Transfer Credit Policies

Students enrolled in ATOM’s programs may be awarded transfer credit for academic experiences from other educational institutions that are accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education and that meet or exceed the requirements of the course for which transfer credit is sought, subject to the following guidelines.

Basic Course Transfer Eligibility Criteria

• Course content must substantially match an ATOM course It is the responsibility of the student to provide course descriptions and syllabi as necessary for ATOM to assess whether the prior course work is substantially similar to a program course to justify the award of transfer credit.
• Grade must be equivalent to 70% or higher.
• Contact hours must be at least 85% of the ATOMcourse hour requirement.

Students awarded transfer credit for a course equivalent to one offered at ATOM will be granted credit for the number of hours that the Institute’s course earns.  A student seeking transfer credit may be required to demonstrate knowledge and skills through challenge exams in order to be granted credit.

Master’s Program transfer students must take a minimum of 50% of the Masters curriculum at ATOM to be eligible for ATOM’s Master’s degree.  Therefore, no more than 50% of ATOM’s required curriculum can be considered transfer credit and accepted toward completion of Master’s program requirements.

Please Note:  Transferability of ATOM Master’s program credits to other educational institutions is at the discretion of the accepting institution.  It is the student’s responsibility to confirm if credits will be accepted by another institution.

Post-Admission Transfers

Course work taken at another institution after admission to ATOM is not transferable unless students are required to retake a course to meet ATOM class course requirements. Such coursework must be pre-approved, in writing, by the ATOM administration.   

CPR and First Aid

To receive transfer credit for CPR and First Aid, students must have taken certification courses through the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross covering Adult First Aid, Adult CPR, and AED. Copies of current certification cards must be submitted in accordance with the process described below under the Exemption Process section.

Exemption Process: Demonstration of Competency

Students who believe they have achieved competency in the content of an eligible course may petition for exemption, subject to the following provisions. A complete exemption request must be submitted to the Academic Dean prior to the registration deadline for the term in which the course is available. Late submissions will be processedwithin two weeks, and students should continue to attend class while their request is pending in the event that it is denied.

Paper: Master’s program students with personal experience with any style of Tai Chi and/or Qi Gong may apply for an exemption for these courses in the Master’s program. An 8-10 page paper (doubled spaced, 12 font, 1 in. margins)
describing the style/form of their practice, how this interest developed, what the personal routines are/were, the formal educational classes attended, and a history of the method they practice must be submitted. A letter from the student’s teacher may also be requested.

Students who successfully demonstrate competency in a course under the foregoing provisions will be awarded the number of ATOM credits and hours for transfer credit for the challenged course. The course will appear on the ATOM transcript with a designation of “T.” Students who fail a challenge exam or whose request for exemption is denied are required to take the course in question.