CATALOG: Transfer Credit
Transfer Credit
Advanced standing is a student’s administrative placement which allows credit based upon previous academic study or occupational experience. Credit will be awarded for courses that are equivalent to RCC courses and relevant to the student’s curricula program at RCC. Transcripts are evaluated for curricular students only. No more than 75% of a degree or certificate may be earned through transfer credit or advanced standing credit. Awarded credit is added to the student’s permanent record, but is not used for computation of the GPA and does not carry a letter grade.
At RCC, opportunities for obtaining college credits are available through the following means:
Transfer Credit
Coursework may be accepted for transfer credit if taken at an institution that is accredited by a regional accrediting agency. Coursework transferred to RCC must represent collegiate coursework applicable to the student’s program, with course content and level of instruction resulting in student competencies at least equivalent to those of students enrolled in RCC curricula. No credit will be given for courses with grades lower than “C.” Courses in technology taken more than ten years ago will not be accepted for transfer credit. Official college or university transcripts should be submitted to the Admissions and Records Office for evaluation.
RCC accepts international transcript credit only after the student has an official transcript sent to RCC that is printed in English or has been translated into English and evaluated for course-by-course credit by an international credit evaluation agency before submitting it to the college. The cost of the evaluation is the responsibility of the student. RCC accepts evaluations from World Education Services, Global Credential Evaluators, the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers, or other professional organizations or agencies approved by the Virginia Department of Education and listed as a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluators.
Advanced Standing Credit
Advanced standing is the administrative placement of a student that awards credit for subject matter competency based upon previous academic study or occupational experience. This may include, but is not limited to, college credit and advancement based upon individual college participation in the Advanced Placement Program (AP), International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), or testing through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or the DSST Program (formerly known as DANTES); training provided by non-collegiate institutions, such as the armed forces; professional certification, or experiential learning/work experience.
Advanced standing policies at Rappahannock Community College are consistent with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) principles and with Virginia Community College System (VCCS) policy.
To be eligible to apply for advanced standing credit, a student must be admitted to Rappahannock Community College and officially placed in a program of study.
Credit awarded for CLEP, AP, IBO, DSST, departmental challenge exams, and credit for work experience may satisfy RCC program of study requirements, but will not necessarily transfer to another institution. Students desiring to transfer credit awarded via these methods should contact their four-year college of interest to determine its policy. However, appropriate credit, when awarded, will be listed on the student’s official RCC transcript.
Students desiring to earn college credit through one of the above advanced standing methods or who wish to take a locally developed departmental exam should contact the appropriate division office in which the course is taught.
Rappahannock Community College may award credit for the following competencies:
AP (The Advanced Placement Program credit equivalents)
The Advanced Placement Program (AP) allows students to pursue college-level studies while still in secondary schools. College credit is granted for scores of 3 or higher. Students should request an official score report be sent from the College Board to the Admissions & Records Office on either campus for evaluation.
IB (The International Baccalaureate Program credit equivalents)
The International Baccalaureate® (IB), and the Diploma Programme (DP) in particular, offer advanced level courses for students during the last two years of high school. The courses are available as HL (Higher Level) and SL (Standard Level). As per VCCS guidelines, RCC will grant credit for a score 4 or higher for Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, a score of 5 or higher for Standard Level International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. Students should request an official score report be sent from International Baccalaureate Organization to the Admissions & Records Office on either campus for evaluation.
CLEP (College Level Examination Program credit equivalents)
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a credit-by-examination program, sponsored by the College Board, which gives students the opportunity to earn college credit by earning qualifying scores on exams. Students who score 50 or higher on CLEP courses will receive credit appropriate to that course. Students should request an official score report be sent from the College Board to the Admissions & Records Office on either campus for evaluation.
DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support)
Credit may be granted for successful completion of correspondence courses and subject standardized tests (SST) of the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support (DANTES), formerly the United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI). These subject area standardized tests provide service members an opportunity to obtain credit for knowledge and skills acquired through non-traditional educational experience. Credit granted is based on the recommendations of the American Council of Education (ACE). Students should request an official score report be sent from the DANTES to the Admissions & Records Office on either campus for evaluation.
DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests)
Credit may be granted for successful completion of subject examinations taken through DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests). These subject area exams provide students an opportunity to obtain credit for prior learning through non-traditional educational experience. The DSST program is approved by the American Council of Education (ACE). Students who score at or above the minimum level recommended by ACE will receive credit appropriate to that course. Students should request an official score report be sent from the DSST to the Admissions & Records Office on either campus for evaluation.
Military Service
Credit may be awarded for military training and experience as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) guidelines if the credits fit into the student’s specific curriculum. Students should request an official Joint Services Transcript or The Community College of the Air Force Transcript be sent to the Admissions & Records Office on either campus for evaluation.
Local Challenge Examinations
Examinations locally prepared and administered for subjects not available in the CLEP program may be utilized for a variety of courses at RCC. Specific course credit will be granted for each such local challenge exam successfully completed. For more information, contact the academic dean who is responsible for courses in the appropriate discipline.
Other Formal Learning Experiences
Credit may be granted, as a means of achieving advanced standing, for previous non-collegiate education, training, and/or previous occupational experiences as recommended by the American Council of Education (ACE). The student should submit official evidence of other formal learning experiences to Admissions & Records Office for evaluation. An example would be experiences from criminal justice academies.
In all of the above areas, neither grades nor grade points will be awarded for successful completion of the subject matter. An appropriate notation will be placed next to the course title on the student’s transcript. Students who plan to transfer to other institutions of higher education are cautioned that not all institutions of higher education accept credits earned in this manner as transfer credit. It is the student’s responsibility to determine the acceptability of these credits at the institution being considered for transfer.
For additional information, please contact the College Registrar for a copy of the Advanced Standing and Transfer Guide.
Last modified on 09-06-2022
