Advanced Placement, Transfer and Proficiency Credit & Exemption from Coursework
Students applying to The Art Institute of Indianapolis may be eligible to receive advanced standing credit in a number of ways: through participating in College Board Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses and writing the examinations for those courses during their secondary school careers, by earning college credit at other accredited postsecondary institutions; by completing the requirements of a transfer agreement established between the postsecondary institution they attend before coming to The Art Institute of Indianapolis; through the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP); through training or other educational experience in the military as measured through DANTES or DSST examinations; or as the result of experience obtained in the workplace or through other means, as demonstrated through portfolios of their work and additional supporting documentation. In all cases, new students are responsible for informing their Assistant Director of Admissions (ADA) and the Student Advisor during the application and enrollment process of any educational experiences they may have had which they feel could lead to advanced standing credit at The Art Institute of Indianapolis. Any documentation supporting the award of advanced standing credit, including, but not limited to, copies of examination score reports, official copies of final college transcripts from other postsecondary institutions, or portfolios of outside work and any required supporting documentation must be submitted to the credit transfer evaluator, via the admissions representative, well in advance of registration for a student's first quarter at The Art Institute. No advanced standing credit will be awarded later than 30 days after a student's start in a program. Credits earned at another institution after a student's initial enrollment at The Art Institute of Indianapolis will not be evaluated for transfer credit unless the student has received written permission from the Dean of Academic Affairs prior to enrolling for the credits at the other institution.
Once all supporting documentation has been received by the credit transfer evaluator, decisions on advanced standing credit are normally communicated to the student through the Admissions Office within two weeks. Those students who believe additional advanced standing credit may be due to them should complete a Petition for Advanced Standing Credit Re-Evaluation, available from their ADA or from the Registrar's Office, and submit it to the credit transfer evaluator immediately following the initial notification of award of advanced standing credit. It is strongly suggested that students avoid registering for any course for which they expect to receive advanced standing credit until a final response from the credit transfer evaluator has been issued.
The Art Institute assumes no responsibility for classes remaining on students' schedules after the drop/add period where transfer or proficiency credit has subsequently been awarded, or where exemption has been granted. Students will be charged for any courses remaining on their schedule after that period, even though advanced standing credit may be awarded after the drop/add period has concluded. In addition, the awarding of advanced standing credit does not guarantee students early completion of their programs due to possible prerequisite and scheduling restrictions. Specific requirements for each kind of credit are outlined below:
Credit for Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Courses
Students who have participated in AP or IB programs during their secondary school careers, and who have taken the applicable examinations, are eligible for credit for equivalent courses at The Art Institute of Indianapolis. Students must earn a score of three or higher on an AP exam, or a score of four or higher on an IB exam. Copies of AP or IB score reports must be submitted to the Admissions Office as part of the application process. Advanced placement credit will be recorded on the student's transcript as "P" credit. While the credit will count toward the required number of hours of credit toward the student's program, no grades will be assigned. This credit will not be computed in the student's GPA or CGPA and will not count as credit attempted.
Credit for Courses Taken at Other Postsecondary Institutions
Students may be eligible to receive advanced standing credit for The Art Institute of Indianapolis courses based on work completed at other postsecondary institutions. In general, for a student to receive credit for prior postsecondary coursework, that postsecondary institution must be accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. In the event that a student has taken distance education courses through another educational service, he or she may be eligible to receive transfer credit if that educational service is currently accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), or if it has been validated by the American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT). In other cases, equivalent courses in the major may be transferable from a non-regionally, non-ACICS, or non-ACCSCT accredited institution if that prior postsecondary institution is accredited by one of the more specialized accrediting bodies, such as the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) or the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER). Every effort will be made to award transfer credit to students who have attended an accredited postsecondary institution for equivalent Art Institute courses as long as they have earned a grade of "C" or higher. In the event that the course is technologically based, it must also have been taken within the past three years. For technology-based coursework older than three years, students who can prove they have remained current with that technology should contact the credit transfer evaluator well in advance of first quarter registration to apply for possible proficiency "P" credit for those courses. These requirements also apply to courses taken at another Art Institute.
Transfer credit will be recorded on the student's transcript as "TR" credit. While the credit will count toward the required number of hours of credit toward the student's program, no grades will be assigned. This credit will not be computed in the student's GPA or CGPA and will not count as credit attempted. Official transcripts from all schools previously attended must be received prior to completion of the program. In the event a student completes an associate's degree at The Art Institute of Indianapolis and then chooses to complete a bachelor's degree at The Art Institute of Indianapolis in the same area of study, credit earned for the associate's degree will be brought in for matching courses and added to the student's bachelor's degree transcript and grades will be recorded as "TR" credit and will not be computed in the student's bachelor's degree GPA and CGPA. Students who have completed coursework at a postsecondary institution with which The Art Institute of Indianapolis has a current transfer agreement will receive transfer credit based on the terms of that agreement. The Art Institute of Indianapolis does not grant transfer credit for pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grades unless a statement appears on the official transcript that equates such notation to a "C" or higher. In addition, review, remedial, and transitional courses are excluded. Transcripts will not be reviewed for transfer credit until all transcripts for a student have been received.
Credit for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Tests
Students may earn advanced standing credit for Art Institute courses based on equivalent CLEP examinations provided they score in the fiftieth (50th) percentile or higher. CLEP examination score reports should be submitted to the Admissions Office prior to enrollment at The Art Institute. In some cases, currently enrolled students just beginning a program may be allowed to take a CLEP exam for credit. Those students must meet with the credit transfer evaluator prior to registering for any CLEP exam and CLEP scores must be received no later than 30 days after the student's start in a program. More information about the CLEP program may be obtained from the credit transfer evaluator in the Education Office. CLEP credit will be recorded on the student's transcript as "P" credit. While the credit will count toward the required number of hours of credit toward the student's program, no grades will be assigned. This credit will not be computed in the student's GPA or CGPA and will not count as credit attempted.
Credit for Military Training and/or Experience
Students with prior training and/or education received as part of their military experience may be eligible for advanced standing credit based on the results of DANTES or DSST examination scores, or as recommended in the American Council on Education's (ACE) Guide to Educational Credit by Examination, or in the ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Military credit will be recorded on the student's transcript as "P" credit. While the credit will count toward the required number of hours of credit toward the student's program, no grades will be assigned. This credit will not be computed in the student's GPA or CGPA and will not count as credit attempted.
Credit for Workplace Experience or Other Areas of Proficiency
Students who feel they can meet the competencies required of courses at The Art Institute of Indianapolis through other life experiences or skills they may have acquired through employment may submit a portfolio of works they have completed and supporting documentation as proof of their ability to meet these competencies. New students should inform their ADA of such experience and submit their portfolios and supporting documentation to him or her. The admissions representative will then turn these portfolios over to the credit transfer evaluator, who will make sure the appropriate academic director evaluates them. Once a decision on proficiency credit has been made, the credit transfer evaluator will return the portfolio to the student's ADA , who will then inform the student of that decision. The student may then pick up his or her portfolio from the Admissions Office. Work experience credit will be recorded on the student's transcript as "P" credit. While the credit will count toward the required number of hours of credit toward the student's program, no grades will be assigned. This credit will not be computed in the student's GPA or CGPA and will not count as credit attempted.
Limitations on the Award of Credit
Students may earn up to 25% of the required amount of credit toward their Art Institute of Indianapolis degree as the result of testing or prior work experience ("P" credit).
Students may earn up to 50% of the required amount of credit toward their Art Institute of Indianapolis degree as the result of coursework completed at other accredited postsecondary institutions ("TR" credit), or in combination with credit received as the result of a transfer agreement The Art Institute may have with that postsecondary institution, as well as any testing or prior work experience credit mentioned above ("P" and "TR" credit combined). Students may earn up to 75% of the required amount of credit toward their Art Institute of Indianapolis degree as the result of coursework completed at another Art Institute ("TR" credit), or in combination with credit from coursework completed at other accredited postsecondary institutions ("TR" credit), or received as the result of a transfer agreement The Art Institute may have with that postsecondary institution, as well as any testing or prior work experience credit mentioned above ("P" and "TR" credit combined).