Independent Study

Students who wish to complete a course offered by the College on an independent study basis may do so with permission from the instructor and the Academic Dean of the School through which the course is offered. The Academic Dean of the School will arrange for registration in the course for the student. These arrangements must be made before the beginning of the semester. The instructor shall establish requirements for successful completion of the course. Academic credit earned through independent study is recognized as official course credit.

Credit for Prior Learning

Currently enrolled students are eligible to earn credit through a variety of assessment methods such as, but not limited to, the following:

  • National Standardized Examination (CLEP, AP, IB, DSST)
  • Departmental Exemption Examinations
  • Portfolio
  • Military Experience
  • State POST Training
  • ACE Credit Recommendations
  • Georgia High School EDU 2110 Program

Students may not request CPL for any courses for which they are currently registered as a regular or audit student.  Earning CPL does not exempt students from meeting institutional residency requirements as defined in the GHC catalog.  Decisions made by credentialing experts are final and not eligible for appeal. Any fees related to the assessment process are non-refundable.

Certain courses have been approved for credit by examination. An individual who wishes to take any of the desired examinations must be registered at the College and must complete the examination under the supervision of the Academic Dean of the School to which the course is assigned. Visit the Credit for Prior Learning site for more information.

Transfer Credit Evaluations

Admitted students who have earned academic credits at other institutions may access their evaluation of transfer credits through the GHC student portal.  Transfer credits are typically awarded for courses designed to be part of an associate or  baccalaureate degree program and completed with satisfactory grades at regionally accredited institutions.  Questions concerning transfer evaluations, including a request for re-evaluation, should be directed to the GHC Registrar’s Office by emailing registrar@highlands.edu.

Students transferring credits from one University System of Georgia (USG) institution to another are guaranteed the transferability of their general education courses. Specifically, any course accepted for credit in the core IMPACTS and Field of Study at the sending institution will be accepted as credit in the core IMPACTS and Field of Study at GHC with the following conditions:

  1. If students change their Transfer Degree-Pathway, then the Field of Study coursework completed at the sending institution, while transferable, may not count toward graduation credit in the newly chosen Transfer Degree-Pathway.
  2. If students change their Transfer Degree to a pathway requiring higher levels of science and mathematics in the Mathematics and STEM sections of core IMPACTS (primarily fields related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics or health sciences), then the Mathematics and STEM coursework completed at the sending institution, while transferable, may not count toward graduation credit in the new Transfer Degree-Pathway.
  3. In addition to 1) and 2) above, GHC maintains the right to require transfer students to meet expectations established for native GHC students as long as the number of credit hours required in a pathway is not increased for transfer students beyond the number required for native students.

A minimum grade of D is required for transferability of courses with the exceptions noted below. However, for grades to transfer, the average for all grades in courses accepted for transfer must be at least a 2.0 average.

For ENGL 1101 English Composition I and ENGL 1102 English Composition II equivalents, courses satisfying Field of Study requirements, major course requirements, and major electives in a bachelor degree, courses satisfying Field of Study requirements in an associates degree (for those following the 2023-2024 or later catalog), and courses where a grade of "C" or better is required as indicated in the catalog, a grade of "C" or better is required.

Permission to Attend Another Institution as a Transient Student

Students may petition for transient status at another institution for no more than two consecutive semesters. To be eligible to complete the Transient Permission form, student should have:

  • One current semester of residency at GHC
  • Be in in good standing
  • Completed all Learning Support and required high school curriculum (RHSC) requirements
  • Know the application deadline at the receiving institution and apply for admission as transient students at that institution.

The student is responsible for ensuring that an official transcript of all course work completed is sent to Georgia Highlands College in order for credit to be evaluated. Students who have been absent from Georgia Highlands College for more than one academic year will not be granted transient status.  In special circumstances, a student taking Learning Support courses may be able to petition for transient status from the Provost.