For the baccalaureate degree, Reinhardt University will accept a maximum of 30 semester credits of validated college-level learning from any combination of formal skill testing and/or experiential learning (see Experiential Learning Credit).
For the associate degree, the University will accept a maximum of 15 semester credits of validated college-level learning from any combination of formal skill testing and/or experiential learning.
Credit by examination may be granted for any combination of the following: the Advanced Placement Program Examination (AP), the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) subject tests, the Proficiency Examination Program (PEP), and the subject tests of the American College Testing Service (ACT).
Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations
High school students who participate in the Advanced Placement Program may be eligible to earn college credit. In the areas that Reinhardt has courses, students may earn a maximum of 15 semester credits by AP examination. Generally, the required cut-off score to earn college credit for AP work is a three (3) on an Advanced Placement exam. A student should check with the Office of the Registrar for acceptable scores and the specific courses they replace.
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Acceptable scores on one or more of the general or subject-area examinations of the College Entrance Examination Board College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) entitle students to a maximum of 15 semester credits in areas where Reinhardt University offers courses.
The Educational Testing Service administers CLEP exams at its various testing centers. An enrolled student should contact the Office of the Registrar regarding testing.
Proficiency Examination Program
A student who feels that he or she knows the material for a particular course may request to take a comprehensive final examination to earn credit for that course. The student must secure the approval of the appropriate School Dean and the faculty member who teaches the course. Before taking the final exam, the student must pay a test fee equivalent to the charge for one semester credit. The student must earn a grade of C or better on the final exam to earn credit for the course. The course will be noted on the transcript as having been passed by examination; however, the exam grade will not be calculated in the grade point average. If the student fails the final exam, he or she will not be allowed to repeat it for credit in that particular course. A student may earn a maximum of 15 semester credits through the proficiency examination program.
Directed Study
A Directed study is an alternative method of learning course material that is appropriate only when a student cannot take the course in the usual manner. Under the direction of a faculty member, the student must meet the same learning outcomes as required in a regularly scheduled course. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is strongly recommended to pursue a Directed Study. Directed Studies should not be used for core classes. Regulations and directed study applications can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. There is an additional charge of $90 per credit hour.
Independent Study
An Independent Study is a carefully organized learning activity with specific objectives and methods of evaluation developed by a student in consultation with a supervising faculty member. It is an inquiry into an area not covered by a regular course or intensive study beyond the scope of regular classroom work. Such inquiry may occur in the library or a laboratory, or through reading, research, or experimentation. The purpose of Independent Study is to encourage a high level of individual academic achievement and to stimulate and orient students toward advanced work. Independent Study courses are available in nearly every subject area and are numbered 299 (sophomore level) or 499 (junior or senior level). Regulations and Independent Study applications can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. Only two courses taken by Independent Study may apply toward fulfilling graduation requirements and only one independent study may be taken in a term. There is an additional charge of $90 per credit hour.
Special Topics
Each discipline has a special topics designation for courses that faculty members want to offer on a onetime or experimental basis. Each discipline has a special topics number at the sophomore level (298) and at the junior or senior level (498).
Experiential Learning Credit
Reinhardt follows the recommendations of the American Council of Education and the Council for the Advancement of Experiential Learning in awarding experiential learning credit. Credit is awarded on a course-by-course basis.
Experience alone is inadequate; learning is the key component for earning credit. Experiential learning considered for credit must be related to the course work in the general education curriculum, major program of study, or elective courses of the student’s chosen academic program. The experiential learning must relate to the learning objectives of the Reinhardt course for which the student is seeking credit. The student will demonstrate competencies that would be acquired through the Reinhardt course for which credit is being requested. Students in the School of Professional Studies may be awarded lower division semester credit hours for certified technical and professional training. See the School of Professional Studies section of the catalog for more information.
Procedure for Experiential Learning Credit
- Student meets with the appropriate School Dean. The Dean ascertains the course(s) for which the student believes he or she has college level learning experience.
- The Dean assigns a faculty member to supervise the project.
- The faculty member provides course objectives for courses in which the student believes he or she has college level experiential learning.
- The student meets with the supervising faculty member to discuss proposal content.
- The student submits completed Experiential Learning Credit Proposal(s) to the supervising faculty member, who notifies the appropriate dean that the proposal has been submitted.
- The supervising faculty member responds to the student within 15 school days.
- The student begins work on portfolio, a fiveto eight-page narrative describing his or her learning and the relationship of that learning to the Reinhardt University course objectives. In addition to the narrative, the portfolio will contain documentation of learning such as seminar syllabi, examples of the student’s work, letters attesting to the student’s learning, certificates, newspaper or magazine articles concerning the student’s achievements, or any other appropriate forms of learning documentation.
- The student submits 2 copies of the completed portfolio to the supervising faculty member.
- The supervising faculty member notifies the Dean of the school that the portfolio has been delivered.
- The faculty supervisor evaluates the portfolio within 30 days and returns the portfolio to the Dean of the School.
- If the evaluator denies credit, he or she will indicate which objective has not been met and provide suggestions for the student to meet those objectives.
- If the evaluator recommends that credit be granted, the dean will obtain signatures from the student’s advisor and the Dean of the University.
- Finally, the portfolio will be signed by the Registrar who will record E credit on the student’s transcript and notify the business office to bill the student for the appropriate tuition.
- The Dean will place one copy of the portfolio in the library and return the other copy to the student.
International Study Opportunities
Reinhardt students have the opportunity to enrich their knowledge and expand their own cultural identities by studying abroad. The International Studies program at Reinhardt University provides students with lifetransforming educational experiences outside of the borders of their own society. These programs expand upon the high-quality liberal arts, professional, and science education they obtain at Reinhardt as students learn to interact more effectively in a world that is becoming more interdependent and more global. Students may register for summer school group courses led by Reinhardt faculty program directors in which the classroom is global. In recent years, faculty-led programs have explored Spain, Ghana, France, Greece, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Great Britain, Cuba, Ecuador, and Ireland.
Alternately, or in addition, students may work on an individual basis with the Director of International Studies and their major advisors to find a summer-, semester-, or year-long study abroad program that fits their geographical, academic, and financial needs and interests. These may be classroom programs, internships, field or service learning programs, or a combination. Each program will have its own selection criteria; each applicant must meet the standards set by that particular program. Students work with their advisors to assure that their choice of a program will reinforce and supplement their major curriculum. In recent years, Reinhardt students have lived and studied in Denmark, Ireland, Australia, Spain, Great Britain, and Peru.
Federal and state financial aid - including HOPE and Georgia Tuition Equalization Grants - may be used to fund study abroad opportunities. Consult the Office of Student Financial Aid to determine eligibility. Students who study abroad through a consortium agreement with another institution remain matriculated as Reinhardt students through payment of a study abroad fee. Reinhardt students also participate each year in the Campus Ministry’s mission trip programs, which are sometimes international in focus but do not offer academic credit. These programs are coordinated by the Norman W. Paschall Office of Campus Ministry and are usually offered during Spring Break.
International studies opportunities provide excellent support for students in any major and such programs deeply enrich our students and our University community.
Study at Another Institution
A currently-enrolled student in good academic standing who is not on Academic Warning or Probation and who desires to take course work on a transient basis at another accredited institution must obtain prior written permission from the student’s advisor, School Dean, and the Registrar at Reinhardt University. Failure to obtain this permission may result in the denial of credit. Transient request forms are available in the Office of the Registrar, and online at https://www.reinhardt.edu/current-students/registrar/.
On-line coursework must be identified as such and must receive approval from the Dean of the appropriate academic school. Students wishing to continue their study elsewhere for a second semester must seek and receive permission in advance. This extension, if approved, is good for only one semester. Courses that a student has previously failed at Reinhardt may not be retaken for credit at another institution. Transfer policies regarding minimum grades and collegiate-level classes also apply to transient work.