Transfer Credits

Transferring Credits to DCTC

Students wishing to transfer credits to Dakota County Technical College must:

  • Complete the Admissions Checklist.
  • Designate a major field of study.
  • Arrange for previous college or colleges to send official transcript or transcripts directly to the DCTC Office of Admissions.

Official transcripts must be received in a sealed envelope. Hand delivered transcripts must arrive unopened with the official seal intact. Student copies and faxed transcripts are not considered official.

General Guidelines for Credit Transfer

  • Transfer of credit will be considered for college level coursework completed at accredited institutions.
  • Courses approved for transfer must be required by DCTC in the student's major.
  • Courses must be comparable in nature, content and level while matching at least 75 percent of DCTC course content and goals.
  • Students may be asked to provide additional information such as course syllabus, course description, reading list and so forth to determine course comparability.
  • Transfer credits need to have a grade of C- or higher to be considered for transfer.
  • Transfer credits do not affect the student's grade point average (GPA) on DCTC transcript.
  • The number of credits accepted will be recorded on the transcript and the specific DCTC course equivalencies will be recorded on the Degree Audit Report (DARS).
  • Students dismissed from another institution for academic or disciplinary reasons will be given consideration for admission only after review.
  • Students suspended from another institution will be eligible to enter DCTC after waiting one semester.
Transfer of MTC Courses

MTC courses with a grade of D or better from other MnSCU institutions and from the University of Minnesota are eligible for transfer into DCTC. Such courses transfer according to the MTC goal areas designated for them by the sending institutions. Completion of the entire goal at another MnSCU institution completes the goal at DCTC. Per MnSCU policy, a combined cumulative GPA (for both DCTC and transfer courses) of 2.0 or higher is required in order for DCTC verify completion of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.

Transfer of Technical credit

Transfer of technical credits will be considered for courses that have been completed within five years prior to application for admission to DCTC. Students with technical courses that were completed more than five years prior to application may be able to use the credit by examination process to demonstrate course content mastery and receive credit. Please, see an enrollment or faculty advisor to review past technical credits.

Transfer of credit from Nationally Accredited Colleges

Coursework will be considered on a course-by-course basis through a petition process and will be judged comparable or equivalent to courses offered at DCTC. Please, see an enrollment advisor in Student Services to start the petition process.

NOTE: Courses from nationally accredited institutions that are accepted to fulfill degree or MTC requirements at DCTC do NOT guarantee seamless transfer. Per MnSCU policy, each MnSCU college or university shall determine the acceptance of course(s) from a higher education institution that is not regionally accredited.

International Credits

A member organization of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services must conduct a comprehensive, course-by-course analysis before DCTC can evaluate transfer of international credits.

DCTC recommends the following NACES organizations:
Military Credit

Credit achieved through military training will be evaluated for transfer. The Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services (ACE) will be carefully considered during the evaluation process.

Advanced Placement (AP)

A minimum score of three (3) is required for Advanced Placement course exams. Credit can be given for a specific college course if a test covers substantially similar material. If test material does not match an existing course, students can be given elective credits.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Students must achieve a score of 50 percent or higher for CLEP exams.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

DCTC awards credit for subsidiary level exams with a score of five (5) or higher.

Tech Prep College Credit

Tech Prep is accepted per written agreements with each high school. Students must complete the course with a grade of B or higher. The relevant high school teacher will then request certificates for each student who qualifies.

When registering for college, students should will present their certificates to the registrar to request credit for the selected course or courses. Certificates must be used within two years of high school graduation.

Transferring Credits from DCTC

Degree/Enrollment Verification

Dakota County Technical College has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide degree and enrollment verification.

Additional Transfer Resources

  • MN Transfer Your official guide to a seamless transfer experience in Minnesota Higher Education.
  • Course Applicability System (CAS ) An online tool, CAS lets students view program requirements and course equivalencies to see how completed or contemplated courses will transfer to another college or university.

Unofficial Review Before Applying

  • Contact Colleen Moser at colleen.moser@dctc.edu or 651-423-8277 for an unofficial review of general education courses.
  • Official transcripts are not necessary for an unofficial review, but will be required for final verification and transcription of transfer credits.

Contact Information