Are you navigating the college application process? If so, you’ve probably seen that applying for college involves sending transcripts of your previous educational experience.
Learn how transcript requirements work and what they look like when applying for a degree program at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) Online.
One of the main reasons colleges ask for transcripts is to get a snapshot of your academic history and qualifications. There are a few reasons this information is relevant for colleges:
In addition to transcripts, colleges often require test scores. Learn more in our blog post, Testing, 1, 2, 3: Understanding College Admission Requirements.
Every college you apply for should clarify the required transcripts and how you should share them with the institution. Be sure to submit all required transcripts to complete the application process.
You may see transcripts referred to as official or unofficial. This is an important distinction to understand:
Contact the registrar’s office at your previous institution to find out how to send college transcripts to other colleges. You can often request them electronically or over the phone. You can also request transcripts from your high school by contacting the school directly. If you have a GED, you can request your transcript from the Department of Education.
Let’s look at transcript requirements for applying to one of MVNU’s online degree programs. These requirements depend on the type of program you are applying for:
To enroll in an undergraduate program, MVNU Online requires an official high school transcript or GED certificate. If you’ve attended college previously, then in place of the high school transcript, you should submit transcripts from all previous undergraduate colleges or universities you’ve attended.
All transcripts should be official and sent directly from the institution, except for homeschooled students, who can send their high school transcript directly to MVNU Online.
To enroll in a graduate program, you must have a bachelor’s degree. You need to send MVNU the transcript from the college or university where your bachelor's degree was conferred.
If you’re applying to the Master of Arts in Education - Professional Educator’s License program and have other college experience beyond your bachelor's degree, you should submit transcripts including those courses because they may count toward license area credits.
Not all MVNU students need to be on track to complete a degree at MVNU. Some students may be enrolled in a degree program at another institution and want to attend MVNU Online courses as a guest to expand their learning. If this is the case for you, you must submit a letter of authorization from your primary institution's academic dean or registrar.
If the course you want to participate in at MVNU Online has prerequisites, send in an official transcript from your other institution showing that you’ve completed that prerequisite or its equivalent.
International students must submit transcripts from their high school (or equivalent) and any previous colleges they have attended. Any transcripts from schools outside of North America must be evaluated by a member agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators.
If applicable, international students should also submit official transcripts from schools attended in North America.
Yes! MVNU Online recognizes there are many pathways to gain educational experience, and our admissions office is happy to consider forms of non-traditional education as possibly counting toward learning requirements, including:
If you have a transcript for this non-traditional education, you can submit it. However, because these forms of education often don’t come with transcripts, you can submit another type of documentation, such as:
Students can apply a maximum of 60 undergraduate credit hours from prior learning credits toward their degree. It takes 30 hours of alternative learning to equal one college credit hour.
MVNU Online seeks to make the admissions process straightforward for all students who want to apply to a degree program. Be sure to submit any required transcripts or supporting documentation for your non-traditional educational experience to get full credit for your hard work and qualify for the next chapter in your educational journey.
If you’re navigating admissions processes and comparing degree programs, check out our e-book, The Best Online Degree Programs for Working Adults, to learn more!