Commonwealth Institute will accept transfer credit earned at another institution, in accordance with commonly accepted good practice in higher education, provided all of the following criteria are met:

1. Coursework from a regionally accredited institution, or from a nationally recognized agency such as C.L.E.P., evidenced by an official transcript, will be accepted only for the General Education Core or related subjects
2. Coursework from other ABFSE-accredited mortuary colleges may be accepted provided the coursework parallels the content of courses offered by Commonwealth Institute
3. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (“C” average) has been achieved in all transfer courses. No grade below a “D” will be accepted as transfer credit

Students desiring to seek transfer credit are advised to consult with the Dean prior to enrollment for evaluation of transfer credit. If transfer credit is granted, the grade of “TR” will appear on the student’s official transcript. Only the grades earned at Commonwealth Institute will be used in computing the student’s GPA.

If there is any question or doubt as to transferability of credits, Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service reserves the right to require the student to show proficiency by successfully completing a proficiency examination in the subject(s)/course(s) for which transfer credit is being requested.

Students contemplating admission with transfer credit should note that most states require students to attend a mortuary college for a period of not less than twelve months.

CIFS will accept transfer credit earned at another institution in accordance with commonly accepted, good practice in higher education, provided the following criteria are met:

• Coursework from a regionally accredited institution or from a nationally recognized agency such as CLEP, evidenced by an official transcript, may be accepted only for the General Education courses.
• Coursework from other ABFSE accredited mortuary colleges or programs may be accepted, if it parallels that of CIFS courses and was completed less than 3 years from the date of application.
• A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (“C” average) must be achieved in all transfer courses.  No transfer credit will be given for courses with a grade of “D” unless the transfer GPA policy is satisfied. No grades of “F” or “W” will be accepted as transfer credit.
• Transfer credit will not be awarded for grades of “T/TR” or “C/CR.”  Previous coursework must show an earned letter grade to be eligible for transfer credit.
• For reapplying/re-enrolling students, CIFS coursework taken previously is only eligible for transfer credit into a new enrollment if completed less than 5 years from the new date of application.

CIFS recognizes that some students may enroll with background education or experience that has given them sufficient knowledge in a particular area of academia.  Once a student provides evidence of such experience, they may be eligible to receive credit by examination.  After following the necessary steps, they may attempt the challenge examination.  An administrative fee of $125 will be charged for each challenge exam.  A maximum of 18 quarter hours may be given through credit by exam.  If a student has previously received any type of letter grade from CIFS, then they will not be eligible to complete the credit by examination.  No challenge examination may be given to improve an existing letter grade.