Transfer Credits

• A maximum of 68 hours may be transferred from community colleges to Texas Lutheran University. For students with more than 68 hours, the 68 hours that best complete the degree plan as of the first semester the student attends TLU will be transferred. No changes may be made to the choice of transferred hours after the student starts classes at TLU.
• Only grades of "C-" or better will transfer. Grades of "D" do not transfer. Community college courses may not transfer into TLU as upper-division courses (300-400 level), even though TLU may have an upper-division course with exactly the same name and description. Community college courses may not be used to fulfill the 30-hour upper-division requirement for graduation at TLU. However, the course may be used as a substitute for an upper-division course with an approved substitution form signed by the chair and dean.
• FREX134, Exploring the Arts & Sciences, is required of all students except transfer students entering with 24 or more hours, no more than 12 of which may be earned through dual participation.
• Only four hours of Physical Education (Kinesiology) activity will apply to degree requirements.
• Only four hours of Ensemble Music will apply to degree requirements.

At TLU, we want our graduates to achieve a breadth of knowledge in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. Toward that end, students need to meet requirements in 9 areas we call the Foundations and Dimensions of Liberal Education. These areas are closely aligned with what other schools call their “core” courses or “basics.”

Transfer students like TLU because we are flexible with the kind of courses we will accept as fulfilling these dimensions. Here are our general education requirements:

• College Level Math Course (3 hours)
• Introduction to Theology (THEO-133)
• Any Modern Language (3 hours)
• Personal Well-Being (PRWB-130)
• English Composition (COMP-131 & COMP-132)
• Arts (Dramatic Media, Art, Music)(6 hours)
• Humanities (English Literature, Geography, History, Philosophy, Mexican-American Studies, Women's Studies)(6 hours)(2 disciplines)
• Natural Sciences & Math (Math, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Physics)(6 hours)(2 disciplines)(1 lab)
• Professional Applications (Business, Communications, Computer Science, Education, Information Systems, Kinesiology)(3 hours)
• Cultural Perspectives & Religion (Theology or Language)(3 hours)
• Social Sciences (Criminal Justice, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology)(6 hours)(2 disciplines)

Courses taken in your major field of study may also transfer to TLU. Compare courses for which you've already received credit with those required in TLU Degree Plans to see what might count toward your TLU coursework.

If you're transferring from a community college in Texas, use the Transfer Equivalency Guide to see the TLU equivalent for the course you'd like to transfer, as well as the core competency it fulfills.

TLU students may earn credit by examination or receive advanced placement credit through several programs, including College Board Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations taken while in high school; and College Level Examination (CLEP), Defense Subject Standardized Tests (DANTES), and Excelsior College Examination programs during their time at TLU.

Credit by exam or advanced placement credit does not count toward residence hours, honors calculations, or affect the student's grade point average. All advanced placement coursework appears on the transcript as credit (CR).

Students may apply a maximum of 30 semester hours advanced placement credit toward graduation through any one or combination of the above programs.

Texas Lutheran University awards credit for College Board Advanced Placement to all entering students who submit a score of three (3) or higher. For more information, contact www.collegeboard.org. Students who receive satisfactory scores will be awarded credit for the TLU courses as indicated below:

The following International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level examinations, taken while in high school, are acceptable for credit based on presenting the minimum scores noted. For more information, visit the International Baccalaureate Organization website at www.ibo.org. Equivalent Texas Lutheran courses and hours credit are specified.

The TLU Spanish & French Placement Tests will allow you to find out how much institutional credit at TLU you can earn by using your existing language skills.

When you take a test, it will give you immediate results that will indicate which SPAN or FREN class you should register for. If you get at least a B in that class, you will receive credit for all the lower level classes you tested out of as TLU institutional credit.

Those credits are units toward graduation which can also be used for Spanish or French majors or minors at the same time (but note that SPAI or FREI credits of this kind do not count toward General Education requirements). For example, if you place into SPAN 375 and get at least a B in it, you will receive 12 units of credit, for Spanish classes 1-4!

Language skills are increasingly in demand in the workplace, and these exams will help you maximize your opportunities. For native or advanced speakers, you may be almost finished with a minor after your first class.

The tests are designed to find the class you will have the best chance of succeeding in. Some students are nervous about how much they remember from high school or whether they know or remember correct or formal grammar.

Register For The TLU Spanish Placement Test

Register For The TLU French Placement Test

View Exam Scores & TLU Equivalents