Transfer to Des Moines Area Community College

Earn credit through previous classes and educational experiences from other colleges or the Armed Forces. Upon completion of the transfer credit evaluation, students will receive a report illustrating how the accepted transfer credit applies to their chosen program of study. The acceptance and use of transfer credit is subject to limitations in accordance with the educational procedures of the College.

College Credit

To transfer college credit earned at another institution students must request that a transcript bearing the official seal and signature of the official in charge of the records be sent directly to the DMACC Admissions Office by each college or university previously attended. Transcripts which have been in the student's possession will not be considered official documents. Students submitting an official transcript in a language other than English must also submit an English translation of this transcript.  Upon receipt, the Admissions Office will forward official transcripts to the Credentials Office for evaluation.

Transcripts must be sent from each previously attended institution even though all previous records may be summarized on one transcript. DMACC will accept credit only when submitted by the institution where the credit was earned.

A maximum of 43 semester credit hours of transfer credit is applicable towards degree requirements. The total grade point average of credits transferred to DMACC must equal 2.0 or higher. Since the student's grade point average is calculated from course work taken at DMACC only, grades earned at other colleges or universities will not be used in the computation of the student's GPA at DMACC.

Credit for Educational Experience in the Armed Forces

Credit earned through educational experiences in the armed forces can be validated and accepted by the College. Credit is accepted based on state-wide policies at Iowa colleges and universities and based on its applicability toward meeting the requirements in the student's program of study. An American Council on Education (ACE) publication, "Guide to the Evaluations of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services," is generally used in making these determinations.

Credit is awarded only for significant learning experiences as recommended by the ACE guide. No credit will be awarded based on the Military Occupational Specialties evaluation program. Credit may be awarded for course work completed via correspondence, classroom study and/or examination through the United States Armed Forces Institute. 

Credit may also be granted on the basis of scores earned on the Subject Standardized Test of the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support. Copies of transcripts showing such work will be evaluated by the Office of Credentials.