Northern Virginia Community College is an open access, comprehensive community college offering two-year associate degrees, one-year certificates, career studies certificates, continuing education and community services programs. One of the many conveniences NOVA offers is the Military Site Office (MSO). With the help of three counselors, the MSO will provide military students and their dependents many of the same services the student will find on campus such as admissions, registration, transcript evaluation and educational counseling.

NOVA is also a participant in the Service Members Opportunity Colleges (SOC). As a participating member of SOC we are required to issue a SOC agreement SOCMAR (MARINE), SOCAD (ARMY), SOCNAV (NAVY) to our students. Simply put a SOC agreement is a standard NOVA degree plan, put on a SOC form. It is the responsibly of the Student, their Education Center, and Military Educational Services to ensure the military student has a valid SOC agreement. All of our degree plans have a corresponding SOC agreement. A student is required by SOC to have a SOC agreement completed after the student has completed 6 credit hours and NOVA has completed an evaluation on the student, i.e., Military Transcripts, CLEP/DANTES, college transcripts, etc.

You will first make contact with a counselor at Military Educational Services when you apply for admissions to the College. To ensure you get the service you need, please register early and or make a follow-up appointment with a specific counselor after you apply for admission and register for classes. You are not required to make an appointment to see a counselor, however, it's recommend, especially if you want to see specific counselor.

To help speed up things you should review our online Catalog, print off an Advising Sheet, or course requirement checklist, look at the Woodbridge Campus schedule of courses and or the Military Educational Services Schedule of Courses for Fort Belvoir and MCB Quantico. In addition, to better serve you, please complete the Online Admissions Form and bring with you the following:

- Unofficial or official copy of all college transcripts
- Unofficial copy of your military transcripts

Military Educational Services will only complete evaluations of military transcripts, via AARTS/SMARTS. Please visit Transcript Evaluation for more details. All other transcripts will be evaluated by the counseling department of your main campus. Contact them via phone to make an appointment.

Before visiting Military Educational Services, ask yourself these questions ...

Did I complete any Advance Placement (AP) courses in High School?
If so, NOVA accepts AP courses.

Did I graduate from a Virginia High School that NOVA has an articulation
agreement with?
Find out more information on NOVA Articulation Agreements.

Did I complete a dual enrollment program at my high school which
was accredit via another college?
Depending on your high school and or program of study, you may have NOVA credits or credits from another participating college.

Did I pass any CLEP/DANTES test?
NOVA accepts both CLEP and DANTES and may be able to apply these credits
towards your degree plan.

CLEP/DANTES school codes are:
CLEP: 5517
DANTES: 9711

Do I speak a foreign language?
If so, you should take a CLEP foreign language exam if offered in the language you speak.

After the student has been admitted, the student should request that all transcripts from any accredited source be sent to the Admission and Records Office of Woodbridge, assuming the Woodbridge Campus is where the students paper record is being kept. (Note: Not all students who process through the Military Educational Services of Woodbridge will request their records be kept at our Home Campus.) If this is the case, an evaluation can't be completed by Military Educational Services and the student would need to contact the Counseling Office of the campus their record is at.

Useful resources for military students:

Army Military Occupational Specialties (MOS): Credit may be granted for Army primary and secondary MOSs at Skill Level 30-40 if current proficiency can be documented. Credit for MOS Skill Level 10 will only be granted for ratings prior to October 1991, but credit may be granted for courses leading to this skill level after October 1991. After March 1995 skill levels 30 and 40 may yield credit for management skills but not technical skills. Skill level 20 is valid only from January 1990 to February 1995. No credit is awarded for duty MOSs.

Marine Corps (MCE), Navy (NER) and Coast Guard (CGR) Ratings & Schools: Credit may be given in accordance with ACE Guide recommendations. Students who are active duty or Reserve Sailors/Marines or who separate/retire on or after 10/1/99 must submit a Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART). Requests may be faxed to DSN 922-1291 or COM 850-1281.

Marine Corps Correspondence Courses (MCI): Transcripts listing completed correspondence courses may be obtained from the Marine Corp Institute, Arlington, VA 22222-0001 or call toll free at 1.800.MCI.USMC.

Community College of the Air Force: Air Force personnel, both active and veteran, must submit a CCAF (Community College of the Air Force) transcript. Transcripts may be obtained from CCAF/RRR, 130 West Maxwell Blvd, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL 36112-6613. CCAF will not accept fax requests for transcripts.

Assuming the student meets the specific requirements mentioned above and has been informed by the NOVA they are in possession of their transcripts a student can request an evaluation. A student may do this in person or by sending an email to Military Educational Services of Woodbridge. Please, provide your full name, SSN, a valid email address and phone number. In addition, list which transcripts the Military Educational Services should find in your file.

Remember as part of your evaluation you must have a SOC agreement completed.