAD prior to earning an associate degree from their transfer institution may qualify for reverse transfer once adequate eligible credits are earned.

If students have not earned their Ferris or KCAD bachelor’s degree but have earned at least 60 credits total, including transfer credits, they may be eligible to earn an associate degree from their transfer institution.

To participate, students must not have opted out at the time of completing their transfer application. Once 60 credits total have been reached, the student’s transcript will be sent to the Registrar’s Office at their transfer institution. The transfer institution will review the transcript to determine if the student can be awarded an associate degree through the Reverse Transfer Program.

Ferris and KCAD students interested in participating should contact the [email protected].

Transfer courses are evaluated by the relevant academic program. Course evaluations are based on course descriptions, course syllabi, or course outcomes. Courses are considered a direct equivalent to a FSU or KCAD course when there is a 75% or greater course content match. Courses evaluated as no direct equivalency will be granted general program or general credit. For questions about transfer course evaluation, contact [email protected].

Transfer disputes may arise when a course is not accepted as a direct course equivalency by FSU or KCAD. Students who wish to file an appeal may do so by contacting the Office of Transfer and Secondary School Partnerships (OTSSP) at [email protected]. The appeal must include a statement from the student on why they disagree with the evaluation. The appeal should also include copies of the course description and when possible, a course syllabus from the transfer institution. The OTSSP will consult with the academic program and, if necessary, the Dean of the respective college. The decision of the academic program and/or Dean is final and will be communicated to the student by the OTSSP within 30 days from the date the appeal is submitted.

Students must meet residency requirements for all Ferris State University, including Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD) degrees. See Residency section above for more information. Programmatic requirements must be met, regardless of the number of credits transferred to Ferris or KCAD.