Transfer Credits (Graduate Admission)

Courses completed at other recognized graduate institutions, not exceeding six-semester credits, may be applied toward the requirements for the MA degree provided that they are of acceptable quality, have a shelf-life not exceeding ten years, and, as judged by the relevant faculty, are equivalent to parts of the approved program of study. 

Transfer credits are only accepted from other institutions of higher learning accredited by an association recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDOE) or any institution of higher learning, including foreign institutions. If the institution offering the program documents that the institution of higher learning at which the units were earned offers degree programs equivalent to degree programs accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the USDOE. 

When a student requests to transfer graduate-level coursework to the Soka University of America program, they are required to submit a copy of the syllabus or a catalog description of the course from the institution where the coursework was completed. 

Transferred courses will not count toward the GPA but will appear on the student’s transcript. This transfer policy may be applied to no more than two courses and six units per student. Although a higher requirement may be set as a condition for a particular course, no courses will be accepted as meeting Soka University of America Graduate School graduation requirements, nor will they have credit transferred if the grade received is less than B. 

If a course from another institution was taken and the content is potentially outdated, the Dean will recommend that the student retake the course at Soka University of America rather than transfer it in.