Transfer Credit Advanced Standing
Persons applying to IPS degree programs who have previous education for ministry experience, either in accredited graduate-level programs or in venues where academic credits are not granted (such as diocesan diaconal training or lay ministry education programs), may apply for "advanced standing" or "transfer of credit" in any of the master's degree programs.
For the M.A. degrees, the upper limit for the number of hours granted in either advanced standing or transfer of credit is one-third of the total number of hours required by the degree, e.g., 12 hours in pastoral studies, spirituality, religious education and social justice; 16 hours in pastoral counseling. For the M.Div. degree, advanced standing/transfer of credit follows the same pattern as Loyola doctoral programs. Up to one-half the total number of hours (36 credit hours) can be transferred from an approved M.A. program.
Requests for advanced standing or transfer of credit must be made in writing to the Graduate Program Director responsible for the student's particular degree being applied to, accompanied by an official transcript of those credits; or, in the case of substantive educational programs not granting academic credit, by a complete written description of specific learning experiences as proof of competence. The Graduate Program Director will make a judgment regarding the quality and quantity of the previous learning and its relevance to the specific degree requirements. In each case, IPS seeks to be fair in recognizing ministry competencies already achieved and in maintaining the integrity and focus of its own degree programs.
