MWCC College Catalog — Transfer and Alternate Methods of Earning College Credit

To graduate, students must earn a minimum of 30 credits for an associate degree and fifteen credits for a certificate through completion of formal coursework at MWCC. A maximum of 30 credits can be transferred, including courses from other colleges, CLEP, DANTES, AP, Challenge Exams, life experience, armed services (with some exceptions), and Career Vocational Technical Education Linkages (CVTEL). Students enrolled in the Criminal Justice program are not eligible for life experience, police academy, armed services or CVTEL credits and are limited to six credits total in CLEP, DANTES, and Challenge Exams.

Advanced Placement Examinations (AP)

Students who pass Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and earn a score of three or higher may receive credit for the appropriate course or courses offered by the college. Official transcripts from the AP program are required.

Armed Services

Active duty military personnel are eligible to receive up to 45 transfer credits toward some associate degrees. No military credit may apply to the criminal justice program. An official copy of “AARTS”, “SMART”, or Community College of the Air Force transcript is required. “Certificates of completion” are only used if the official papers were previously evaluated and the student is requesting additional credit for recently completed military training. Numeric codes that signify the student’s military occupation are used in determining the award of transfer credit. The Air Force often provides official transcripts from the Community College of the Air Force.

High School Articulation Agreements

Articulation agreements between the college and area secondary schools provide coordination of technical education during the last two years of high school with the first two years of post-secondary education. These agreements state the conditions and criteria that must be met by graduating high school seniors to receive advanced placement and college credit. MWCC’s CVTEL program provides students with an option of enrollment in various programs, including Early Childhood Education, Automotive, Business, Computer Information Systems, Medical Assisting, Broadcasting and Electronic Media, and Computer Graphic Design.

Challenge Exams

Students may earn credit by obtaining a grade of C (73) or better on a Challenge Examination in a particular subject area. The examination is equivalent in scope and content to the final examination for the selected subject. The cost is the same as for credit courses. Financial aid and other forms of tuition waivers are not available. Please visit testing services office at the Gardner Campus for information.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a series of examinations that allow the student to demonstrate his/her knowledge in a wide range of subjects. CLEP can help students earn the college credits needed to reach their career and educational goals more quickly. Students can choose from 35 subject examinations. Examinations are administered via the computer.

The examinations are approximately 90 minutes long and are administered at the Gardner Campus in the testing services office. The examinations are offered by appointment. No prerequisites are required to attempt a CLEP exam, nor are there age restrictions or degree requirements (high school or post-secondary, etc.). To be awarded credit for CLEP at any college, you must meet the specific minimum scores set by that institution. Students see their results immediately after completion of the exam, with the exception of English Composition; because essays are part of the English Composition exam, students receive results in four weeks. Final results are not valid until the student receives by mail an official report from CLEP. The minimum scores set by MWCC are available through testing services.

Financial aid and other forms of tuition waivers are not available for CLEPs. For further information, and for a complete listing of all CLEPs available at MWCC, contact testing services at (978) 630-9244.

Defense Activity for Non-traditional Education Support—(DANTES)

MWCC has been designated to participate in the Department of Defense’s DANTES distance learning program. As a DANTES member college, MWCC offers degrees in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, General Studies, and Human Services. Eligible military personnel include all active-duty members, members of a reserve component, or the National Guard. Military service members worldwide are able to access these degrees and certificate programs through the Internet and complete their education regardless of where they are stationed. DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), offered at the Gardner Campus through testing services, provide opportunity for students to earn college credit by demonstrating, through successful completion of a test, knowledge comparable to that learned in a college course. Some of the subject areas include: business, physical science, humanities, social science, and applied technology. Examinations are 90 minutes long and administered by pencil and paper through testing services at the Gardner Campus. Registration is required two weeks in advance, and results are mailed to students within three to four weeks. Students may apply the credit to their program at MWCC provided a comparable course exists and the minimum score is met. For more information, call (978) 630-9244.

Life Experience Credit

A maximum of six credits may be earned, in some programs, for college-level learning acquired through work or informal educational experiences. No life experience credit may apply to the Criminal Justice program. To be eligible, students must have earned 15 credits in residence at MWCC with a minimum QPA of 2.5. Members of the faculty, in consultation with the appropriate division dean, establish the criteria for evaluation, which may include, but not limited to, the following: relevant work experience, letters of recommendation, a detailed resume, and a three-to five-page paper. The credits are not likely to transfer to other colleges or universities. The cost is the same as for credit courses. Financial aid and other forms of tuition waivers are not available.

Transfer of Credit to MWCC

Effective January 2010, all transfer policies at the college have been reviewed for potential barriers with regard to the transfer of credits. Students may transfer credits for most individual courses taken at accredited colleges under the following conditions, although program specific restrictions may apply:

A grade of C (2.0) or better was earned.
Course content is comparable in scope to a program requirement.
Courses taken more than ten years prior are subject to approval by the
appropriate division dean.

To receive transfer credit, students must have an official transcript sent to MWCC and must sign a completed request for the transfer of credits” form. The credits will not be used in the computation of a student’s quality point average. Credits are evaluated according to this policy at point of application by the student and when the official transcript(s) have been received by the college. The college generally accepts credits that are applicable to the student’s declared certificate or degree program in an effort to give a potential student the most accurate information about their status toward the completion of their program. If a student changes a program, the college will re-evaluate transcripts to provide up-to-date information up to the maximum number of allowable transfer credits (30 credits).

An MWCC Transfer Credit Evaluation Team has been established as a standing subcommittee of the MWCC Academic Council with additional representation from the MWCC Enrollment Center. The group will meet once per semester when any significant transfer issue arises that requires their input.
Any student who feels as though an error or omission has occurred in the evaluation of his/her transfer credit may appeal the situation through the vice president of academic affairs or her designee. All credits are evaluated using the following standard of review:

MWCC Transfer Credit Evaluation Procedure

Students seeking to transfer credits to MWCC should submit an official transcript from each institution for which he/she is seeking the transfer of credits. Upon receipt of the transcript(s), the college will verify the accreditation of the institution(s); and if comparable regional accreditation exists, the associate dean of enrollment services will review the courses to determine comparability with MWCC courses.
Where an equivalent course exists, credit will be granted for that course with a non-weighted QPA grade being awarded (e.g. TA, TB, TC, etc…). Where no equivalent course exists, but it is determined that the course is eligible for transfer based on college-level work and the applicability toward the student’s declared degree or certificate program, the course will be awarded transfer credit in the field of study most closely aligned to the course. The minimum course grade/qualitative point average required for credits to transfer to MWCC is C/2.0. Certain programs of study may have higher grade point average requirements for designated courses in their program. Students should consult their degree requirements for specific program differences. Non-graded course work will not be transferred (e.g. pass/fail courses).

Credits earned at non-accredited institutions or institutions with accreditations different from MWCC will receive the following review processes:

The student should submit official transcript(s) from the institution(s) for which he/she is seeking transfer credit.
The college follows the American Council on Education’s (ACE) published recommendations on the transfer of non-accredited institutions including military and credit for training programs. These guidelines are published at http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CCRS
For credits earned from international institutions, the college will follow the guidelines established by National Association of Credit Evaluation Services (NACES).
The college may, at its discretion, form articulation agreements with non-regionally accredited institutions or organizations that will dictate the transfer of credit for students transferring between them.
In compliance with the most current Massachusetts Quinn Bill revisions, the college may only accept certain credits for criminal justice students and/or courses. This may restrict the college’s general policy for the granting of credit for life experience or military credits in this case.

Determinations of transfer credit will be made within a reasonable period of time after the receipt of the official transcript and all required additional documentation. Notice to the student will be given at the time of the completed evaluation.

The transfer ombudsperson whose responsibility is to ensure institutional compliance with transfer policies and procedures is the vice president of academic affairs or his/her designee. Effective date: January 1, 2010.

For more information on transfer of prior college credit, please contact the associate dean at (978) 630-9237.

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