College Transfers

Welcome to The Art Institute of Pittsburgh! Did you take the scenic route to get here? Are you a non-traditional student who already has been to college? At The Art Institute we are happy to consider your previous college-level work for advanced standing, which, if awarded, will shorten the time needed to complete your degree. In fact, you may be eligible to transfer up to 75% of your degree here, if your courses match our programs. Below are some common questions and answers about advanced standing at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

• How do I get credit reviewed for transfer to The Art Institute of Pittsburgh?
  
  
• How many credits will be accepted for transfer?
  
  
• How will my transfer credit affect my tuition plan at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh?
  
  
• I am transferring from another Art Institute school. Will all of my credits transfer?
  
  
• I am transferring to The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division. How will my credits transfer?
  
  
• Why was I awarded 3 credits for a course that was worth 5 credits at my previous school?
  
  
• Do my grades transfer?
  
  
• Can I get credit for courses taken Pass/Fail or through a proficiency exam at another school?
  
  
• What is life experience credit, and how do I apply for it?
  
  
• Can I get credit for CLEP (College-Level Examination Program), AP (Advanced Placement), or military work?
  
  
• What if my credits are not recent?
  
  
• Why didn't I get credit for all of my previous coursework?
  
  
• How can I get a course re-evaluated or appeal an evaluation?
  
  
• How do I have credits transferred from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh to another school?
  
  
• Can I take courses elsewhere while I am enrolled at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh?
  
  
• Do you have transfer credit agreements with other schools?
  
  
• Who is responsible for my transfer of credit?

How do I get credit reviewed for transfer to The Art Institute of Pittsburgh? The first place to start is with your admissions representative who will have the basic forms you need for transfer of credit processes. You will need to provide official transcripts from each institution whose credits you wish to have reviewed, including official score reports from any national exams such as Advanced Placement (AP) and the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). Official transcripts must be sent directly from the source institution. You may also wish to include a resume or list of software used in your classes. If you are in the middle of completing classes, you will also need to have a final transcript sent to us once the term is complete. Credits will be posted to your Art Institute of Pittsburgh record, your financial planner will be notified, and you will be mailed an account of the transfer of credit review. You must apply for transfer credit before the beginning of your first quarter at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. The sooner you provide all necessary transcripts, the sooner your transfer credit package will be completed and the more accurate it will be!

How many credits will be accepted for transfer? You can transfer up to 75% of your degree here (in a combination of life credit and advanced standing. Life credit is limited to 25% of your total degree). This figure translates into 78 credits toward the Associate’s Degree (87 for Culinary) and 135 for the Bachelor’s Degree. Our programs meld classic art courses with technology, and state-of-the-industry courses in your field with general education, which gives a wide range of courses possible for transfer. In all cases, students will complete at least the last 25% of their degree here at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. We require a minimum of a “C” grade for transfer, and courses must have been taken at an accredited institution. Courses must be posted to an official transcript, and we need a transcript from each school attended. Please also keep in mind that you must apply for transfer credit before the beginning of your first quarter here at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Technology courses, those involving computer skills or software, can be no more than 5 years old to be considered for transfer. With more dated courses you arguably lose the thread of the evolving technology. If you took a class more than five years ago and have used the skills regularly in the workplace, you may wish to send a resume and consider applying for life credit (see below).

How will my transfer credit affect my tuition plan at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh? Transfer or advanced standing credit reduces the amount of tuition you will pay by lowering the number of credits you will take here for a degree. So that we can give you an accurate plan as early as possible, it is important that you send all of your transcripts and related information quickly, and that you respond to requests for additional information promptly.

I am transferring from another Art Institute school. Will all of my credits transfer? Each Art Institute is a unique learning environment and has its own set of requirements, both for general education and program courses. Credits from other Ai schools are evaluated in the same manner and under the same terms as credits from any other college, although we make every effort to award the maximum amount of credit. The only exception is for credit taken as an Online student, since the Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division is a division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and shares the same catalog.

I am transferring to The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division. How will my credits transfer? The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division is a division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and shares the same catalog. Program requirements and course descriptions are the same for both schools, so even though you must go through the admission process to transfer, all credits completed with a grade of “D” will apply to either campus.

Why was I awarded 3 credits for a course that was worth 5 credits at my previous school? Courses offered at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh are worth 3 credits, except for some culinary courses. Course transfer is course to course, so you will receive three credits for a course here, even if you took the course at another school for a higher number of credits.

Do my grades transfer? Grades figure into the admission process, and you need to have earned a minimum grade of “C” or higher in a course considered for advanced standing. Once the course has transferred, though, the grade is reflected on The Art Institute of Pittsburgh transcript as a “K”, and does not affect the The Art Institute of Pittsburgh grade point average.

Can I get credit for courses taken Pass/Fail or through a proficiency exam at another school? We typically do not offer credit for courses taken Pass/Fail, unless you can demonstrate that you earned a grade of “C” or better. At some schools the minimum passing grade is a “C”, and we will consider those courses. We do not offer transfer credit for proficiency exams completed or life credit awarded at other schools. You may take our computer literacy test-out, take a national validation exam such as CLEP, or apply for life credit.

What is life experience credit, and how do I apply for it? Some students have work or significant life experience that fulfills the content of a course here, but for which the student does not have actual classroom experience. If this sounds like you, consider applying for life experience credit. You may receive life credit, where appropriate, for up to 25% of your degree program. To apply for life credit, speak with your admissions representative who will explain how to submit a resume, portfolio examples, and letters of recommendation to be reviewed by the department chair. A $50 fee is required for each class reviewed. We require a computer literacy class as part of all of our programs. This course covers word processing, spreadsheets, and databases, as well as general computer skills. To get credit for this course outside of advanced standing, you may take the computer test-out. The test-out measures your computer skills in those three areas and is taken on a pass/fail basis. There is a $50 charge for the test and you are awarded three credits toward your degree for successful completion of the test (students in the digital design program do not get 3 credits because the course is not part of their program, although they must demonstrate computer literacy). Because we offer this test we do not accept test credit for computer literacy from outside testers, such as CLEP.

Can I get credit for CLEP, AP, or military work? We accept transfer credit from non-traditional sources such as College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), and military-based training as validated by the American Council on Education (ACE). Courses must be similar in content to those we offer at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and applicable to your degree program. Exams must be taken before the start of your first term at The Art Institute.

What if my credits are not recent? We will give credit for courses that match courses we offer here. To facilitate the evaluation of your credit, it would be helpful for you to provide course descriptions from the appropriate catalog years. We can typically find descriptions for courses completed since 1994 in our Online catalog system. Courses in general education usually transfer well where the content matches ours even if the courses are many years old. Non-computer based art courses such as drawing and perspective will also transfer. You may, however, choose to decline credit for those courses if you feel taking them now will enhance your performance in your program here. If you had a transferable math course from several years ago and need to take the second math course required for the BS program, you may wish to decline credit for the earlier course if you feel you should renew your skills to pass a course now. Technology courses, those involving computer skills or software, can be no more than 5 years old to be considered for transfer. With older courses you arguably lose the thread of the evolving technology. If you took a class more than five years ago and have used and updated your skills regularly in the workplace, you may wish to send a resume and consider applying for life credit (see life credit section).

Why didn’t I get credit for all of my previous coursework? We review the course descriptions for courses you have taken elsewhere, and courses need to match those offered in your academic program at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. In addition, we only review courses with grades of “C” or better taken at an accredited school and posted to an official transcript. If you did not receive credit for a course, several other reasons are possible:

• the course is not in your program,
• the course does not match ours closely enough,
• the course is in technology and is more than 5 years old,
• the course is developmental or non-degree at your institution, or
• you have not completed the necessary prerequisites for our course.

How can I get a course re-evaluated or appeal an evaluation? If you have reviewed the section about why credit may be turned down and feel that a specific course was denied in error, you may discuss the course with your admissions representative. Our original evaluation is based on the course description. If you want the course re-evaluated, you should submit additional information, such as a course syllabus and a list of software used, if any. After completing this process, you may also make a final written appeal to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. You must provide the Vice President with the course number and title of the course, an official transcript, a course description, and a course syllabus. If you do not get credit for a specific course you may, before your first enrollment term here, take CLEP or a similar exam, or take credit at another school.

How do I have credits transferred from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh to another school? Contact the Registrar’s Office at 412.291.6251 for information about sending an official transcript to another school. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh’s mission is to help you prepare to enter the job market in art, design, or culinary. Our focus is to help you develop skills that are key to the current job market so that you can graduate and begin your career from a solid technical and artistic base. With that in mind, understand that credit is transferred at the discretion of the receiving institution, so it is up to the school you wish to attend to determine which courses from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh will apply to their degree program.

Can I take courses elsewhere while I am enrolled at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh? Once you start your first term at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, you must complete all of your credit here. Occasionally, for unusual and compelling circumstances, the Vice President of Academic Affairs may make an exception to this policy. In addition, you may wish to consider taking courses through our Online division as a hybrid student (someone taking on-ground and Online courses simultaneously). For more information about this option, contact Michele Thomas, Online Advocate, at 412-291-6276.

Do you have transfer credit agreements with other schools? We have agreements with other schools called articulation agreements. In most cases you complete a two-year program at the sending school and are guaranteed a specific transfer credit package at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh as outlined in the agreement. For more information contact the Director, College Affiliate Programs, at 412.291.6366.

Who is responsible for my transfer of credit? Transfer credit is evaluated by the Transfer of Credit Coordinator under the authority of the Vice President of Academic Affairs. If you have questions about your transfer of credit evaluation, feel free to contact your admissions representative.