Credit for Previous Learning

Learning occurs in a variety of settings and formats. AACC reviews credit for previous learning from traditional college coursework and from nontraditional sources such as military experience. Planning ahead to graduation? See transferring from AACC

About Transfer Credit  AP/CLEP/IB/Dept. Exam High School Credit Life/Work Experience Military Experience How to Get Started

Transfer Credit Criteria

The college adheres to the transfer credit mandates of the Maryland Higher Education Commission.  Students must complete all admission procedures before AACC will evaluate requests to transfer credits from other institutions. Students should submit official transcripts from all previous institutions attended. Official transcripts must be received by AACC in a sealed envelope within one year of the date the transcript was printed to be considered for transfer credit. All transcripts should be sent to the Records and Registration office, which reviews courses on an individual basis. All transfer credit award determinations are made by the Records and Registration office in conjunction with the academic departments. Some academic departments may limit the courses that can be accepted for transfer credit at AACC based on professional accreditation or licensure requirements. Transfer credit will not be awarded if credit has already been earned at AACC.

Credit may be awarded if one of the following criteria is met:

1. The institution is accredited by a commission on higher education approved by the United States Department of Education. To verify accreditation, AACC uses the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Database of Institutions and Programs Accredited by Recognized United States Accrediting Organizations.
   1. AACC recognizes the following regional accreditation associations:
      - Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
      - North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
      - New England Association of Colleges and Schools
      - Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
      - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
      - Western Association of Schools and Colleges
   2. The institution is legally authorized to grant standard college degrees and is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. The college may award transfer credit based upon course equivalencies, expected learning outcomes and applicability to the college’s curricula, standards, and course offerings. Applicants seeking transfer of credit should contact the Records and Registration office at time of application to the college if they are unsure as to which documents are necessary.
   3. Credit may not be accepted from schools that are candidates for regional accreditation and not fully accredited, or for coursework completed while an institution was not accredited by a commission on higher education approved by the United States Department of Education.
2. AACC has an approved articulation agreement with a high school, business, or industry. Articulation agreements specify award of credit for meeting certain criteria and presenting appropriate documentation.
3. AACC may accept credit if the American Council on Education (ACE) or National College Credit Recommendation Service (CCRS) has reviewed the training or military occupation and recommended award of college credit. AACC uses ACE and National CCRS recommendations as credit award guidelines with final determination of award of credit made in conjunction with the academic departments. See the section that follows on Transfer Credit from Nontraditional Sources for more information.
4. Coursework completed at a postsecondary institution outside of the U.S., which is not regionally accredited by one of the aforementioned associations, must be evaluated by a professional transcript evaluation service before AACC will review courses for transfer credit. AACC requires the course-by-course evaluation for transfer credit review and accepts evaluations only from these approved evaluation services: World Education Services (WES) and Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE).
5. If the student’s cumulative grade point average from a previous institution is less than a 2.00 on a 4.00 scale, AACC will review only courses with a grade of C or better for transfer credit. Exception: If a student has less than a 2.00 GPA from a regionally accredited Maryland public institution and then transfers to AACC, AACC will accept credits for general education courses in which the student earned a grade of D. Grades issued on a plus (+) or minus (-) scale at a previous institution are equated to AACC’s letter grade scale using the grading scale provided with the official transcript from the previous institution.

Transfer Credit from Other Institutions

In review of transfer credit from other institutions, the college considers the institution where the course was taken, the date completed, course description, and grade in deciding whether credit will transfer to AACC and if the course will be designated as a specific AACC course equivalency or elective. In some cases, AACC will need to review the syllabus or additional documentation. Upon request, students must supply this information from the sending institution. AACC will convert courses taken at institutions operating on the quarter system to semester hours if the credit transfers. Quarter hours are multiplied by 2/3 to equal semester credit hours.

Current AACC students who wish to take a course at another institution and transfer the credit back to AACC must file a Permission to Study at Another Institution form with the Records and Registration office to ensure the coursework will transfer back and meet AACC requirements.

Transfer Credit from Nontraditional Sources

The college may give credit for demonstrated proficiency in areas related to college level courses. Sources used to determine such proficiency are College-Level Examination Program (CLEP); Advanced Placement Examination (AP); International Baccalaureate (IB); Program Pathways Articulation; DANTES Standardized Subject Test (DSST); Office of Education Credit and Credentials of the American Council on Education (ACE); and National College Credit Recommendation Service (CCRS). In assigning credits of this nature, the recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) or National College Credit Recommendation Service (CCRS) are used as guidelines with final determination of award of credit made in conjunction with the academic departments. Applicants who seek credit from nontraditional sources should contact the Records and Registration office at the time of application to the college if they are unsure as to which documents are necessary. A maximum of 30 credit hours may be earned in this nontraditional manner.

Each institution sets its own policy on acceptance of nontraditional credit. When planning their choice of classes, students need to consult with their proposed transfer institution.

Military - Students wishing to earn college credit for their military experience must submit the official Joint Services transcript (Army, Navy, Coast Guard or Marines), Community College of the Air Force transcript or a photocopy of the DD-214. The official Joint Services Transcript transcript can be ordered at https://jst.doded.mil/smart/signIn.do.  Basic Training is used to satisfy the general education health/fitness/wellness requirement and credit is awarded for other military training and occupations using the American Council on Education credit recommendations when a similar discipline is offered at AACC. For more information about military transfer credit contact the Records Office at 410-777-2572 or email records@aacc.edu.

Program Pathways - Program Pathways is an initiative between Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) and Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) to support successful transition of students from high school to college and careers. Plans of study have been created to visually demonstrate how high school programs can move into college degree and certificate programs.

High school students have the opportunity to earn AACC credit for successfully completing specific high school pathways in areas including business, engineering, information technologies and health. To view plans of study and details on receiving college credit, visit the Program Pathways website. Students enrolled in Program Pathways should arrange to meet with an academic or department advisor prior to attending AACC. Questions or requests for additional information should be directed to the Program Pathways Office at 410-777-2891 or visit the website.

Proficiency Assessment Credit - An Anne Arundel County Public School student who is admitted to Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) can be awarded AACC course credit for course(s) for which they have demonstrated competency through a Proficiency Assessment developed by AACC faculty and evaluated according to AACC department standards. A Proficiency Assessment grade of C or higher, assigned by AACC faculty, is recorded on the student’s AACC transcript. A student who has received college credit through proficiency may request and receive an official transcript of these grades regardless of having completed coursework at AACC. In accordance with the college’s Academic Regulations, only credit courses taken at Anne Arundel Community College will be calculated as part of the student’s grade point average and therefore will not include the Proficiency Assessment grades or any quality points as a result of Proficiency Assessment credit. For information on proficiency credit opportunities, visit the Proficiency Assessment website.

Advanced Placement (AP) - These exams are usually taken in high school, concluding a specially designed advanced placement course. Students must have official Advanced Placement score reports sent to Records and Registration office. Student grade reports are not accepted for credit, but may be used for placement or waiver of course prerequisites at time of registration. To request an official AP score report be sent to AACC, see the AP score website.

Because each college sets its own policy on required AP scores and credits awarded, students planning to transfer need to consult with their transfer institution. AACC will award credit based on the AP exams and minimum scores listed.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) - The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a nationally recognized credit by exam program. The exams allow students to earn college credit for knowledge gained through experience or independent learning. Students interested in learning more about CLEP should visit the AACC Testing website or contact the Testing office at 410-777-2375. Upon receipt of an official CLEP score report, the Records and Registration office will review the exam results for award of credit. It is the student’s responsibility to have official CLEP score reports sent to AACC. To request an official CLEP score report, write to:

CLEP Transcript Service
P.O. Box 6600
Princeton, NJ 08541-6600
or call 800-257-9558
or visit the CLEP score website

Each college sets its own policy on required scores and credits awarded. When planning their choice of classes, students need to consult with their proposed transfer institution. AACC will award credit for the CLEP exams listed below provided the passing score, also noted below, has been met.

International Baccalaureate - AACC will award credit for International Baccalaureate (IB) subject examinations with scores of 5, 6, or 7. To receive credit for IB exams, students must have official results sent to the Records and Registration office. Credit earned through IB subject area examinations may be used to satisfy general education requirements, course equivalencies, prerequisite requirements or elective credit. Students may be awarded up to 30 credits toward the associate degree.

Because each college sets its own policy on required scores and credits awarded, students planning to transfer need to consult with their proposed transfer institution.

To request an official candidate score report be sent to AACC, visit the International Baccalaureate website.

Credit by Departmental Examination - In the subjects which college-level examinations (CLEP) are not available, department chairs may arrange to give examinations to qualified applicants. A maximum of 15 credits may be earned through combination of credit by departmental examination and portfolio assessment. Applicants must:

1. Complete an application for admission.
2. Obtain a form for Request for Credit by Departmental Exam from the department chair.
3. Have the completed form approved by the appropriate department chair.
4. Take the completed and approved form to the Cashier’s office and pay application and exam fees.
5. Return the form to the department chair and arrange a time to take the exam.

Credit by exam is graded on a pass/fail basis. Courses for which passing grades are earned will be listed on the student’s academic record as transfer of credit. The student’s grade point average (see Academic Regulations ) will not be affected. Students who fail may not repeat credit by exam, but may take the course.

Portfolio Assessment - This evaluation method requires students to complete a portfolio that demonstrates their experience and knowledge. It is useful for earning credit for knowledge acquired outside of the traditional classroom. AACC recognizes Learning Counts to provide a standardized, nationally available credit by portfolio process and credit recommendations. Upon meeting eligibility requirements (see below) to proceed with the portfolio assessment process, students register for an online “Do It Yourself” course called Developing Your Portfolio for College Credit (www.learningcounts.org). This self-paced course includes identifying college-level learning experiences, relating the learning to course objectives for the targeted college courses and demonstrating their college-level learning through direct evidence. Upon receipt of portfolios completed by students, Learning Counts certified practitioners will evaluate the portfolio and make a recommendation to award credit. AACC awards college credit for portfolios completed through Learning Counts based on credit recommendations from the National College Credit Recommendation Service. Portfolio credits do not affect a student’s grade point average. A maximum of 15 credits may be earned through combination of credit by departmental examination and portfolio assessment. The following are the eligibility requirements for participation in the portfolio assessment program:

1. Students are enrolled in a degree or certificate program at AACC
2. Students have ENG 111 eligibility
3. No CLEP examination is available for the targeted course

To determine eligibility and for a description of policies, procedures, and fees, call 410-777-2430 or visit the Prior Learning website.