The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has adopted the criteria listed below for lower-division and upper-division course credit. The following mandatory provisions regarding transfer of course credits pertain only to credits earned at a Texas public community college or university accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- Criteria for Lower-Division Course Credit Baccalaureate/Associate Degree Courses - Courses offered in the first two years of college study are those which:
- Are identified by a majority of public four year undergraduate institutions in the state as courses intended to comprise the first two years of collegiate study, and
- Stress development of disciplinary knowledge and skill at an introductory level; or
- Include basic principles and verbal, mathematical, and scientific concepts associated with an academic discipline.
- Criteria for Upper-Division Course Credit Upper-Division (Baccalaureate) Courses - Courses offered only in the third or fourth years of a baccalaureate program are those which:
- Are identified by a majority of public four year undergraduate institutions in the state as courses intended to comprise the third and fourth years of post-secondary study, AND
- Involve theoretical or analytical specialization beyond the introductory level, OR
- Require knowledge and skills provided by previous courses for successful performance by students.