TRANSFER CREDIT POLICIES
College of Arts and Science Academic Catalog 2008-2009
Advanced Placement (AP). Students entering from high school may apply for college credit by taking examinations given by the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board. Students who have taken any of these examinations should arrange to have the results forwarded to the University by the College Board. As determined by the University, credits will be awarded for satisfactory AP scores and may count toward the Major Program or General Education requirements. The university will determine satisfactory AP scores and how they will be applied to the degree.
Cambridge A-Level Examinations. Students may earn course credit for satisfactory scores, as determined by the University on the Cambridge A-Level examinations. Credits awarded may count toward the major program or general education requirements. Students who have taken these exams should forward their scores to the University. Contact the Office of the Registrar for additional information.
College Level Examination Placement (CLEP). Students may earn college credit through CLEP, provided that CLEP examinations have been taken before the student has been granted B.A./B.S. degree-seeking status at UMW. B.A./B.S. students cannot receive CLEP credit for exams taken after matriculation at UMW. BLS degree candidates are eligible for CLEP credit any time before earning 30 credits in alternative credit testing and before earning 90 transfer credits toward the degree. CLEP is designed for the student who has gained knowledge in a subject area through means other than formal academic coursework. The University grants credit for selected Subject Examinations if predetermined satisfactory scores are achieved. B.A./B.S credit is not granted for any of the General Examinations. The BLS program awards credit for all the General Examinations and appropriate Subject Examinations when the scores earned are in the fiftieth percentile or higher (the TOTAL score must be reflected as 50 or higher). A maximum of 30 credits can be earned through CLEP towards a BLS degree. Credits earned through CLEP can count toward the Major Program and General Education requirements, or can be scored as elective credits. CLEP credits do not fulfill Writing or Speaking Intensive requirements.
International Baccalaureate (IB). The University awards academic credit based upon either the IB diploma or individual IB courses. Credit is awarded at the time of matriculation and is based on the scores earned on the IB examinations or the completed IB diploma. All credit awarded will be recorded on the student’s permanent record and will be included in the credit total toward degree requirements. The total amount of IB credit will not exceed 30 credits. Credit will be awarded for 100-and 200-level coursework (upper level credit can be awarded in some language areas). No credit will be awarded for IB examinations taken on the Standard Level. Questions regarding IB credit equivalencies should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.
Transfer Credit from Other Institutions. The University considers awarding transfer credits from other accredited institutions on two conditions: (1) the institution’s accreditation is recognized in the directory Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education published by the American Council on Education (credits from international institutions will be considered on a case-by-case basis), and (2) the credits are for graded courses which are deemed appropriate for a liberal arts and sciences degree. Regulations governing the consideration of courses for transfer credit vary according to whether the credits are transferred BEFORE or AFTER matriculation.
BEFORE Matriculation. As a rule, transfer credit is given for courses of the same type (liberal arts courses), on the same level, and under the same guidelines as University of Mary Washington courses. Courses for which transfer credit is awarded must neither overlap nor repeat those that the student takes at the University, and a grade of C (2.00) or better must be earned. Previously awarded transfer credits will be forfeited and removed from the UMW record if the equivalent coursework is later completed at UMW or another University. Approved transfer credits can count toward the Major Program or General Education requirements, and can be scored as elective credits.
After an official transcript has been received by UMW and evaluated, a student will be notified of the transfer credit that can be counted toward a University of Mary Washington Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree. B.A./B.S. students who wish to have their transfer credit award re-evaluated should contact the Office of the Registrar to make a specific re-evaluation request. BLS students should contact the BLS Office regarding re-evaluation.
AFTER Matriculation. A student at the University of Mary Washington who wishes to earn transfer credit at another University (e.g., during summer school) must secure written permission from the Office of the Registrar before registering for the course. Transfer credit will only be awarded for courses completed within the semester for which approval has been granted by the Office of the Registrar. Approved transfer credits can count toward the Major Program or General Education requirements, and can be scored as elective credits. A student wishing to apply for transfer credits for courses for the academic major must submit a pre-approval form, signed by the department chair, to the Registrar’s Office. This form is available in the Registrar’s Office or online via the Registrar’s web page.
The student seeking transfer credit is responsible for seeing that an official transcript, complete with the final grades for requested coursework, is received by UMW.
Transfer Credit Deadlines. No UMW credit will be awarded for any transfer work (including all pre-approved transfer work) for which UMW has not received official transcripts by the following deadlines:
• For continuing B.A./B.S. and BLS students, official transcripts for pre-approved transfer credit MUST be received by UMW by November 15 for spring and summer courses taken in the same calendar year.
• For continuing B.A./B.S. and BLS students, official transcripts for approved transfer credit MUST be received by UMW by April 15 for fall courses taken in the previous calendar year.
If the official transcript from the other institution is received by UMW by the appropriate deadline, the pre-approved credits on which the student has earned a grade of C (2.00) or better, will be recorded on the student’s permanent record at The University of Mary Washington.
Transfer credit is not awarded for duplicate courses (courses already taken, either at UMW or another institution). The one exception to this policy is English 101, Composition. Three hours of transfer credit will be considered Writing Intensive elective credit if two transfer courses are considered equivalent to English 101 or if a student earns a grade in English 101 at UMW after receiving transfer credit for one course equivalent to English 101. There is a limit of six, 100-level English composition credits that can be applied to the graduation requirement of 120 credits.
Guidelines Covering the Application and/or Deletion of Transfer Credits. The following provisions apply to all forms of transfer credit (AP, Cambridge, IB, and courses taken at other institutions).
1. Transfer credits will be forfeited and removed from the record if the equivalent course or courses are completed at UMW or another institution (and transferred into UMW for credit).
2. Transfer credits are counted as completed credits toward graduation, and thus affect all decisions regarding probation, suspension, and dismissal.
3. A student may request the permanent deletion of transfer credits from his or her record at any time except when he or she is on academic suspension or after academic dismissal.