Transfer of Credit

Date: April 2020

Supersedes: March 2014

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Purpose

Montgomery County Community College evaluates and awards academic credit for appropriate prior learning that is equivalent to the College’s courses and learning outcomes in order to assist students in the achievement of their educational goals.

Policy

The College applies the following guidelines in order to award academic credit for prior learning:

1. The consideration of transfer credit will be determined by course equivalencies, including expected learning outcomes, with those of the College’s curricula and standards.
2. Generally, credit will only be transferred from regionally accredited postsecondary institutions; however, the College recognizes valid educational experiences worthy of consideration outside of regionally accredited schools and has procedures to accommodate these based upon approval from the academic coordinator/ program director and documentation of course equivalencies, including expected learning outcomes.
3. In addition, the College awards academic credit and course placement to students based on previous academic, employment, military, and/or other learning experiences not earned in a traditional course. Credit is awarded for nationally recognized examinations such as [Advanced Placement (AP) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP)], professional certifications, or by portfolio evaluation of prior learning, based on course equivalencies, including expected learning outcomes.
4. Presented credits that meet grade and curricular requirements will be accepted at the College, up to seventy-five percent (75%) of the credits required for an associate’s degree or certificate program. Transfer credit for specific majors are accepted to the extent that acceptance of the credits would not be counter to discipline-specific accrediting agencies.
5. Developmental coursework is not accepted for transfer credit but will be transcripted for prerequisite purposes.
6. Courses with a grade value of 2.0 (C) or higher will be considered for transfer. Courses with a grade value of “pass” or “satisfactory” will be accepted as transfer credits when the transcript states that a “pass” or “satisfactory” is equivalent to a C or above. Transfer courses will be awarded credit with no grade value (quality points) assigned.
7. In general, courses will be considered for transferability regardless of their age; however, some programs may restrict the age of courses used for program admission, prerequisite purposes and/or program completion.

Procedures

The College implements the following procedures in evaluating academic credit for transfer:

Transfer of Credits

1. Only official transcripts or score reports sent directly to Enrollment Services from the issuing institutions/organizations or delivered in a signed, sealed envelope will be reviewed. Facsimiles and/or unsealed documents are not considered official. Official documents for credits earned prior to admission should be submitted no later than the end of the first semester of attendance to meet subsequent course prerequisites and provide for accurate academic planning for degree completion. External courses and exams completed while currently in attendance should be submitted as soon as possible.
2. Students who have credits from foreign educational institutions must have their transcript translated and reviewed by a NACES accredited credential evaluation service.
3. Military personnel are eligible to have their military experience and training evaluated for transfer credit by submitting an approved form (for example, a DD Form 214) and military transcript. Credit may be awarded for military training that has been evaluated by the American Council on Education and assigned a recommended credit value when the training is directly related to the student’s program of study.
4. The MCCC transcript will only reflect the total number of credits equated; individual course equivalencies awarded will not appear.
5. The College operates under the semester system. If a student seeks transfer credit for an institution operating on the “quarter” system, credits may be transferred by multiplying the quarter credit hours by two thirds.
   1. 9 quarter hours = 6 semester credits
   2. 6 quarter hours = 4 semester credits
   3. 4 quarter hours = 2.67 semester credits
   4. 3 quarter hours = 2 semester credits
   5. When appropriate, quarter hours courses may be added together in order to award transfer credits.

Students may also earn academic credit by successful completion of the following. All credits earned are considered as transfer credit.

Nationally Recognized Examinations

The following types of examinations will be considered for advanced standing or prior learning credit:

1. College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams with scores of 50 or higher for equivalent courses, as determined by the academic coordinator/program director.
2. College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams with scores of 3, 4, or 5. AP score and the appropriate credit level and course equivalencies are determined by the academic coordinator/program director.

A list of currently recognized examination equivalencies is available to students at: Advanced Placement Credits. As examinations are approved for transfer credit, this list is updated.

Prior Learning

The College may provide credit for prior learning that does not come from an academic setting or by transfer of credit from another institution. Students must be enrolled as degree seeking students in the College in order to qualify for Prior Learning credit. Students may then elect to earn credit for specific courses by submission of a comprehensive portfolio that demonstrates that the student has met the learning outcomes for the course, or by taking a challenge examination developed and administered by department faculty. There is a fee for the review of materials and for the awarding of credits. Additional information on Prior Learning transfer credit is available at: Prior Learning Assessment.

Industry Certifications

The College recognizes various organizations that award professional certification, licenses and training in specific industry areas and grants credit based upon discipline faculty agreement on course equivalencies. Certifications and licenses must be current to be considered for credit. Students are required to submit a copy of their certification or license to the Records and Registration Office with their request for credit. A list of organizations for which credit is awarded is available at: Non Credit Equivalent.

Reverse Transfer

Students who have transferred from Montgomery County Community College without earning an associate degree or certificate may complete program requirements by transferring back courses that have been earned at other institutions and are approved as equivalent to the degree requirements of a program of study at the College, in accordance with the transfer of credit policy statements noted above.

Appeal Procedures

Academic transcripts are evaluated based upon the procedures established in this policy and through the guidance provided by the academic disciplines. When transcripts are received for which there appears to be no Montgomery County Community College equivalent, or for which no equivalency can be established based upon the course name and course description, the academic discipline may be called upon to make a determination.

It is possible that errors in the articulation of coursework or prior learning can occur. In the event a student believes that this has occurred, the appeal procedure is as follows:

1. Students should first contact the Office of Records and Registration to discuss the evaluation results with a transcript evaluator and provide any additional documentation needed to assist with the review (e.g. an updated transcript or college catalog, syllabus, or other documentation from the sending institution).
2. If the issue is not resolved, the student may request further review from the Director of Records and Registration/Registrar. After conferring with the student, the Director will present the student’s claim along with any additional documentation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, in consultation with the academic dean, and academic coordinator/ program director, for consideration and will communicate the decision to the student in writing, within fifteen (15) working days during the academic Fall and Spring semesters. The decision of the provost is final.
3. Appeals to the Director of Records and Registration/ Registrar under item II above must be submitted no later than 90 days after the completion of the initial evaluation.