4.6.1 - Transfer Credit for Doctoral Programs

The acceptance of transfer credit from another institution for a doctoral degree at OUHSC is determined in accordance with the following criteria:

1. A maximum of 44 semester hours from individual courses and/or a completed degree may be applied toward a doctoral degree. Exceptions can be made for additional non-OU coursework taken by electronic media, following enrollment in an OUHSC doctoral program.
2. The coursework transferred must represent valid graduate credit earned in graduate level courses from an accredited college or university.
3. The credit must carry a grade of A, B, or S.
4. The credit must be applicable to the degree program.
5. Individual courses applied must not be more than six years old at the time of admission to the degree program. In special cases, credit more than six years old may be transferred if recommended and validated by the department and approved by the Graduate Dean. The departmental procedures to validate the student's current knowledge and competency must have the approval of the Graduate Dean.
6. A completed master's degree, all of which is to be used, may be applied toward a doctoral degree regardless of age, if approved by the department/program and the Graduate Dean. The total number of credit hours transferred toward the PhD degree cannot exceed 44 semester hours.
7. Credit from a professional degree program such as the MD, DDS, or DVM degree may be applied toward a graduate degree as transfer credit, provided that such courses carry a grade of A, B, or S and have been approved for graduate credit by the academic institution of origin.
8. Graduate coursework completed while a student is in a doctoral degree program at the University of Oklahoma Norman or OU Tulsa Campuses will be considered as residence credit, and upon approval of the department and the Graduate Dean, may be used without limitation as credit toward a doctoral degree.
9. Credit hours previously counted for one doctoral degree may not be applied toward a second doctoral degree. No more than six hours of transfer thesis research credit from a completed master's degree may be applied toward a doctoral degree.
10. Credit by correspondence or by advanced standing examination will not apply toward a graduate degree.
11. Graduate coursework taken in Tulsa from the University of Oklahoma is not considered transfer credit. OSU Tulsa consists of five cooperating universities that provide undergraduate and graduate level courses as well as some degree programs. Credit taken from the other cooperating universities through OSU Tulsa is considered transfer work and must comply with the transfer policies.
12. All transfer coursework must be approved by the program and by the Graduate Dean. Programs with transfer rules more stringent than those listed in this section have specified them in Section 5 of the bulletin. These more stringent rules take precedence over the general rules described in this section.
13. Procedures for application of transfer credit may be found in the Policies and Procedures page of the website.