Complete Your Degree Sooner and Save Money!
We are excited that you are interested in attending the College of Undergraduate Studies at Colorado Christian University. As you think about what to major in during college, you should explore ways to lower your costs and save time as well. A typical bachelor's degree requires 120 credit hours, but you may need to complete far fewer credits at CCU if you plan ahead:
Take advantage of AP classes, dual credit courses, and other college-level courses offered at your high school.
Explore affordable online dual enrollment courses offered through CCU Academy, you could even complete your associate degree before you finish high school.
Investigate testing for credit options, including CLEP and DSST.
If you have already attended college, check with an Enrollment Counselor to see which credits will transfer to CCU.
Quick Tip
Transferable credits will be based on the academic catalog of the year the student is enrolled at CCU or admitted to a program and not the year the exam was taken. At CCU, we understand that you've worked hard to prepare for college. For this reason, it is important to read through CCU's Academic policies on transferring non-traditional credit ( CLEP equivalency, DSST equivalency, AP equivalency, IB equivalency).
Transferable Credits
AP Credits
A high school graduate who has taken the Advanced Placement Examinations conducted by the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) and who has passed with a score of 4 or 5 may receive University credit. Credit awarded will be treated as transfer credit and will count toward graduation as applicable. Please see our AP Academic Catalog Policies and CCU's AP equivalency for current requirements or you may consult the College Board website as AP equivalency is subject to change. CCU acceptance of AP credit for an undergraduate degree is no guarantee that graduate or medical schools will accept AP credit for prerequisite requirements.
IB Exam Credits
Students who have participated in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program in high school may be able to receive undergraduate credit for higher-level courses with scores of 5 or higher, depending on their chosen major. No more than 32 hours of International baccalaureate will be accepted for transfer and applied to a degree program at CCU. Please see our IB Academic Catalog Policies and CCU's IB equivalency PDF to see how IB credit may transfer into CCU. CCU acceptance of IB credit for an undergraduate degree is no guarantee that graduate or medical schools will accept IB credit for prerequisite requirements.
High School Dual Credit Courses
A C- (Pre-Nursing Students: C or higher) or higher is required for the course to transfer. Registration Services will evaluate if and how the credit would transfer to your specific major.
CCU Academy Courses
All CCU Academy dual credit (taken through your high school) and online dual enrollment courses will transfer into the CCU CUS program, however, they will need to go through the evaluation process with the Registration Services for specific class fulfillment within your major. For preliminary guidance, you can contact CCU Academy's student advisor at academy@ccu.edu.
Transferring College Credit Policies, Limitations, and Limited Transfer Courses
When transferring credits, CCU accepts courses that meet the following criteria. For complete policies please refer to the current course catalog.
CCU accepts all undergraduate credits for transfer as long as the incoming credit meets the following criteria:
- The transfer institution is accredited and recognized by the Department of Education.
- The course is undergraduate level; we do not accept developmental courses for transfer.
- Transfer courses must have a grade of C- or better (C or better for nursing students).
- Courses that do not meet a specific program requirement will be transferred as an elective.
Graduation is determined/based on:
- Successful completion of all program requirements, including all required courses in the major, minors (if applicable), and general education program.
- A minimum of 120 undergraduate credit hours for bachelor's degrees.
- Residency at CCU, a minimum of 30 credits completed at CCU.
The CCU College of Undergraduate Studies (CUS) does not accept ACE-recommended credit from programs such as Straighter Line, Sophia, etc.
For an official evaluation of transfer credit, students must be fully admitted, and official transcripts must be received by CCU. Transfer Credits are evaluated for equivalency to CCU courses. Some courses may be subject to a Dean's review and approval. Even courses that are not equivalent to CCU courses may transfer as electives and will count toward graduation requirements.
Transfer Students to the College of Undergraduate Studies
CCU strives to be transfer-friendly while maintaining our Christian conservative identity.
The College of Undergraduate Studies (CUS) offers reduced General Education requirements to students who transfer to CUS to reduce the time and cost of their degree.
CUS Transfer students with an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree:
Transfer students who have achieved an Associate of Arts (AA) or an Associate of Science (AS) from an accredited college or university may have the General Education courses required in CUS majors waived, with these exceptions:
- Transfer students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) must meet all prerequisites as listed in the Academic Catalog before entering the BSN program.
- For all other students with an AA or AS achieved before they matriculate to CCU, General Education courses are waived except for BIB-111 Old Testament, BIB-114 New Testament, and THE-201 Intro to Theology.
Please note: this policy does not apply to students with an Applied Associate degree.
CUS Transfer Students with 60 or more credit hours earned
Transfer students must satisfy the Bible and Theology requirements based on the number of credit hours they transfer upon matriculation to CCU:
- Students who transfer 59 or fewer credit hours must complete the full Biblical and Theological Studies requirement, which consists of fifteen credit hours.
- Students who transfer 60-74 credit hours must complete twelve credit hours: BIB-111 Old Testament, BIB-114 New Testament, THE-201 Intro to Theology and one of the following: PHL-202 Intro to Philosophy or PHL-315 World Religions. (For these students, one PHL course is waived.)
- Students who transfer 75-89 credit hours must complete nine credit hours: BIB-111 Old Testament, BIB-114 New Testament, and THE-201 Intro to Theology. (For these students, PHL-202 Intro to Philosophy and PHL 315 World Religions are waived.)
- Students who transfer 90 or more credit hours must complete six credit hours: BIB-111 Old Testament and BIB-114 New Testament. (For these students, PHL-202, Intro to Philosophy, PHL-315 World Religions, and THE-201 Intro to Theology are waived.)
CUS Transfer Course Guidelines
CCU generously transfers courses to meet General Education, major and general elective requirements. Students must follow residency requirements and minimum credit hours for a major.
Courses with Limited Transfer into CUS
Certain courses at CCU are designated as limited transfer courses and must be completed at CCU's College of Undergraduate Studies due to the unique nature and content of the course provided by CUS. Transfer coursework, AP/CLEP exams, non-CCU dual credit coursework, etc., will not be accepted for these courses and instead may be accepted as general elective credit or toward the major, if applicable. This applies to CUS students who have not achieved an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree before matriculating to CCU.
Students looking to transfer a course to satisfy one of the following General Education requirements, ECO-215 Economics, HIS-185 Western Civilization, or POL-207 Intro to American Politics, can request a policy exception to have their transfer course satisfy the General Education requirement. For these transfer courses taken before matriculation to CCU, students will submit a course substitution eForm to the Dean to substitute the transfer course for the General Education requirement. Students will then attend and complete a 0-credit seminar that addresses Christian conservative learning outcomes on the topic.
If a student successfully completes the 0-credit seminar, the student will add evidence (to be provided by the seminar instructor) of such completion to the eForm already started with the Dean. These steps must be completed before the transfer course can meet the General Education requirement.
Limited transfer courses at CCU include:
- HIS-185 Western Civilization
- POL-207 Introduction to American Politics
- ECO-215 Economics
- BIB/HIS-111 Old Testament (no seminar available for this course)
- BIB/HUM-114 New Testament (no seminar available for this course)
Transfer credit that will be accepted prior to matriculation at CCU under the policies above but will not be accepted to substitute for courses after a student matriculates to CCU is as follows:
- Fine Arts Requirement (HUM-120, MUS-110, THR-112) (no seminar available for this requirement)
- HIS-185 Western Civilization
- POL-207 Introduction to American Politics
- ECO-215 Economics
- BIB/HIS 111-Old Testament
- BIB/HUM-114 New Testament
Major Courses that cannot be transferred into the College of Undergraduate Studies:
- BUS/MGT-101 Business and Management in the 21st Century (no seminar available for this course)
Transferring Credits FAQs
If I plan to attend CCU, which types of credits are most likely to transfer into the CCU Traditional Undergraduate program?
All CCU Academy credits will transfer to CCU's traditional undergraduate program in the College of Undergraduate Studies. If you are earning college credit from another institution besides CCU, you will want to ensure the institution is fully accredited. It is a good idea to be aware of the general education courses required of most majors at CCU, though do keep in mind that this can vary slightly depending on your major. In order to view courses currently required for your specific major, please view our course catalog. Courses that either are not an equivalent match or cannot be substituted to fulfill the required general education course requirement would then count as elective credits. Be aware that select majors, such as Nursing, Pre-Med, Education majors, and Engineering, allow for little to no elective credits. Please review notes for each course, as some courses are limited transfer of credit accepted.
If I am transferring credits how many hours do I need at CCU to earn a degree here?
A minimum of 30 hours must be earned at CCU, including at least 50% of the major requirements and at least 12 upper division (300-400 level) hours. Please see the CCU Residency Requirement.
If I am an international student, do I need to do anything to make sure my credits transfer properly?
Yes. Please refer to our International Student Admissions Page to see requirements for sending transcripts.
Is there a place I can see general degree timelines for specific programs?
When do I register for classes?
Registration for fall semester classes will kick off at the end of April with our Cougar Days event and continue throughout the summer. Once you have been accepted to CCU and paid the tuition deposit, you will be directed to complete your next steps for registration.
I have another question not listed here. Who should I contact?
We are more than happy to answer any additional questions you may have at ccuadmissions@ccu.edu.