Foreign Language Courses
Transfer students with 60 or more transferrable credits at the time of application who have successfully completed a minimum of two years of one foreign language at the high school or two semesters of college level will satisfy the Foreign Language proficiency requirement. Students transferring less than 60 credits at the time of application will need to satisfy the requirement as stated in the academic catalog.
Admission as a transfer student does not imply admission to a specific academic major. Admission to the major is determined by the department once the admission process has been completed and the student has been accepted to the university. Transfer students are encouraged to consult with department faculty either by phone or in person during the admission process regarding admission to the major. Admissions staff will be pleased to facilitate these visits.
Transfer students must successfully complete at least 15 credits in the major program at Clarke University. Special policies regulate the transfer of credits for religious studies and composition/speech courses in the general education program.
Religious Studies Courses
- Religious Studies or Theology courses transferred from Catholic Colleges or Universities are accepted and count toward General Education Foundational RELS credit, Divisional credit, Elective credit, or College Elective credit.
- Courses transferred from other faith-based colleges or universities will be accepted as General Education Divisional or Elective credit, or College Elective credit. In some cases, one bible/scripture course from faith-based colleges and universities may count toward General Education Foundational RELS (200 level) credit. Placement of credits will be based on the sending institution and course description and determined by the Registrar’s Office in consultation with the Director of General Education.
- Religious Studies or theology courses transferred from all other institutions will be accepted as General Education Divisional or Elective credit, or College Elective credit as specified in institutional articulations or as determined by the Registrar’s Office in consultation with the Director of General Education.
Composition Courses
All students are required to complete the Clarke University writing assessment at entrance with a score of 3 or higher in order to receive credit for Cornerstone.
- When a student transfers 3 credit hours in writing, the 3 credits will be accepted. If the writing assessment score is 3 or higher, the 3 credit hours will satisfy GNED 110 Cornerstone requirement and the student will enroll in GNED 111 Cornerstone II or GNED 120 Writing Practicum. If the writing assessment score is 4, the individual may be eligible for honors Cornerstone II.
- When a student transfers 6 credit hours in writing or posts 6 hours of Advanced Placement (AP) credits in composition, 6 credits will be accepted. If the writing assessment score is 3 or higher, the 6 credits will satisfy GNED 110/GNED 111 Cornerstone I/II.
- When a student transfers 9 credit hours in writing and speech, 6 credits will satisfy Cornerstone I and Cornerstone II, and the remaining 3 transfer credits will satisfy general education elective credit or college elective credit.
Students matriculating prior to Fall 2009 from community colleges in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin which have articulation agreements with Clarke University may be exempt from the policy governing the transfer of composition/speech courses.
- When a student transfers “dual credit” in English (composition), the 3 credit hours will be accepted. If the writing assessment score is 3 or higher, the 3 credits will satisfy Cornerstone I and the individual will enroll in Cornerstone II and may be eligible for honors Cornerstone. If the writing assessment is 2 or lower, the student will enroll in Cornerstone I and the transferred credits will count toward general education elective credit or college elective credit. If the writing assessment score is 2 or lower, the individual will be required to enroll in Writing Lab as well as Cornerstone I.
Speech Courses
Transfer students who have not successfully completed a speech course must enroll in either GNED 110/111 Cornerstone I/II or GNED 123 Speech depending on their prior writing coursework.
Math Courses
- Transfer of Intermediate Algebra courses will be equated with Clarke’s Intermediate Algebra course regardless of its numerical designation
- Transfer of 100 level math courses in “College Algebra” or other college “level” math courses will satisfy proficiency and credit may count as divisional or elective credit as needed.
Other General Education Courses
The following courses from regionally accredited institutions will be accepted as general education credits.
- College level courses from universally accepted liberal arts disciplines that are 100 or 200 level courses.
- Fine Arts “hands-on” courses, e.g., art or drama laboratory courses, music ensembles (not to exceed 3 credits)
NOTE: In cases where courses have generic titles such as humanities, the registrar’s office will make a determination based on course description if the course best suits Clarke’s humanities, fine arts, or social science division.
- Religious studies courses from non-Catholic institutions may satisfy humanities requirements.
The college will record course titles and the number of credit hours on the student’s Clarke transcript; a student’s grade point average (GPA) for a degree, however, will be computed on Clarke courses and cross-registered courses from Loras College and the University of Dubuque only. Transfer courses with a grade of C- and above are listed as S on the transcript. Courses with grades below C- are neither accepted, nor listed on the transcript.
Students who have been placed on probation or who have been academically dismissed from their previous school must have their application reviewed by and have a personal interview with the Admissions Committee. Students who are dismissed from another college for academic reasons will not be admitted to Clarke as a full-time student until one full academic year after the dismissal. Such a student may be admitted as a part-time student (six or fewer hours). If the student’s transcript is unclear as to whether academic dismissal has taken place, Clarke standards will be applied in making the determination.
Academic Honors at Commencement
Academic honors at commencement are awarded to candidates for baccalaureate degrees who have earned a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 on Clarke University coursework. Candidates are expected to have completed a minimum of 45 graded credit hours at Clarke University by their degree completion date. Honors printed in the commencement program are calculated as of the end of Spring Session I grades. Diplomas and transcripts will reflect final honors.
- 3.80 or above Summa Cum Laude
- 3.65–3.79 Magna Cum Laude
- 3.50–3.64 Cum Laude
Honors at commencement are also awarded to candidates for baccalaureate degrees who have successfully completed the Honors Program.