Messiah University allows students to count up to 32 semester hours of alternative credit toward graduation. Every year, about one-third of Messiah’s new, incoming first-year students start their college career having already earned anywhere from three to 32 number of alternative credits towards their degree. Students can achieve this through a variety of ways such as Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations; College Level Examination Program (CLEP); International Baccalaureate courses; or a dual enrollment program (being enrolled simultaneously in high school and college-level online coursework).

Depending on your desired major, entering Messiah University with this type of alternative credit may or may not be necessary to achieve your early graduation goal. It is important to familiarize yourself with the credit requirements for the major you are interested in to understand the alternative credit equivalencies that Messiah will count, and to work with your academic advisor as early as possible to assess your goals and determine a plan to achieve them.

Completing an undergraduate degree at Messiah requires between 123-128 credits, depending on your specific major. As a full-time Messiah student, you can take as many as 18 credits in a semester with no extra cost. Students who take 18 credits each semester can earn as much as 108 credits in six semesters (three years) and 126 credits in seven semesters (3 ½ years) without paying extra in tuition. By taking advantage of the maximum credit load allowed each semester, you can maximize your opportunity to graduate early.

It's important to note that your ability to take 18 credits each semester can be impacted by a variety of factors, including your individual learning abilities/capacity, involvement in extra-curricular activities, participation in cross-cultural or study abroad courses, practicum/clinical/lab requirements of your major and many others. This is why it is essential to work with your academic advisor as early as possible to determine an individualized game plan to determine if this is an option for you.

Messiah University offers a summer session of online courses which enables you to take up to six credits (two courses) each summer. [Note: summer credit hours incur separate, additional tuition from standard academic year tuition, but at a reduced rate.]

Messiah's summer session provides you the opportunity to accumulate credit toward your goal to graduate early. Summer courses typically fulfill general education credits, although they can also meet major-specific requirements depending on the specific courses offered each summer. Depending on which major or degree you are pursuing, and the amount of alternative credit you entered Messiah with, summer session credit may or not be necessary to meet your early graduation goal.