Course Replacement Policies

Course Exemption or Credit for Life Experience

Matriculated students may petition for exemption from a specific course in the curriculum on the basis of previous study or, on occasion, for life-experience; The Petition for Course Replacement Form is completed online and submitted to the School/Program directly for approval. 

Students will be required to submit substantiating evidence with this form of how their experiences have met specific course objectives. If an exemption is granted, credit may be awarded based on School/Program petition review and approval and no fee will be charged for the exempted course(s).  For exemptions where no credit is awarded, the requirement being exempted will be fulfilled, but the credits for that requirement will need to be made up by electives as approved by the School/Program faculty advisors.

If the student enrolls in a course and then decides to exempt the course, a request to do so must be made to the student's faculty advisor and the course instructor no later than two weeks into the semester. Each program determines the maximum number of credits students may exempt.

Please note: For the Accelerated BSN program, exemptions are not allowed.

Credit by Examination

Matriculated students with relevant life/work experience who wish to receive credit for courses by taking special examinations, may do so by submitting the appropriate form. The Petition for Course Replacement Form must be submitted online no later than two weeks into the term. A special examination must be taken no later than two weeks after the request is approved. The student will be allowed to take the exam only once. Upon passing the examination, the student will receive credit for the course with such credit noted on the student's transcript. A student failing the exam will be expected to register for the course. Each program determines the maximum number of credits students may obtain by examination.

Transfer Credit Policy

Committees for each program decide the number of outside credits that may be transferred for program completion prior to beginning study at the Institute (see program totals below). (The Petition for Course Replacement Form is available online in the Registrar's section.) When transfer credit is approved, it will be assigned to the appropriate MGH Institute course. A grade of "TR" for that course will be recorded on the student transcript and no fees will be charged. 

Transfer credit will not be allowed in the following situations: 

• If the transfer credit requests comes from institutions or programs that lack appropriate accreditation
• If the student received a grade of less than B in the course requested for transfer
• If the course requested for transfer was counted toward another degree