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To be eligible to receive Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), students must meet all of the following criteria:

• Meet all admission requirements for their program of study.
• Be enrolled in a curriculum program to which the credit will directly apply; and
• Request a prior learning assessment consistent with the college’s CPL procedures and provide all documentation by the published deadlines.

Any CPL awarded by the College shall be reflected in the student’s records by the Registrar’s Office without quality points assigned, except for allowances for graded military credit as described in 1D SBCCC 800.6.

(1) Registered Apprenticeships

For apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs that utilized NCCCS curriculum or continuing education course work for the required related instruction, successfully completed course work is directly entered onto the student’s transcript as it occurred as credit earned. In such instances, there is no need to crosswalk credit.

(2) Academic Credit for Professional Credentials

Academic credit may be given for adequately documented and validated industry-recognized credentials. Faculty who wish to consider a credential(s) for approved credit in the program must provide the following information to their dean:

• The course(s) to which the professional credential applies;
• The number of credit hours awarded;
• The name of the professional organization that validates the credential; and
• Documentation that provides evidence that the competencies required for the credential also meet the learning outcomes or competencies of the course (e.g., comparison table).

The appropriate dean will submit the information to the Vice President for Academics and Student Services (Chief Academic Officer) for consideration. These credits must be approved by the Vice President of Academics and Student Services (Chief Academic Officer) based on content and outcomes. Once approved, the Vice President of Academics and Student Services (Chief Academic Officer) will forward the information to the Registrar. The information will also be posted to the College’s website with the appropriate program plan of study. Students who submit official documentation of a professional credential earned will be awarded credit for the approved course(s) associated with the program plan of study. Students must submit their documentation to the Registrar. Once the documentation has been reviewed, the Registrar will contact students via email to confirm the completion of the evaluation. Students will then be able to view any credit awarded in the student record.

(3) Academic Credit for Noncredit Coursework

The College awards credit to students for noncredit coursework completed at MCDOWELL TECH when there is documentation that the noncredit coursework is equivalent to a designated credit experience.

Credit for noncredit coursework differs from credit for professional credentials and credit for experiential learning. Student’s interest in credit for experiential learning should contact the Registrar.

The awarding of curriculum credit for completion of noncredit coursework is built upon the following mutually, supporting forms:

• Continuing Education (CE) Course of Study to Curriculum (CU) Credit Equivalency Form – This form is completed by the appropriate dean, in consultation with the Program Director or faculty member most qualified to judge for any course designated for articulation credit. Course competencies include, but are not limited to, a comprehensive demonstration of all learning outcomes and course content.
• Faculty Credential Summary Form – This form records subject prefixes in which the designated faculty member is credentialed to teach and must be submitted with the Continuing Education (CE) Course of Study to Curriculum (CU) Credit Equivalency Form.

Application Process

Students who wish to have noncredit courses considered for credit must contact the Registrar for referral to the appropriate program director. Faculty who wish to have noncredit course considered for credit should first contact the appropriate dean. Student and faculty should be aware that course articulation is not automatic, and the process typically takes as long as sixteen (16) weeks depending on whether a course has already been deemed appropriate for articulation. Please note, specific accrediting bodies may prohibit some programs from awarding credit.

Articulation Process

1. The appropriate dean, in consultation with the program director or faculty member most qualified to judge for any course designated for articulation credit, will complete the credit equivalency form. The dean will also document issues such as accreditation that might impact articulation.
2. The appropriate dean will forward the completed documentation to the Vice President of Academics and Student Services (Chief Academic Officer). He or she will review the documentation and request additional information, if necessary.
3. Upon approval, the Vice President of Academics and Student Services (Chief Academic Officer) will forward the documentation to the Registrar for processing.
4. The Vice President of Academics and Student Services (Chief Academic Officer) will notify the appropriate dean of the decision. If a student initiates the request, the appropriate dean will notify the student.

Noncredit to credit equivalency information will be posted to the College’s website with the appropriate program plan of study. Articulated credit is applied toward �鶹��Ƶ’s accreditor requirement that at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the credit hours required for a �鶹��Ƶ degree must be earned though instruction offered by the College.

Credit Awarding

Upon completion of a previously approved CE course, a student will submit the Credit for Prior Learning Request Form to be processed by the Registrar.

(4) High School to Community College Articulation

The statewide articulation agreement comprises specific high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses that match the knowledge and skills taught in similar community college courses. The articulation agreement ensures that if a student is proficient in his/her high school course, the student can receive college credit for that course at any North Carolina Community College. This streamlines the student’s educational pathway by eliminating the need to take multiple courses with the same learning outcomes.

Eligibility

NCDPI high school courses that appear in the High School to Community College Articulation Agreement are eligible for Combined Course Library curriculum course credit. College and high school partnerships that result in local articulation agreements similarly apply at the local college level. Students meeting the following eligibility requirements should present their high school transcripts along with the additional required items to the College’s assigned Student Services staff member. In addition to the statewide articulation agreement, local articulation agreements can be developed to build strong partnerships between high schools and individual community colleges. Students who have completed a high school course that is listed in the High School to Community College Articulation Agreement will receive credit for the associated community college if they meet the following criteria:

• Grade of “B” or high in the high school course.
• A score of 93 or higher on the standardized CTE post-assessment.
• Students must enroll within two years of high school graduation date.
• Students must provide official high school transcript and CTE post-assessment scores.
• Meet all admissions requirements for their program of study.
• Be enrolled in a curriculum program to which the credit will directly apply; and
• Local articulation agreements may have different criteria to award credit.
• Official high school transcripts must be submitted to Student Services.

(5) Military Credit for Prior Learning

SBCCC 800.6 states, “At minimum, colleges shall award Credit for Prior learning based on military education and training consistent with the standards adopted by the appropriate Military Prior Learning Academic Panel.” Additionally, the SBCCC notes that, “A college may award Credit for Prior Learning for military training and education related to occupations and/or courses for which standards have not been established by an approved Military Prior Learning Academic Panel consistent with its local Credit for Prior Learning policy pursuant to the following:

• Air Force: Community College of the Air Force transcripts are evaluated by the college registrar or designated college official as a traditional college transcript.
• Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard: Colleges should refer to recommendations from the American Council on Education for occupations and courses not currently evaluated by the Military Prior Learning Academic Panes or documented on the Community College of the Air force transcript. History Note: Authority G.S. 115D-5; Eff. April 1, 2021”.

To meet the SBCCC requirement, �鶹��Ƶ will use the spreadsheet provided by the Military Prior Learning Academic Panel to determine which courses veteran students will receive credit for upon applying and providing the college with their DD-214. This spreadsheet lists different jobs, or Military Occupational Specialties (MOS), within the military and assesses the education attained at different ranks within these jobs to best identify which courses students who performed these jobs in the military should receive academic credit for based on their military education.

Students whose MOS is not listed on the spreadsheet and/or who want the college to consider their full military education and training beyond their MOS for credit need to submit the Joint Services Transcript in addition to their DD-214 to the college for evaluation. The Joint Services Transcript includes recommendations from the American Council on Education for course credit based on completed and documented military training.

(6) Credit for Standardized Examinations

�鶹��Ƶ shall award CPL for the following standardized examinations based on score earned as defined.

• Advanced Placement (AP) – �鶹��Ƶ shall award credit to a student who earns a score of “3” or higher on an AP exam. Course credit is awarded based upon the academic program of study.
• Cambridge Assessment International Education Examinations – Students shall earn college credit if a grade of e/E or better (which is the equivalent to a grade of C in the United States) is earned on the Cambridge International AS and A Level Examination.
• College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) – Colleges shall award credit to a student who scores at or above the credit granting score of 50 or higher recommended by the American Council on Education at the time the college evaluates the student’s official score report.
• DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) – Colleges shall award credit to a student who scores at or above the credit granting score recommended by the American Council on Education at the time the college evaluates the student’s official score report.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme – Colleges shall award credit for scores of 5 and higher. Additionally, IB courses are offered at the Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL).

(7) Credit by Exam

Credit by exam is a departmental or institutional examination for a community college course that demonstrates that a student’s subject matter proficiency is equal to, greater than the corresponding proficiency the student would have achieved had he, or she completed the actual course. The examination may be handwritten, computer-based, oral, practical, or a combination of these administration methods. Students may receive credit by examination for selected courses.

NOTE: The CR grade is only applicable toward the completion of a �鶹��Ƶ credential. The course is not transferable to another institution.

Refer to each program’s credit by examination page for additional information. To qualify for credit by examination, students must:

• Be enrolled in a credit program and registered for the course for which they wish to receive credit by examination; and
• Score at least eighty (80) percent on the examination. (The required passing score may be higher for certain courses). The examination may be taken only once and a student failing the examination must complete the course for a grade.

No more than ten (10) percent of the total credit hours required by a student’s plan of study may be earned by examination without prior approval from the Vice President of Academics and Student Services (Chief Academic Officer).

The following groups are not eligible for credit by examination:

• Students graduating with a CR grade as part of the sixty (60) University Transfer program hours. The CR grade is not transferable under the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA).
• Veterans who are financing their education through Veteran’s benefits are not eligible for credit by examination because their eligibility requires attendance throughout the duration of the course.
• Career and College Promise (CCP) Students. Credit by examination is not an option for high school students.

Students interested in receiving credit by examination should contact the appropriate program director after the 10 percent point of the course, but before the 30 percent point of the course. The program director will provide the student with an application and information about the process, including deadlines and whether a pre-test is required. The student must complete their examination within the first fourteen (14) calendar days of the term. They must submit their application to the program director or coordinator and obtain approval within the first seven (7) calendar days of the term.

The program director or coordinator will submit the student’s application, exam, and results to the dean. Upon approval, the dean will forward the documentation to the Vice President of Academics and Student Services (Chief Academic Officer). Upon approval, the Vice President of Academics and Student Services (Chief Academic Officer) will send a copy of the documentation to the Registrar who will verify the student’s enrollment and course registration; ensure the ten (10) percent limit of credits earned by examination has not been exceeded; assign the CR grade; and maintain all related documentation.

Students who achieve the minimum passing score must not drop the related course; they must remain on the roster to receive credit for the course. Students who fail to pass the examination must complete the course to receive credit.

(8) Public Safety Training

Public Safety Training (PST) courses are designed to provide a means for colleges to award credit towards degree completion to public safety personnel who have documented professional training and/or certifications that are relevant to their declared program(s) of study. Examples of public safety training include but are not limited to Certifications/CE to CU, Police Officer/Firefighter/Emergency Medical, etc. PST credit is limited to NCCCS curriculum programs that include the PST prefix in the “Other Major Hours” section of the official system-wide curriculum standard.

Eligibility

• Students must show evidence of successful completion of certification(s) and/or training that aligns with one or most PST courses in the Common Course Library. Evidence should include description and length of training.
• Be enrolled in an associated certificate, diploma, or degree program to which credit will be awarded.
• No student may receive CPL credit for the same training and/or credentials more than once.