Transfer Credit Policy

Students wishing to petition for transfer credits may do so upon the successful completion of nine credits at CISA. Upon approval of the Academic Policy Council, students may be granted up to six credit hours of transfer credit. Transfer credits may be applied to meet the electives and in rare cases, core course requirements, for the MA in Strategic Security Studies Degree. The APC will determine exceptions. Transfer credit may be earned both prior to matriculating at CISA or while a student is a degree candidate.

Students wishing to petition for transfer credits may do so upon the successful completion of nine credits at CISA. Upon approval of the Academic Policy Council, students may be granted up to six credit hours of transfer credit. Transfer credits may be applied to meet the electives and in rare cases, core course requirements, for the MA in Strategic Security Studies Degree. The APC will determine exceptions. Transfer credit may be earned both prior to matriculating at CISA or while a student is a degree candidate.

The Academic Policy Council reviews all requests for transfer credit. Coursework to be considered must be at the graduate level. The following criteria will inform the APC decision:

1) Credits for transfer were earned within five (5) years of matriculation at CISA; 
2) Courses must be at the graduate level and cannot have been used for an undergraduate degree;
3) Grades awarded for those credits are “B” or above; 
4) Course content is relevant to the CISA curriculum; and 
5) Credits granted by the original institution are equivalent to those at CISA in terms of contact hours, content and rigor; 
7) CISA awards credits based on the semester system, courses taken on the quarterly system will be re-calculated by the CISA Registrar to reflect semester hours; 
8) A student may not receive transfer credit from universities outside the United States and Canada except if the courses were taken at a foreign school or university that is accredited by a Canadian or U.S. regional accrediting board.

Students will be informed by letter of all APC decisions. After receipt of the initial letter, a student has 15 business days to appeal the decision. Appeals must be submitted directly to the CISA Office of Academic Affairs. All decisions after the appeal are final.

Exceptions to the CISA transfer policy will be considered by the Academic Policy Council on a case-by-case basis and will be referred to the University Registrar for final approval.

Transfer courses will appear on a student’s transcript as “Transfers” and the grade will not be calculated into the final MA in Strategic Security Studies Degree grade point average.