Bethel welcomes transfer students from regionally accredited colleges and universities, both public and private and both two-year and four-year universities. To recognize the academic work completed elsewhere Bethel has developed entry standings based on the number of credits completed prior to entering Bethel. Students at the various standing levels, students who have completed the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, or students who have completed an Associate of Arts or Bachelors degree are exempt from some General Education requirements. For more information see the Entry Standing Tables.

Transfer Evaluation System (TES)

The Transfer Evaluation System (TES) can be used by transfer students, other students entering Bethel with college credits, and current Bethel students who wish to take some courses elsewhere so that they see how courses taken at another institution will transfer to Bethel. Courses not found in TES will be reviewed by the Office of the Registrar in consultation with the faculty. For incoming students, transfer credit evaluations are valid for the student's anticipated semester of enrollment and the following semester. If enrollment is deferred for additional semesters, transfer work must be re-evaluated

Transfer Policies

Bethel accepts transfer credits in accordance with the policies below:

1. Courses must have been taken at a regionally accredited college or university or at an institution accredited by the Association of Biblical Higher Education.
   1. Unless there is an approved articulation agreement with the ABHE school, no more than 12 credits may be transferred to Bethel. Credits transferred from ABHE schools are limited to bible or theology courses and these courses are brought in as no more than twelve 100-level elective credits in biblical studies. 
   2. Bethel enters into articulation agreements with ABHE schools after review by the Registrar, the Associate Provost, and the General Education committee for general education courses or the department chair for departmental courses. 
2. Only courses at the 100-level (1000-level for colleges using a four-digit numbering system) and higher are accepted for transfer. Remedial courses are not accepted for transfer.
3. Vocational/Technical courses (e.g., Massage Therapy, Auto Mechanics) may not be transferred to Bethel.
4. Only courses in which students earn a grade of C or better may be transferred to Bethel. Courses taken pass/fail, credit/no credit, satisfactory/unsatisfactory do not transfer unless the official transcript indicates that a pass/fail, credit/no credit, satisfactory/unsatisfactory is equivalent to a grade of C or higher. For satisfactory or passing grades on other schools' transcripts that are not defined as equivalent to a C or higher, transfer credits will be awarded for the class if the instructor of record submits a letter on letterhead that indicates the student earned the equivalent letter grade of a C or higher. The transfer credits could be awarded as elective, general education, major, or minor credits, depending on the equivalency of the course. The student is responsible to arrange for the course instructor to send documentation to the Registrar's Office.
   1. COVID-19 Information: With the exception of satisfactory or passing grades awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic of Spring and Summer 2020, satisfactory or passing grades must be defined as equivalent to a C or higher in order to receive transfer credit. For credits taken during Spring and Summer 2020 only, all Satisfactory or Passing grades awarded will be awarded transfer credit, even if the other institution does not define satisfactory or passing grades as equivalent to a C or higher.
5. Audited courses are not accepted for transfer to Bethel.
6. Official transcripts for all courses completed at colleges outside of the United States must be evaluated (and translated, if needed) by an approved evaluation agency or U.S. college or university. Examples of evaluation agencies include, but are not limited to, World Evaluation Services, AACRAO International Education Services, and Educational Credential Evaluators Inc.
7. Grades earned in transfer courses are not included in calculating the cumulative GPA or the GPA for the major at Bethel.
8. Official transcripts from the college, university, or institution offering the transfer course are required.
9. The Office of the Registrar consults departments and the General Education Committee to determine which Bethel requirements may be fulfilled by transfer courses. Final decisions are made by the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar evaluates official transcripts only.
   1. In order for a transfer course to fulfill a requirement for majors and minors it must be approved by the department offering the course and the Office of the Registrar.
   2. Approval for a course to fulfill a General Education requirement must be obtained from the General Education Committee member overseeing the course or General Education category and the Office of the Registrar.
10. In order for a transfer course to fulfill a specific Bethel requirement:
    1. the credits of the transfer course must be greater than 50% of the credits of the Bethel requirement (e.g., a 2-credit transfer course may not be used to fulfill a 4-credit Bethel requirement but a 3- or 4-credit transfer course may fulfill either a 3- or 4-credit Bethel requirement).
    2. the level of the transfer course must not be more than one level lower than the Bethel requirement it fulfills (e.g., a 100-level course may replace a 200-level course, but may not replace a 300-level course.)
11. Transfer courses that do not fulfill specific courses or requirements may be brought in as electives and counted toward the total credits required for graduation.
12. Students are responsible for ensuring that official transcripts from other colleges and universities are sent to Bethel and for monitoring their academic records to verify which Bethel requirements the transfer courses fulfill.
13. Students studying abroad should obtain approval of courses to be taken abroad prior to their departure. Petition forms are available through the Office of the Registrar.
14. Current Bethel students who wish to take courses at another college or university for transfer to Bethel should obtain approval prior to taking the course. Upon completion of the course, they should ensure that official transcripts are sent to the Office of the Registrar.
15. Of the last 35 credits taken to complete a degree at Bethel, at least 28 must be taken at Bethel and at least 30 of the 122 credits needed to graduate must be taken at Bethel.
16. Articulation agreements may include exceptions to transfer credit, course requirement, and degree requirement policies.

17. If a transfer course in not accepted for Bethel credit, the decision may be appealed by completing the form found on the Registrar's Office webpage.