Academic Information and Requirements – Advanced Placement and Additional Ways to Earn Credits

Advanced Placement Credits

Students presenting an advanced placement score of at least three (3) in any subject area, will be granted five (5) credits of elective credit. Credit granted for specific subject areas is specified in the table below; otherwise, elective credit will be granted. Credits earned for advanced placement will be identified with an ‘L’ grade. Credits awarded by another institution for advanced placement are not automatically accepted. Credit for advanced placement will be awarded on the basis of official advanced placement scores and not on transcript notation. Students must provide test scores and have them evaluated by Edmonds Community College. For subject areas not listed below, students should contact the appropriate department chair.

International Baccalaureate Program Credits

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program is a demanding two-year curriculum offered in the secondary arena and is recognized by the world’s leading universities. Upon completion of courses and examinations in six subject areas, students forward an IB transcript to the Credentials Evaluations Department. An exam score of 5, 6, or 7 in a Higher Level subject area will result in the awarding of distribution credit or the granting of course placement. The following chart denotes how each department has determined appropriate placement.

Corrected August 2012

Additional Ways to Earn Credits

Course Challenge Credit

Most departments grant credit for prior learning or life experiences via the course challenge process. See the Prior Learning Assessment section below for more information.

Course challenge credits earned at another college may be accepted at Edmonds Community College as follows:

College Level Exam Program (CLEP)/Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support (DANTES)

To receive credits by exams, the following rules apply:

• Only currently enrolled students receive these credits. No credits are awarded for an examination if the student has already earned credit in a duplicate course.
• CLEP and DANTES exams will be evaluated by guidelines set by the American Council on Education (ACE). Examination performances are graded as pass or fail and are not computed into the student’s grade point average. Since some two- and four-year colleges and universities do not accept CLEP credit, students should contact the college to which they are transferring for more information.
• No credits from the CLEP General Examination are applied to the Associate of Arts degree, the Associate of Sciences degree or the Associate in Applied Science-T degree.
• Credits earned in the Freshman English Subject Examination are accepted at the discretion of individual academic divisions. Students should contact the appropriate dean before taking the examination.
• Subject to approval by the chief academic officer, up to 30 credits from the CLEP exam may be applied to any area of the Associate of General Studies Degree.
• Certain areas of the CLEP exam may be used as elective credit to fulfill requirements for the Associate of Technical Arts degree, including five credits of English Composition, Mathematics, Humanities, and Social Science. 

Non-Accredited Schools/Correspondence Courses

Edmonds Community College may accept credit for courses and programs evaluated by the American Council on Education, including educational experiences in the armed forces and many business-training programs.

The college also accepts credit earned while a not-yet-accredited institution was a candidate for accreditation.

The college may also accept credits from correspondence courses as determined by departments.

Prior Learning Assessment

(For more information, see www.edcc.edu/priorlearning.)

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) at Edmonds Community College (Edmonds CC) provides students the opportunity to be awarded college credit for specific courses. The student will be asked to demonstrate prior learning based on the knowledge and skills acquired through work, training and other life experiences.

Knowledge that is current and corresponds to courses taught at our college may be eligible to be assessed for college credit. The level of competence should be comparable to that of students in regular courses, including theoretical and practical knowledge of the subject.

The process is done through the course challenge process. Most departments offer this option; however, not all courses are challengeable. This “course equivalency” model means that if the learning meets the specific outcomes of an approved Edmonds CC course, students will have the opportunity to “challenge” the course. Learning that does not meet the outcomes of a specific Edmonds CC course but is deemed college level learning in one of the college’s programs is validated through a Special Project that may result in elective credit or be used as a course substitution.

Credits earned through the course challenge or special project process are designated on the student’s transcript the quarter they are earned and count toward the college’s residency requirement. Current accreditation standards assert that no more than 25 percent of the credits earned through PLA can apply toward degrees or certificates; individual academic departments may have additional guidelines.

Students who have received training through military or apprenticeship programs should request a transcript evaluation to determine possible credit.

See the PLA website for more information or to complete the electronic course challenge or special project request forms.

Satisfactory or Pass Credits

Credits are accepted as follows:

Special Project Credits

Many departments offer students the opportunity to earn credits through a special project. An electronic special project request form must be completed and the form and instructions for filling it out can be found at the PLA website. Approval must be given by the appropriate instructor and the division dean. An assessment fee is paid before the project begins. Transcripts reflect special projects as courses numbered 199 or 299 in the quarter the work is completed. These credits do count toward the Edmonds CC residency requirement; however, the elective credit(s) may not transfer to other colleges. Students planning to transfer should meet with an adviser to determine whether or not the credit will transfer. Not all departments offer special project contracts.

Variable Credit Course

Students should consult with advisers before registering for variable credit courses. The credits completed may be less than, or equal to, the number of credits for which the student registered. The appropriate department determines how variable credit earned through multiple enrollments is transcripted and how it is applied to graduation requirements. Regardless of the number of credits attempted, the student will receive credit only for the work completed during the quarter for which registration occurred. Refunds and incomplete grades are not given.

Transferring Credits from Other Colleges

Currently enrolled or previously enrolled students who wish to transfer credits earned from other colleges must:

• Submit official transcripts to Enrollment Services.
• Complete a form requesting evaluation of transcripts prior to submitting graduation applications online.

Some course work may not be accepted, and students who change their educational goals must have their transcripts reevaluated. Contact individual departments for more information.

Earned Quarter Credits

Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate in Applied Science-T Degrees

Credits transfer to Edmonds Community College if:

• Degree credits are already earned;
• Credits have received accreditation by regional associations of schools and colleges;
• Credits are approved by national institutional accrediting associations recognized by the AACRAO board of directors (up to 15 credits as general electives);
• Credit earned at foreign colleges and universities are approved by Credential Evaluators review on an individual basis;
• Career-related courses are earned at participating schools, except those excluded by the Intercollegiate Relations Commission (up to 15 credits may be accepted as elective credits toward the Associate of Arts degree or the Associate of Science degree); and
• Religion courses qualify as literature, history, or philosophy.

Associate of General Studies Degree

Credits are accepted if authorized by the chief academic officer.

Associate of Technical Arts Degree and Certificates

Credits are accepted if authorized by the department head, a full-time instructor in the program, or the division dean.

High School Diploma

Credits are accepted if authorized by the program coordinator or dean.

Earned Semester Credits

For students transferring from institutions using semester credits, waivers are authorized for one-quarter credit in the written skills area and a maximum of half-quarter credit in quantitative skills and in each of the distribution areas.