Gaining Academic Credit

All incoming students are placed into Fundamentals of Writing (EN 0012) or College Writing I (EN 1101) based on their SAT score, ACT score, OR overall high school GPA.

In order to place into College Writing I, students must meet at least ONE of the following:

• Score of 480 or higher on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing exam (EBRW)
• Score of 18 or above on the ACT English Language Arts exam (ELA)
• Overall high school GPA of 2.6 or above

Students who do not meet the above criteria are placed into Fundamentals of Writing (EN 0012).

Exceptions are as follows:

• Students who have received transfer credits in English Composition
• Students who have received a score of 3 or better on the AP English exam

Note: College Writing I (EN 1101) is the first college-level writing course. It is worth 3 credits which count toward a student’s required credits for graduation. The grade received in this class is calculated into a student’s GPA. EN 1101 is also a prerequisite for several courses.

Fundamentals of Writing (EN 0012) is a pass/no pass remedial writing course whose aim is to prepare students for success in College Writing I (EN 1101). Students receive three credits, but those credits will not count toward required credits for graduation, and the grade received in the class will not be calculated into a student’s GPA.

If a student places into Fundamentals of Writing (EN 0012) but believes they have strong writing skills and could do well in College Writing I (EN 1101), they have the option to challenge their English placement by taking a diagnostic essay exam during orientation.

All incoming students will be placed in a mathematics course based on standardized test scores or an online placement exam.

Standardized Test Placement:

• Students who score below 500 on the SAT Mathematics section will be enrolled in MP 0010, Fundamentals of Algebra. The ACT Score range for this placement is 0-16.
• Students who score between 501 and 640 on the SAT Mathematics section will be enrolled in MP 1102, College Algebra. The ACT Score range for this placement is 17-24. Students in this range whose academic programs prefer that they begin with MP 1203, Elementary Functions, or MP 1210, Applied Mathematics, can complete an online diagnostic assessment to determine appropriate course selection.
• Students who score 640 or higher on the SAT-Mathematics section may enroll in MP 1204, Calculus I, or a lower-level Mathematics course based upon program requirements. For this placement, ACT scores must be 25 or greater.

Some exceptions to these placements include the following:

• Students who have received advanced placement (AP) credit for Calculus I
• Students who have received transfer credit for a mathematics course taken at another institution and approved by the Mathematics and Physics Department as equivalent to any of the above courses.

If you have participated in Advanced Placement courses in high school and took the final examination you may be eligible to receive college credit based on your scores. Please visit https://www.collegeboard.org/ to have your scores sent to:

Delaware Valley University
Office of the Registrar
700 East Butler Avenue
Doylestown, PA 18901

Listed below are the courses and/or credits awarded for receiving a minimum of a 3 on an AP Exam:

CLEP Exams are an optional test offered to high school students to receive college credit for subjects students already excel in. For more information on how to take a CLEP test or order your scores please visit this link.

Listed below are the courses and/or credits DVU awards students who take the CLEP examination and score above the 50th percentile:

A matriculated student with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 who believes s/he has the competence in the subject matter of a course worthy of a grade of “C” or better in that course may petition the Registrar for the opportunity to demonstrate that competence via a course challenge or competency based assessment. After reviewing the student’s academic record, the Registrar will establish whether the student has the right to request a course challenge or competency-based assessment based on the restrictions/criteria outlined in the college catalog.

Students who have completed International Baccalaureate (IB) courses at either the "Higher Level" (HL) or "Standard Level" (SL) and have successfully completed the corresponding IB examinations and obtained a score of 5 or higher on the Higher Level (HL) or a 7 or higher on Standard Level (SL) examinations may be entitled to credit at Delaware Valley University.

Dual Enrollment or Dual Credit programs enable students to take college course(s) at their high school. Students are encouraged to send transcripts from the college their high school partnered with, for both in-progress and completed coursework, to DelVal prior to matriculation. This will enable staff to correctly build your course schedule prior to the start of your first term.

Students transferring to Delaware Valley University from other regionally or nationally accredited institutions of higher education as baccalaureate candidates must complete at least 48 credits of coursework at Delaware Valley University, including at least 15 credits in the major. Starting in Fall 2022 the maximum number of credits accepted for transfer will be 90. Only credits for courses in which a grade of "C" or better has been earned are accepted for transfer and only the credits (not the grades or quality points) are transferred. A grade of "D" will be accepted when the course is the first in a two-course sequence and the second course grade was a "C" or better. A grade of "C-" will also be accepted when it is part of a completed higher education degree (associate degree). Prospective, full-time undergraduate transfer students should complete applications to DelVal by contacting the Admissions office. The Admissions Office will evaluate transfers interested in full-time undergraduate study. Continuing education students should contact the Continuing Education office for admissions criteria and transcript evaluation. Official transcripts are required.

Transfer Policy for the Experience 360 program:

• Students who transfer 15 credits or more to Delaware Valley College should speak with the E360 coordinator before enrolling in FY-9900 or FY-9901 to determine eligibility.
• Students who transfer less than 15 credits must complete the Experiential Learning Program as outlined in the academic program requirements.
• Continuing Education students should contact that office to determine if current (and previous) work experience will satisfy the Experiential Learning program.

Please consult this spreadsheet to determine which courses have been approved for transfer to Delaware Valley University. Once you have found the courses you wish to take you must fill out this form prior to enrolling in those courses. If the course you wish to take is not on the spreadsheet it has not been approved and you must fill out this form and and a copy of the course description to the department chair of the DVU course for approval.

Delaware Valley University is proud to serve veterans and military members who have or are currently serving our country.

At DelVal we pledge to help advance your military career or prepare you to transition into the civilian arena through one of our undergraduate or graduate degrees or certificate programs. In addition to providing personal attention to our service members, we want to assure you that special care is taken of the sons and daughters of our veterans who are using Post-9/11 veterans’ benefits. The University welcomes military students who use tuition assistance. 

We have a specially trained staff devoted to military and veteran students and the processing of their academic and financial benefits, allowing service members and veterans to focus on academic goals. Our staff are experts in processing Federal Tuition Assistance, Post-9/11 veterans’ benefits, and other VA educational benefits.