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

  • Only courses applicable to a student's chosen degree, certificate or major will be considered for transfer.
  • Transfer approvable courses must be comparable in nature, content and level to DCTC courses.
  • Transfer approvable courses must match at least 75 percent of content and goals of comparable DCTC courses.
  • Transfer credits must have a grade of C- or higher and be from a college with accreditation from a regional association of colleges and schools, e.g., the North Central Association or the Middle States Association, to be considered for transfer.
  • Transfer credits do not affect the student's grade point average (GPA). Transferred courses will be recorded under the Transfer Credits section on the DCTC transcript.
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.

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.

Technical Credits

Transfer of technical credits will be considered for courses that have been completed within five years of applying for admission to DCTC. Students completing technical courses more than five years before applying to DCTC may be able to receive credit by demonstrating course content mastery through an examination process.

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