Transfer
Credit and Advanced Standing
NVCC has an advanced standing program which allows previous academic
study, examination, or occupational experience to be evaluated for possible college
credit. Only program-placed students may apply for advanced standing. No more than 75% of
a degree or certificate may be earned through advanced standing credits. Advanced standing
credits that are to be used to meet the specific requirements of a curriculum must be
approved by the division chair responsible for your curriculum. Consult the college
publication, College Credits Through Advanced Standing,
for a complete list of advanced standing opportunities.
To obtain advanced standing or transfer credit, you must request that official
documentation be forwarded directly from the issuing institution to the Office of
Admissions and Records at your home campus. Contact the Office of Admissions and Records
at your home campus for procedures required to initiate the evaluation of transfer credit
or other advanced standing.
Transfer credit or advanced standing is available to students for
educational experiences that fall into the following nine basic categories:
1. Transfer Credit From Other Colleges
Credit may be transferred only from colleges and universities which are accredited by the
Commission on Colleges or the Commission on Higher Education of the regional accreditation
associations, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Official transcripts from other institutions will be evaluated only after you have been
admitted to the College and program placed. All acceptable courses will be transferred as
closely to the NVCC course equivalent as possible. If the course content is unlike any
course at NVCC, elective credit
may be granted. Generally, credit is awarded only for courses with a grade of C or above.
You may take courses at other institutions while attending NVCC. You should receive
approval from the division chair at NVCC responsible for your curriculum to ensure that
these courses meet the requirements of your program at NVCC.
Technical courses that were completed more than 10 years ago are not normally accepted for
credit toward a certificate or degree. The division chair responsible for your curriculum
may accept courses that were completed more than ten years ago if you have worked in the
field or otherwise
demonstrated that you have maintained technical competence.
If you have completed an A.A. or A.S. or any higher degree at a regionally accredited U.S.
institution of higher education, you will be considered to have met all general education
requirements for degrees and certificates at NVCC. The exception to this policy is that
you must achieve the level
of mathematics specified in a curriculum.
Credit from international post-secondary institutions must first be evaluated by a private
evaluation agency that follows guidelines of the American Association of Collegiate
Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). You must send an official transcript to the
agency and request an
English translation with a course-by-course evaluation. The transcript evaluation must be
sent directly from the evaluation agency to your home campus Office of Admissions and
Records. You must pay private evaluators for their fees for evaluation of your
international transcript.
back to table
2. Transferring To Other Colleges
NVCC offers transfer programs that lead to the Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree or the
Associate of Science (A.S.) degree. These programs are designed for students who plan to
complete the freshman and sophomore years of college work at the community college and
then transfer to a four-year college or university to complete the junior and senior years
of a bachelor's degree. Some four-year colleges will accept certain Associate in Applied
Science (A.A.S.) and Associate in Applied Arts (A.A.A.) programs, but each institution has
a different policy. Study the policy carefully before you enroll. To find out about the
requirements of the college or university of your choice, work closely with counselors
and/or faculty advisors. They will help you decide on an appropriate NVCC program of
study.
The Virginia State Council of Higher Education and the State Board for Community Colleges
have endorsed a State Policy on Transfer. This policy gives guidelines for Virginia
community colleges and state-supported senior institutions on admission of transfer
students, acceptance and
application of transfer credits, services for and responsibilities of transfer students,
and transfer module for students who transfer without an Associate of Arts or an Associate
of Science degree. NVCC has formal transfer articulation agreements with many
institutions. These agreements detail the terms of transfer for NVCC students completing
associate degree programs.
The Counseling Center keeps a collection of college catalogs from Virginia and neighboring
states. Many Virginia colleges publish transfer guides which indicate the community
college courses to be completed for transfer and their equivalencies at the four-year
college. The Counseling Center and the library also have a variety of college guides,
specialty books, computer software, and other materials to assist you in all aspects of
transfer planning.
A grade of less than C in a course is usually not accepted for transfer even if you have
an A.S. or an A.A. degree. Submit a completed transcript request form to an NVCC
admissions office to have an official copy of your transcript forwarded to the transfer
college or university you have selected.
back to table
3. Credit for Military Service
Credit will be granted for military service school courses if the awarding of credit is
recommended in the current edition of the American Council on Education’s
publication, A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services,
and approved by the division chair of your curriculum. The following information must be
obtained to receive credit for military service:
a. Full and correct title of course.
b. Location of training.
c. Length of course in weeks.
d. Exact dates of attendance.
e. Service that gave the course.
You must submit an official record and initiate the request for evaluation. Active duty
service members must submit a DD295 certified by the commanding officer and the education
officer. This form must be mailed directly from the Education Office to NVCC. Veterans and
reserve personnel
must submit a certified copy of the DD214. The veterans advisor on each campus can certify
a copy of the original.
*Students entering the Army on or after January 1984 must submit an AARTS (Army
Ace Registry Transcript System) transcript in lieu of a DD295 or DD214. Air Force
personnel, both active and veteran, must submit a CCAF (Community College of the Air
Force) transcript.
The military service courses should be equivalent to NVCC courses and will be applied as
the student's program determines. Military service credit in occupational/technical areas
which is ten years old or older must be approved by appropriate division chairs.
Credit may be granted for Army primary and secondary MOS's at Skill Level 20-40 if current
proficiency can be documented. Credit for MOS Skill Level 10 will only be granted for
ratings prior to October 1991, however, credit may be granted for courses leading to this
skill level after
October 1991.
back to table
4. Credit for Non-Traditional Courses
Transfer credit for non-traditional courses will be awarded only in accordance with the
recommendations of the NVCC Credit through Advanced Placement Guide booklet or the
American Council on Education National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs.
back to table
5. Credit for High School Courses
In some cases the College has articulation agreements with high school technical programs
to give college credit for courses completed while still in high school. Check with a
counselor or advisor at your home campus to see if you qualify.
back to table
6. Credit by Examination
Advanced standing may be granted to students who have successfully completed examinations
in any of the following programs:
a. Advanced Placement (AP). AP examinations of the College Entrance
Examination Board may be used for advanced placement. Specific college course credits will
be granted for scores of three, four, or five on the Advanced Placement (AP) examinations.
You must have official AP score reports forwarded from ETS to NVCC for inclusion in your
permanent record at your home campus. Contact the Office of Admissions and Records for
procedures required to initiate an evaluation of transfer credit.
b. Assessment by Local Examination (ABLE). ABLE examinations may be
constructed by NVCC where tests are not available from outside sources such as CLEP. The
College grants specific course credit for acceptable performance on ABLE examinations for
AIR 101, AIR 111, DRF 151, HLT 141, HRT 100, NAS 150, NUR 105, RTH 121, RTH 131, and RTH
145. Credits earned through ABLE exams cannot be used to fulfill residency
requirements.
c. College Level Examination Program (CLEP). CLEP examinations from
Educational Testing Service (ETS) are approved for advanced standing. CLEP is a program of
credit by examination which offers students the opportunity to earn college credit for
knowledge acquired outside the conventional college classroom. To participate in the CLEP
program, contact the counseling office at your campus.
d. United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI) tests. NVCC will award
specific course credit for acceptable scores on the United States Armed Forces Institute
(USAFI) tests. As USAFI is no longer operative, arrangements have been made for the
Defense
Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) to administer and store
standardized subject tests and General Educational Development Tests (GEDs) for military
personnel.
To obtain results of USAFI courses and high school and college-level GEDs, follow
these instructions:
1. For military personnel tested through USAFI prior to July 1, 1974, write to DANTES
Contractor Representative (Transcripts), P.O. Box 2879, Princeton, New Jersey,
08541.
2. The scores of military personnel tested overseas after July 1, 1974, may be obtained
from Educational Testing Services, Box CN6604, Princeton, New Jersey,
08541-6604.
3. Military personnel tested in the United States at official GED centers or by State
Departments of Education must request transcripts directly from the State Department
of Education or the official GED center concerned.
back to table
7. Credit for Prior Learning (PLACE)
In addition to the Advanced Standing Program, NVCC has a program called PLACE (Prior
Learning Activity for Credit Evaluation). PLACE is for adults who have gained college
level learning through work, volunteer activities, participation in civic and community
assignments, travel, independent study, and similar "life experiences."
In order to convert these experiences into college credit, students must register for STD
298, Seminar and Project PLACE Workshop. This course assists students in assembling a
portfolio of evidence of their accomplishments. Completed portfolios are assessed by
designated faculty who may recommend the awarding of credits.
Up to 15 semester credits in degree programs or 10 semester credits in certificate
programs may be awarded through the portfolio process. Credits earned through PLACE cannot
be used to fulfill residency requirements.
back to table
8. Credit for Physical Education
a. For Military Service/Basic Training. Physical education credit may be
awarded to persons who have completed basic training based on the recommendation in the
ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services regardless of
the date of military experience. DD Form 214 is required for veterans and DD Form 295 is
required for service members on active duty. Contact the Office of Admissions and Records
at your home campus for procedures required to initiate an evaluation of transfer credit.
b. For Approved Police and Corrections Academies. If you completed a
program of study at a state academy recognized by the Virginia Department of Criminal
Justice Services, you may be granted all or part of the physical education credit required
for a degree program. Contact the Office of Admissions and Records at your home campus for
procedures required to initiate an evaluation of transfer credit.
c.Waiver for Active Duty Fire Fighters and Police. If you are currently
employed by a fire department or police force and can document that you have completed
physical fitness requirements for the job, you may have the two-credit physical education
requirement waived. Such a waiver is at the discretion of the division chair responsible
for your curriculum and will require that an additional two credits of general elective be
completed to meet the total number of credits required for a degree. A Petition for
Substitution and Waiver form must be completed.
back to table
9. Waiver for Foreign Language Credit and Advanced Standing
If you have completed two years of a single foreign language in high school or your native
language is not English, you have the following options:
a. Request assessment by the college faculty if it is currently a language taught at NVCC.
Such assessment could place you into levels above the introductory course in the foreign
language sequence. If you are granted advanced placement, additional general electives may
have to be completed to meet the minimum credit requirements for the degree.
b. Take a CLEP exam if prior education is in a language covered by CLEP. If you achieve a
satisfactory score, you will be awarded credit for the foreign language that may be used
toward completion of a degree.
c. Request waiver of the foreign language requirement in A.A. degree, if you are
proficient in a foreign language not offered by NVCC or through CLEP. Proficiency is
generally indicated if you have at least the equivalent of a high school diploma from an
institution where the primary language is other than English. If the foreign language
requirement is waived, additional general electives must be completed to meet the minimum
credit requirements for the degree. This waiver is accomplished through a
substitution/waiver form generated by your faculty advisor.
back to table
Last Edited:
Monday, July 17, 2006 11:34:12 AM
Any questions on Admissions & Records email Gert
Heslin
|
