TRANSCRIPT EVALUATION FAQs GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 1. Do you accept a transcript I opened at home? No. You must submit an official transcript, which is one that bears the seal and signature of a registrar officer of the sending institution. It may be sent directly to MC (preferred) or handdelivered by the student in a sealed, un-opened envelope. 2. What am I supposed to do to get my prior course work evaluated for transfer credit? You must be fully admitted to the College, be a degree-seeking student, and have officially declared a major (program of study) in your record. And of course, you must submit your official transcript for evaluation. 3. What am I supposed to do if I am not seeking a degree but need pre-requisite courses posted for registration purposes? You may present your unofficial transcript to the Department Chair of your course and request a pre-requisite override. Be sure to provide the course number and semester when you d like to take your course. 4. I understand MC does not accept credit earned at a college or university that is not accredited by a regional accrediting organization. What are those accrediting organizations? They are the organizations recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as listed below: 1) Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges 2) Higher Learning Commission (HLC) 3) Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) 4) New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC-CIHE) Commission on Institutions of Higher Education 5) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) 6) WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) 5. How do I know if my previous school is accredited by a regional accrediting organization? Accreditation information can be found in the school s catalog and on its website. Sept. 2016 Page 1
TRANSCRIPT EVALUATION PROCESS 6. I have submitted my transcript for evaluation. How do I know when I have transfer credit posted in my record? You will be notified via MC e-mail when your transcript has been evaluated. 7. Where in MyMC do I see my posted transfer credit? Click on the View Grades/Print Unofficial Transcript link located in Student Quick Links on the MC Home tab. 8. What is the turn-around time? It may take up to six weeks before your transfer credit gets posted. Make sure you check MC e-mail for a notification when your transfer credit is updated. 9. What are the deadlines to submit transcripts for evaluation? April 1 st for Summer, July 1 st for Fall, and November 1 st for Spring 10. If I ve missed the deadline to submit my transcript for a semester, can I register for courses that semester? Yes, but you may want to postpone registering for courses that are pending evaluation. GRADES & GPA 11. What is the grade requirement to transfer credit? To be accepted, General Education courses must have at least a D or better grade, with the overall 2.0 or higher GPA. However, courses with a D grade won t transfer if they re pre-requisite to courses/programs that require a C or better. This 2.0 GPA requirement is waived if you transfer from a Maryland public college/university. Non-General Education courses must have at least a C or better. 12. What grade will I receive for transfer credit? Does it affect my GPA? A grade of CR is assigned for transfer credit from outside sources such as college transcripts, national testing service exams, etc. Students with internal exam credit (Credit by Exam) and portfolio assessment will receive a grade of P. Transfer credit does not affect your GPA. 13. I earned a D for a course at MC. Will this grade be removed/replaced when I transfer an equivalent course from my prior institution? Sept. 2016 Page 2
No, credit earned at MC remains permanent in your record. In fact, you will not be given transfer credit for the same course where you ve received a grade of D or better. CHANGE OF MAJOR 14. I ve recently changed my major. Will you re-evaluate my transcript for the new major? Yes. You must have your major officially changed in your record first and then request the Transcript Evaluator on the campus where you submitted your transcript re-evaluate your transcript for the new major. 15. I received a Transfer Evaluation Letter asking me to declare a major. Am I supposed to let you know after I ve done as requested? How do I inform you of my major? Yes. You may inform the Admissions Office or contact the Transcript Evaluator who sent you the letter. 16. Since only credits applicable to my declared major will transfer and General Studies (2014-2015 Catalog) seems to require more non-program specific courses than other programs of study. Should I change my major to General Studies (2014-2015 Catalog) to maximize my number of transfer credits? You might if you were admitted before Fall 2015, but you should also consider your long-term goal as well. Make sure an AA degree in General Studies fits well in your career and/or academic goal before you make a switch. Check with a counselor first. NUMBER OF TRANSFER CREDITS 17. Why do I receive fewer credits than what I have on my transcript? In most cases, the credits that did not get transferred are not applicable to your program of study. Another reason is you may have maxed out the number of transfer credits allowed. Unsatisfactory grades may also be a reason. 18. How many transfer credits can be applied toward a program? A maximum of 45 transfer credits can be applied to a degree program or 70% of the credits required to a certificate program. 19. How many credits can I transfer from my military transcript? What about credits from other nontraditional sources such as CLEP and AP exams and internal evaluations of competencies (Credit by Exam, portfolio assessment? No more than 24 credits shall be granted for military courses. National testing credits cannot exceed 30 credits (or 50% of the credits required for a certificate). Internal credits (Credit by Exam and portfolio assessment) cannot go beyond 15 (or 25% of the Sept. 2016 Page 3
credits for required a certificate). Also note the maximum combined credit earned by national testing service exams, credit by exam, and portfolio assessment cannot exceed 30 credits (or 50% of the credits required for a certificate). 20. I have received two credits for a transfer course, but my major requires three. How can I make up this one missing credit? The deficiency can be made up by your unused credits (those that are not applied to your major), if you have any. PRIOR DEGREE 21. I have an Associate of Arts/Science (or higher) degree from a U.S. institution accredited by a regional accrediting organization. Will I receive all the General Education credits required for my major at MC? What about an Associate of Applied Arts/Science? An Associate of Arts/Science (or higher) degree from a U.S. institution accredited by a regional accrediting organization satisfies all General Education requirements in most programs. However, if your program requires specific General Education courses (e.g., PSYC 102/PSYC 203 for Social Sciences in Nursing Curriculum, or BIOL 150 for Natural Sciences with Lab in Biotechnology Curriculum), you must have those specific courses on your prior transcript to receive the credits. An Associate of Applied Arts/Science does not satisfy General Education requirements. Transcripts with an A.A.A. or A.A.S. will be subject to a course-by-course evaluation. 22. Will specific General Education courses such as ENGL 102, COMM 108, etc. show in my MC record when I transfer with an accepted prior degree? No, unless your program requires specific General Education courses and you have them on your prior transcript. Most, if not all, of General Education courses will show as FND (Foundation) and DIST (Distribution) in your MC record when you transfer to MC with an accepted degree. 23. Will I also receive credit for program specific courses when I transfer to MC with an accepted prior degree? Yes. Your program specific courses will also be evaluated for transfer credit as they apply to your major, but the combined credits of General Education and program specific courses can t exceed 45. NON-SPECIFIC COURSES 24. Why are some of my transfer credits 888 or 999 instead of specific course numbers? What is the difference between 888 and 999? 888 and/or 999 courses will be given when your prior courses do not have direct equivalents at MC. 888 is 100-level elective courses, and 999 200-level. They may be used to fulfill General Elective requirements in your program of study. Sept. 2016 Page 4
25. How many credits can I receive for non-equivalent courses? Only 9 non-equivalent credits may be granted. 26. What if my courses do not have direct equivalents at MC but they satisfy General Education requirements at my prior college? They will be accepted as Foundation (FND) and/or Distribution (DIST) courses, which also fulfill General Education requirements at MC. INTERNATIONAL TRANSCRIPTS 27. What international transcript evaluation services are recognized by MC? Currently, MC only accepts evaluations completed by World Education Services (WES) or AACRAO evaluations completed before August 15, 2016. 28. The international transcript evaluation services offer course-by-course and document-bydocument evaluations. Which one should I choose? A course-by-course evaluation. 29. Is a course-by-course evaluation done by WES/AACRAO (before August 15, 2016) sufficient for you to determine MC equivalents for my courses? No. Be prepared to submit course descriptions when requested. 30. I have a Bachelor s (or higher) degree overseas. Am I considered to have met the English Assessment Level and/or General Education requirements for a program at MC? No. You must take the ESL-Accuplacer test to determine your English level. Visit the Assessment Center website at www.montgomerycollege.edu/assessment for more information. APPEALS 31. If I believe the awarding of my transfer credit was not correct or certain courses were overlooked, whom should I contact? E-mail the Transcript Evaluator on the campus where you submitted your transcript for evaluation. He/She will gladly review the evaluation and follow up with you accordingly. Sept. 2016 Page 5