Transfer Credit for the Doctoral Program in Education

Cognate Requirements: Transferring Graduate, Post-graduate, or Doctoral Credits from Other Institutions

Up to six credits of coursework may be considered for transfer based on the following criteria:

  • The course must either be duplicative of courses required within the program and/or congruent with the student’s focus for cognates that support the dissertation.
  • The course must have been taken within the past 10 years.
  • The course must have been taken after an initial master’s degree
  • The course may have been a part of a doctoral degree or may have been part of a second master’s degree or a advanced certificate or in Educational Leadership during which an administrative School Building Leader (SBL) or School District Leader (SDL) license was earned.
  • The student must have received graduate credit for the course at an accredited institution.
  • The student must have earned a grade of "B" or above.
  • If the coursework is done in a field other than education, the course must be relevant to the Ed. D. curriculum and/or the student’s dissertation research.
  • A student requesting transfer of university credit should submit the request, an official copy of the transcript, and a copy of the course syllabus to the Graduate Program Director of the Ed.D. Program. An official transcript must also be on file in the Registrar's Office.
  • Cognate requirements may be substituted by the documentation of a completed intensive professional institute at an accredited or nationally recognized professional development organization that resulted in a certificate or credential that the student has earned.
  • Doctoral students requesting cognate substitutes must submit detailed documentation about the professional development work including: Goals or objectives, program descriptions, curriculum, program completion requirements, transcripts (including grades if applicable) and/or copies of earned certificates and credentials.
  • Time spent earning each certificate/credential cannot be shorter than 5 days.
  • All cognate substitutes must be approved by the Director of the Ed.D. Program and the Molloy University Registrar.

Note: If a doctoral student does not have any credits to transfer to satisfy the cognate requirements, he or she may fulfill this requirement by taking up to six graduate, post graduate or doctoral credits at Molloy University or at another accredited institution. Prior to registration, approval of this must be given by the Ed. D. Director, whether the courses are taken at Molloy University or another institution.