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Other Options

Do you want to understand all the options available at Montgomery College for advanced standing and college credit? We encourage you to read the Assessment of Prior Learning Guide, below.  If you have any questions, call us at 240-567-7870 or email Dorothy Umans, Program Director of Extended Learning Services at dorothy.humans@montgomerycollege.edu

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The Assessment of Prior Learning program at Montgomery College recognizes the significant learning acquired by adults outside school. That learning might have occurred as a result of work experiences, on-the-job training, military training, apprenticeship training, continuing education courses, community activities or self-designed learning activities that resulted in the acquisition of skills or knowledge.

The evaluation process of "in the course of life" (non-classroom) learning can save you money of a credit course, as well as time in a classroom. There is a range of evaluation options.

In most cases the options are beneficial. Sometimes there may be tradeoffs. For example, all credits may not be transferable to all schools. Almost any regionally accredited institution in the U.S. accepts at least some type of prior learning credits in transfer.

However, transfer is not the only consideration. You may find that rapidly moving towards a degree provides greater recognition on the job, opportunities for advancement and transition. Therefore, think about your goals, and talk with counselors. You can also contact the Office of Extended Learning Services, and we will assist you personally or refer you to someone who can.

Some patterns emerge of students enrolled in the APL program:

Faculty with expertise in specific fields conduct the evaluations, in order to determine whether your experiences/learning equals college-level learning. The APL options include:

You can mix and match these options for your needs. The specifics of these options will change periodically. It is your job to make sure the information you have is correct. With the exception of the external examinations (CLEP, DSST, Advanced Placement) and high school options, you must be a student (have completed an application and submitted a student record) at Montgomery College to pursue the internal competency options.

The criteria against which your learning is evaluated require that:

Please note: Montgomery College will not evaluate learning in areas where it does not have the expertise to do so. There are continuous efforts to expand this list.

Montgomery College has adopted a course specific approach to the assessment of prior learning. This means your learning be evaluated against the knowledge, skills and competencies you would learn by completing a particular course.

Generally speaking, Montgomery College will award credit for prior learning for courses that it teaches, and in those areas typically applicable to degree or certificate requirements. A maximum of forty-five (45) credits can be granted towards an associate’s degree. That is equal to 70 – 75% of an associate’s degree or 70% of any certificate program requirements. A final note—credit will not be awarded where college credit in a similar course has already been earned. The limits for associate’s degrees are:

A maximum of 45 credits in advanced standing may be awarded through any combination of the following:

A maximum of 45 credits from course work completed through

Transfer credit evaluations are typically tied to a "home" campus.  While you can take courses at any campus, your credit evaluation is typically done by the evaluator usually at your home campus.

Transcripts and credits should be referred to the following transcript evaluators:

*Sharon Getzandanner at Germantown, sharon.getzandanner@montgomerycollege.edu                                         

* Alice Summers at Rockville, alice.summers@montgomerycollege.edu

* Ivy Deavers at Takoma Park/Silver Spring, ivy.deavers@montgomerycollege.edu

Many students ask if APL credits are acceptable to other colleges or to employers

The transfer of APL credits to other colleges and to employers is governed by their specific policies. It is your responsibility to check on the transfer and APL policies of the colleges and employers in which you are interested.

Check with your employer whether tuition reimbursement covers APL fees.

Are you able to answer "yes" to any of the following questions concerning training you have attended for work, volunteering, or self-enrichment?

If you were able to answer yes to any of the above questions then your training may be suitable for advanced standing validation processes.

You should be able to isolate specific experiences that may be characterized as significant learning experiences. These might include:

Learners who take part in assessment not only have a chance to earn credit towards their degree, but have an opportunity to develop an increased understanding and appreciation for the value of their own accomplishments.

The quickest way to determine if you might qualify for assessment of prior learning is to review two pieces of information.

Contact a college counselor in order to discuss your best options. Or call the APL Program Director at (240) 567-7870.

If you served, or are currently active, in any U.S. military branch you could receive credit for training you have completed. We accept college credit recommendations from the American Council on Education for military training and job classifications.

The AP testing program is normally available to high school juniors and seniors at their local high schools. They are widely accepted examinations; Maryland ranks in the "top ten" nationally in administration of these examinations. You are not eligible for AP examinations, once you have completed high school or its equivalent.

No credit is awarded for scores lower than three (3). Credits are awarded as indicated below. Montgomery College does not charge any additional fees for the transfer of these credits. Montgomery College students should have AP test results sent to the College in order to have the scores evaluated and appropriate credits entered on their MC transcript. Information on the Advanced Placement tests, testing dates and costs are available from the local high schools. Check the list of exams acceptable to Montgomery College.

Montgomery College awards credit

1. for a score of 5 or higher on International Baccalaureate (IB) higher-level (HL) exams 2. for a score of 5 or higher on the standard-level (SL) exams when combined with the IB diploma. You must earn the IB diploma to receive any Montgomery College credit for SL exams. Some IB credits will apply to Montgomery College’s general education requirements. See chart below.

Diploma Holders: Students who earn an IB Diploma may be awarded up to 30 college credits toward the Associate’s degree based on results of the Higher Level and Standard Level exams.

Certificate Holders: Students who earn an IB Certificate will be eligible to receive between 3 to 8 college credits based on the results of their higher-level (HL) exams only.

Students who plan to transfer from Montgomery College to another institution should be aware that transfer credits may vary from school to school. Advanced standing credits earned at Montgomery College may or may not be accepted by your next school and the score minimums for credit awards may be lower or higher. Consult with your future school before making final decisions on your Montgomery College classes. Check the list of exams acceptable to Montgomery College.

The CLEP exams are among the external examinations Montgomery College uses to award credit. The General Examinations test broad areas of general knowledge in five (5) areas; the Subject Examinations test knowledge in specific areas. MC uses ACE-recommended score minimums to award credit. The minimum scores for which credit is granted differ depending upon whether the test format was "paper and pencil" or computerized. The format will depend on the date of testing and location. Most locations have converted to computerized testing at this time but since old scores are still accepted, make sure that you use the appropriate scale to determine if you will receive credit.

Each CLEP test cost $65, as of July 1, 2007 There is usually an additional test administration fee, typically $25 per test, charged by the testing site, such as Montgomery College. Montgomery College will accept CLEP credits even when the test is not administered at MC.

You can receive the most complete MC information by sending a request to clep@montgomerycollege.edu. Additional information is also available on the College Board web site located at: www.collegeboard.com/clep. To determine if CLEP is for you, CLEP preparation books are available for loan through the College and local libraries, and for purchase through local bookstores. Check the list of exams acceptable to Montgomery College.

DSST Examinations were originally used in the Armed Services, but have recently been made available to civilian populations, as well. They are similar to the CLEP Exams but offer a series of examinations in technical areas that are unavailable in the CLEP program. These tests are not currently being offered on a Montgomery College Campus. The college does accept DSST scores. Montgomery College students with ties to the military have been able to take the examinations through the educational office at local military bases or armories. Fact sheets for each test are on the web at: http://www.getcollegecredit.com/

The American Council on Education (ACE) evaluates courses of study offered through business and industry training sites. If these courses of study meet the college-level criteria established by ACE, then credit value is assigned. These credit values are not always identical to the course credit values offered on college campuses, and students must take the responsibility for determining if ACE credit will be useful in their college program of study. Upon request, ACE will send transcripts of the student’s course work to colleges or universities. Students should check with the Human Resources Department where they are employed to determine if any of their training has been evaluated for college credit.

Students who complete a Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Tech Prep (Career & Technology Education) program are eligible to receive college credits, if they earned grades of "B" or better and they major in the corresponding program at Montgomery College. Students who wish to obtain college credit for their high schools’ Tech Prep programs must obtain certificates from their high schools attesting to their work and grades before registering as degree or certificate students at Montgomery College.

Montgomery College offers a fairly extensive number of departmental examinations, all of which have been prepared by the faculty. The student arranges the test date with the appropriate department chairperson at a time convenient to both. It also gives students the option of setting the test date several weeks in advance of testing to allow time for review of materials. This APL option is open only to Montgomery College students.

The fee for credit by examination is set at 40% of the in-county tuition for the course being challenged. Payment of the fee is due, in advance of the exam, once the test date has been established.

Information on credit-by-examination is available from the specific departments on the three campuses. The type of examination may vary by subject area; most will include a paper and pencil test section. Some are computerized. Course syllabi for the challenged courses are available through the department chairperson or department advisor. Sample syllabi are also on the college or department web site. These syllabi provide a detailed description of course objectives and requirements that may help you to further assess your potential for earning credit by examination.

The following is a list of academic departments which offer the credit-by-examination option for at least one departmental course. Please check the College catalog for courses that fall into this category (specific courses offering this option are indicated by "CE" following the title) and note the campus on which the examination is available (e.g. CE-R represents credit-by-exam through the Rockville department.) Note: New exams are added to the inventory throughout the year and aren’t necessarily available as of catalog printing. Check with departments, if you have a specific interest.

Departments offering the "CE" Option (course ID in parenthesis)

Accounting (AC) Health Information Technology (HI)

Advertising Art (AA) Interior Design (ID)

Applied Geography (GE) Management (MG)

Architectural/Construction Tech. (AT) Mathematics (MA)

Automotive Technology (AU) Mental Health (MH)

Biological Sciences (BI) Microcomputer Network Tech (MT)

Music (MU) Music (MU)

Biological Technology (BT) Networking (NW)

Building Trades Technology (BU) Physical Science (PC)

Business Administration (BA) Physics (PH)

Computer Applications (CA) Political Science (PS)

Criminal Justice (CJ) Radio logic Technology (RT)

Economics (EC) Speech (SP)

English (EN) Surgical Technology (SG)

Fire Science (FS) Television/Radio (TR)

Health (HE)

Many adult students have learned to use computer applications software outside of a regular classroom. Contact the appropriate department to determine

1) whether there is a credit-by-exam through which you can get credit

2) whether you can be placed in a higher course, without the granting of credit for the lower level course)

3) whether you should take the portfolio option

The Portfolio Assessment option is perhaps the most unique process for evaluating prior learning. For example, a student with experience in drawing and painting submits a portfolio of his or her work for faculty review for art credit. The same process of building a portfolio can occur in other courses, and that portfolio of your learning is submitted for faculty review and evaluation.

Montgomery College awards credit for prior learning equivalent to certain courses offered by the College. This evaluation is accomplished by the submission, for thorough faculty review, of a portfolio summary of relevant information that describes the learning you have acquired in a specific course area.

The portfolio option is best suited to the person who has either a significant amount of learning in one area or a broad range of learning across a number of different areas. It is also a viable option for the student with prior learning who dislikes testing options. Please note that the portfolio option has some unique requirements.

The portfolio option requires that students enroll in the three- (3) credit Student Development course titled DS150 Portfolio Development Seminar. The course teaches enrollees how to construct a portfolio. It provides a chance to evaluate personal, educational and career directions. It also provides opportunities for self-evaluation that many students have cited as valuable new learning.

Portfolio Seminar students must attend a mandatory information session before registering for the DS150 course. This required information session is constructed so that students can fully understand the process and philosophy of the portfolio option and how it applies to their specific situation. If you qualify for the Portfolio program, follow normal MC registration procedures to enroll in DS150.

Are you considering the Portfolio program? Determine the portfolio assessment transfer policies of two- and four-year colleges in which you have an interest. Portfolio-earned credit might not transfer, and there may be specific limitations and maximums. However, since portfolio credit maximums are, at times, a percentage of the total credits required for graduation, a receiving institution may accept portfolio credits from Montgomery College, and then permit the pursuit of additional portfolio credits at their (the receiving) institution.

Past the DS150 course, there is an evaluation assessment fee due in advance of actual faculty assessment. The fee is for each portfolio to be evaluated and is 40% of the current in-county tuition rate. This is the same fee structure for the department credit-by-examination program. Contact Barbara Gleason at barbara.gleason@montgomerycollege.edu or 240-567-5135. She conducts information sessions throughout the year and is available for you individually as questions arise. When scheduled, you will see information sessions under Hot Topics on the Montgomery College home page. The portfolio class (DS 150) is currently scheduled to be offered each fall. You may also contact Dorothy Umans at 240-567-7870 dorothy.umans@montgomerycollege.edu