Creditfor PriorLearning

Transcription

1 Creditfor PriorLearning (FormerlyKnownAdvancedStanding) Producedbythe Of iceofacademicservices RevisedAugust2015

2 Credit for Prior Learning (Formerly known as Advanced Standing) Produced by the Office of Academic Services This manual is accurate as of the date of publication. As new information becomes available, it will be posted to the online version available through the Credit for Prior Learning website at Revised August 2015

3 Table of Contents Introduction 4 TYPES OF CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING... 4 Section 1: earned in regionally accredited post-secondary institutions Section 2: earned in nontraditional educational /training programs (military, industry, state and federal government) Section 3: Credit by examination Section 4: Credit for learning obtained through life experiences GENERAL PROCEDURES... 5 EVALUATION RESPONSIBILITIES... 6 SECTION 1 From Post-Secondary Institutions 8 GENERAL CONDITIONS... 8 EVALUATION OF INTERNATIONAL TRANSCRIPTS... 9 GENERAL EDUCATION, PED AND SDV TRANSFER CREDIT FOR STUDENTS WITH PREVIOUS DEGREES SECTION 2 Earned In Non-Traditional Programs 12 CLINICAL CODING ASSOCIATE OR CLINICAL CODING SPECIALIST CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACADEMIES Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy Prince William County Public Safety Training Academy Virginia Criminal Justice Academies Virginia State Police Academy EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT Military Child and Youth Services Training Child Development Associate Fairfax County Office for Children School Readiness Certificate

4 EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN BASIC & EMT-INTERMEDIATE (VIRGINIA), EMT-PARAMEDIC (NATIONAL OR VIRGINIA) 17 FIRE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY Virginia Department of Fire Programs and the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications 19 FOREIGN LANGUAGE CREDIT AND WAIVER LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE (LPN) MARKETING SALES UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL SELLING MILITARY TRAINING AND COURSES Military Basic Training Military Transcript Evaluation Community College of the Air Force Marine Corps (MCE), Navy (NER) and Coast Guard (CGR) Ratings & Schools Army Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) Marine Corps Correspondance Courses (MCI) Joint Cyber Analysis Courses (JCAC) in Information Technology Marine Corps Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) in Information Technology OFFICE SKILLS TRAINING Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC) Training Futures (NVFS) PHYSICAL EDUCATION NOVA Basketball, Soccer and Volleyball Sports Teams American Red Cross Lifeguard/First Aid Certification and CPR/AED for Lifeguards Transfer Courses Waiver for Active Duty Fire Fighters and Police RESPIRATORY THERAPIST Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) RRT

5 Neonatal/Pediatric Specialist SAYLOR FOUNDATION COURSES STRAIGHTERLINE COURSES SECTION 3 Credit By Exam 29 ABITUR ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION PROGRAM (AP) AIR CONDITIONING AND REFRIGERATION ARI GAMA (Air Conditioning & Refrigeration): HVAC Apprenticeship to Degree ICE/ARI EPA Exams (Virginia Master Mechanical License) ASSESSMENT BY LOCAL EXAM (ABLE) CAMBRIDGE, UNIVERSITY OF, ADVANCED LEVEL EXAMINATIONS CERTIFIED MANAGER (CM) CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SECRETARY (PLS) COLLEGE-LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM (CLEP) DSST PROGRAM (FORMERLY KNOWN AS DANTES) EXCELSIOR COLLEGE EXAMINATIONS (FORMERLY PEP) INSTITUTE FOR CERTIFICATION OF COMPUTING PROFESSIONALS (ICCP) INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) MEDICAL/CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION TESTS (ASE) NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (NYU) FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY EXAMS PHLEBOTOMY CERTIFICATION AND/OR VALID DOCUMENTATION OF EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE SAT SUBJECT TESTS SECTION 4 Credit for Learning Obtained through Life Experiences - PLACE 42 3

6 Introduction Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) strives to provide students with opportunities to receive credit for prior learning while still maintaining the academic integrity of NOVA s academic programs. The policies are consistent with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) principles and with Virginia Community College System (VCCS) policy. This manual describes the current mechanisms for obtaining credit for prior learning at NOVA. The term credit for prior learning generally refers to the granting of college credit for learning gained in nontraditional ways. This manual also provides procedures for granting various kinds of credit earned at other colleges and universities in this country and abroad. Types of Credit for Prior Learning Credit may be sought by NOVA students for educational experiences that fall into four basic categories. Section 1: earned in regionally accredited post-secondary institutions. Credit is generally acceptable for transfer if it is earned from a college or university that is accredited by the Commission on Colleges or the Commission on Higher Education of one of the nine regional accrediting agencies in the United States, and is comparable to coursework required in the student s NOVA curriculum. Once an institution is regionally accredited, NOVA will recognize credits earned at the institution during its candidacy for accreditation or in the two years prior to the institution s full accreditation by such commissions, whichever is the shorter period of time. Credit also may be transferred from institutions if the Transfer of Credit Practices of Designated Educational Institutions, published by American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, states that credit from the institution is generally accepted for courses that are appropriate to the reporting institution s baccalaureate programs. earned at post-secondary institutions without regional accreditation do not transfer to NOVA even if the institution is accredited through a different commission such as a national accrediting organization or specialized and professional accreditors. However, in some cases where a post-secondary institution offers specialized educational opportunities (culinary institutes, etc.) and the institution is empowered by a state to award associate degrees or above, NOVA faculty may pre-approve the recommendation to award equivalent transfer credit for courses within a specific discipline. Courses which have been specifically evaluated and will be accepted for transfer are listed in this manual; only credit earned after the date specified in the review will be accepted. Courses will be transferred at full credit value. Totally dissimilar and unrelated courses will not be grouped together to fulfill NOVA sequential course requirements. To be considered equivalent to a specific NOVA course, transferred courses must be the same number of credits (or more) than their NOVA counterpart. NOVA maintains a transfer course equivalency database which NOVA faculty may access. 4

7 Section 2: earned in nontraditional educational /training programs (military, industry, state and federal government). Students may be granted credit for courses or programs offered by employers, professional organizations, and other agencies if those courses or programs have been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) College Credit Recommendation Service ( Specifically, ACE s recommendations for college credit for workforce training in general can be viewed at and ACE s recommendations for college credit for military training may be viewed at NOVA also accepts recommendations made by the National College Credit Recommendation Services (NCCRS) ( A list of Virginia institutions that accept NCCRS recommendation is available at As described throughout this manual, NOVA faculty have reviewed training and, in some cases, have made recommendations about specific NOVA courses to which the training is equivalent. Section 3: Credit by examination. Credit will be granted for selected national exams in accordance with the recommendations of the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service at Recommendation-Service-CREDIT.aspx. In some cases, NOVA faculty have reviewed standardized examinations and made recommendations about specific NOVA courses to which the underlying education is equivalent; those recommendations are listed in this manual. In addition, NOVA has prepared challenge exams (called ABLE exams) for selected courses to allow students to demonstrate proficiency in each course s stated student learning outcomes. Section 4: Credit for learning obtained through life experiences. Students may obtain credit for learning obtained through life experiences by developing portfolios through NOVA s Prior Learning Activity for Credit Evaluation (PLACE) program. PLACE is for adults who have gained college-level learning through work, volunteer activities, participation in civic assignments, travel, independent study, and similar life experiences. General Procedures The evaluation of transcripts is intended as a service to students who are pursuing academic programs at NOVA. It is not intended as a means for credentialing students or providing documentation for job promotions, etc. To be eligible to apply for credit for prior learning, students must be admitted to NOVA and declare a major because the credit awarded is applied to the student s NOVA program. In addition, students must be currently enrolled or have taken a course at NOVA within the past three academic years before an official transcript reflecting transfer credit will be issued. An unofficial transcript may be reviewed at any time for advising purposes. 5

8 Students are eligible for the credit for prior learning opportunities in place at the time they make a request for credit. Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis. There is no limit on the number of credits that may be awarded through credit for prior learning, but such credit may not be used to fulfill the residency requirement for graduation. A minimum of 25% of the credit required for any NOVA degree, certificate or career studies certificate must be earned at NOVA. Transfer credit may be allowed for certain courses which do not correspond directly to NOVA courses. These courses are classified as electives. The academic dean responsible for the student s curriculum will determine if and how the elective(s) may be used in the curriculum. Technical courses that are more than 10 years old generally are not accepted. However, the academic dean responsible for the student s curriculum may make exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Each of the distribution requirements specified by the VCCS must be met before a student can graduate; deans cannot waive compliance with VCCS distribution requirements. All accepted credit for prior learning will be acknowledged and recorded on the student s permanent record, with the transferring agency or other source of credit identified. No unsuccessful attempts at credit for prior learning applications or examination results will be recorded on the student s permanent record. No grades, scores or grade points will be recorded on the student s permanent record for credits earned through credit for prior learning procedures. Except for PLACE portfolios and ABLE exams, for which students receive a P grade, the student record will show a T instead of an A-F grade. Evaluation Responsibilities The responsibility for effective evaluation of credit for prior learning is shared among many faculty and staff. The Credit for Prior Learning Subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee represents these various groups and is responsible for the development of policies and the implementation of consistent collegewide procedures. Campus Level Student Services Centers: The campus registrars and their staffs are responsible for insuring that appropriate records relating to credit for prior learning are received and processed. In cases where there are approved routine procedures for awarding credit for prior learning, registrars, transcript evaluators, and others on the Student Services staffs are empowered to record these credits on the student s transcript. Faculty and Advisors: Discipline faculty typically initiate requests for new credit for prior learning opportunities and are asked to review all recommendations for discipline specific credit. Advisors may recommend the use of electives to meet specific discipline requirements through substitution procedures. Advisors may also recommend that elective course credit be changed to specific course credit based on supplemental course descriptions that the student has obtained from his/her previous school. 6

9 Provosts, Deans of Students and Academic Deans: All policies and procedures regarding credit for prior learning are approved by the deans with responsibility for the discipline before being forwarded to the administration of the College. Specific decisions about the qualifications of a student for graduation from a program, including the applicability of any credit awarded through credit for prior learning, are approved by the responsible academic dean(s) for the required course and the student s program, and, if there is a conflict, by the provost. College Level Credit for Prior Learning Committee: The Credit for Prior Learning Committee hears requests for new or revised policies and procedures for credit for prior learning and forwards its recommendations to the Curriculum Committee for approval. Items approved by the Curriculum Committee are forwarded to the Administrative Council for final approval. The Credit for Prior Learning Committee also monitors the implementation of the policies and procedures to assure consistent application throughout the College. College Records Office: Staff at the College Records Office (CRO) certifies students for graduation. In order to do so, they must ensure that all credits, including credit for prior learning, are awarded correctly. Appeals of Credit for Prior Learning Decisions: Students who wish to request reconsideration of a credit for prior learning decision based on existing policy should make their request first to a faculty advisor. Appeals may be sent to the appropriate academic dean, who may forward them to the campus provost. Deans discuss appeals with the Associate Vice President for Academic Services. Students who wish to have new or revised credit for prior learning policies established must a counselor or faculty advisor. The counselor/faculty advisor will forward the request to the Associate Vice President for Academic Services for review by faculty and, if the faculty support the request, the Credit for Prior Learning Committee. Students should be told that this review may take several months due to the rigor of NOVA s credit for prior learning policy revision process. 7

10 SECTION 1 From Post-Secondary Institutions General Conditions NOVA accepts credits from other regionally accredited U.S. colleges and universities for which a student has earned a grade of C or better. To have such credit evaluated, students must submit an official transcript from their previous institution and a request for evaluation to the Student Services Center at any campus. An official transcript is one that has the seal of the institution or testing organization and the signature of an official of that institution or organization. An official transcript must be received in a sealed envelope from the originating institution that has no overt sign of having been opened or otherwise disturbed. Official transcripts may be mailed directly from the transferring institution to a NOVA Student Services Center or delivered in acceptable condition, such that the receiving registrar has confidence that the record received is authentic. Official transcripts that are sent to College faculty also may be accepted. Contact the Student Services Center at any campus for procedures required to initiate the evaluation of transfer credit. Registration Before Transcripts are Issued: The evaluation of transcripts is intended as a service to students who are pursuing academic programs at NOVA. It is not intended as a means for credentialing students or providing documentation for job promotions, etc. Students must have completed at least one course at NOVA before an official transcript reflecting credit for prior learning will be issued. Request for Evaluation of Transcript Required: To have transcripts from other institutions evaluated, students must initiate a formal request by completing and submitting an online Transcript Evaluation Request (Form ). Students should initiate the request during their first semester at the College so that the transcript will be evaluated in a timely manner. Visit the following webpage for more information about transcript evaluation, To have their previous work evaluated, students must: Be enrolled in at least one credit course at NOVA. Submit official, unopened transcripts/test scores to their local Student Services Center. Submit a separate online Transcript Evaluation Request form for each transcript or test score to be evaluated. The transcript evaluation process can take up to six weeks. Upon completion, students will be contacted only through their VCCS address. Regional Accreditation Required: Credit is transferable from colleges and universities that are accredited by SACSCOC, another Commission on Colleges regional accrediting association, or by the Commission on Higher Education. Credit also may be transferred from institutions if the Transfer of Credit Practices of Designated Educational Institutions states that credit from the institutions is generally accepted for courses, which are appropriate to the reporting institution s baccalaureate programs. Credit is not accepted from institutions that do not meet these criteria. Course Specific Credit: All acceptable courses will be transferred as closely to the NOVA course equivalent as possible. Direct course credit cannot be given for a course not offered at NOVA. In this case only elective credit may be given. The academic dean responsible for the chosen curriculum will determine if the courses in question may be substituted for a course required within the curriculum. 8

11 Required Grades: Generally, only courses earning a grade of C (not C- ) or better will be accepted for transfer credit. Certain courses earning a grade of P (for a Pass/Fail course) or, with the designation Cr (for credit), may be accepted for transfer if the transcript indicates that credit hours have been awarded. Sequence Courses: Sequential courses (two semesters or three quarters) in which one or more grades of D were earned may be transferred as a sequence at full credit if the grades for the sequence average at least a grade of C. Failing grades will not be accepted for averaging. Grade averaging will be weighted by the credit hour value of the courses. Very dissimilar and unrelated courses will not be grouped together to fulfill NOVA sequential course requirements. Natural Science Courses with Separate Lab: For courses with separate lecture and laboratory grades, a C (not C- ) average or better must be earned in order for credit to be awarded. Failing grades are not accepted for averaging. Thus, if a student has received a grade of F in either the lecture or the laboratory, the course will not be accepted. Grade averaging will be weighted by the credit hour value of the courses. However, the portion that was passed may be accepted for elective credit and combined with the missing portion from NOVA or another college. Credit for Prior Learning Awards on Transcripts: NOVA will recognize and award transfer credit for credit awarded through institutionally administered exams, portfolios, etc. and posted as course equivalent credit on official transcripts from colleges and universities that are regionally accredited in the U.S. NOVA will reevaluate credit for external advanced placement such as ACE recommendations, AP, CLEP, or IB. Ten Year Limit on Career-Technical : Transfer credit for career-technical courses that were taken more than ten years ago and are intended to be applied to graduation in the career-technical area are not routinely accepted. Exceptions must be approved by the academic dean responsible for the student s curriculum. General Elective Credit: Transfer credit may be allowed for certain courses which do not correspond directly to NOVA courses but are in disciplines NOVA offers. The academic dean responsible for the student s curriculum will determine if and how, within NOVA and VCCS policy, the elective(s) may be used in the curriculum. Evaluation of International Transcripts NOVA accepts international transcript evaluations from either World Education Services (WES at or the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO at Students must submit their original transcripts to one of these organizations and pay for the course-by-course evaluation. NOVA cannot guarantee the quality or outcome of the evaluations. Once the College receives a copy of the evaluation, appropriate transfer credit will be awarded and posted to the student s record. Credit for ENG 111 or higher English credit will be awarded only if the student has taken NOVA s English Placement Test and qualified for ENG 111. Students may also need to provide NOVA with additional information before transfer credit can be awarded. 9

12 Transcripts Showing Only English Courses Effective 2014, NOVA does not accept a transcript from any college that shows only English unless the student places into ENG 111 via Accuplacer, VPT, or one of the other approved placement alternatives. When a case falls into a gray area, the College Transfer Credit Evaluation Coordinator consults with the Associate Vice Presidents of Academic Services and Student Services & Enrollment Management before making a decision. English deans are involved as appropriate. 10

13 General Education, PED and SDV Transfer Credit for Students with Previous Degrees Students who have graduated with an A.A., A.S., or A.A. & S. degree (in a non-career-technical field) or any baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited United States institution of higher education are considered to have fulfilled the following general education, PED and SDV requirements as applicable to their NOVA program: 6 credits English (ENG), 3 credits Communication Studies/Theatre (CST), 3 credits humanities/fine arts, 12 credits social/behavioral science, 6 credits Math (MTH), 8 credits natural science, 1-2 credits Physical Education (PED), and 1 credit Student Development (SDV). Some NOVA programs do not include all of these requirements, so fewer credits will apply. typically are applied as follows: NOVA Program Type NOVA AA Degrees: NOVA AS Degrees: NOVA AAS/AAA Degrees: NOVA CERTIFICATE/CSC (If Applicable): General Education and Other General Requirements Met 6 credits ENG 3 credits CST 3 credits humanities/fine arts 9-12 credits social/behavioral science 1 6 credits MTH 8 credits natural science 1 credit PED 1 credit SDV CREDITS TOTAL 6 credits ENG 3 credits CST 3 credits humanities/fine arts 9 credits social/behavioral science 6 credits MTH 2 8 credits natural science 3 1 credit PED 1 credit SDV 37 CREDITS TOTAL 3-6 credits ENG 3 credits CST credits social/behavioral science 1,5 3 credits MTH or science 2, 3 3 credits humanities/fine arts 1-2 credits PED (varies by program) 1 credit SDV CREDITS TOTAL 3-6 credits ENG and/or CST 0-3 credits social/behavioral science (if required) 0-3 credits MTH (if required) 1 credit SDV 4-13 CREDITS TOTAL 1 The number of credits awarded in social/behavioral science varies according to the number required in a specific program. 2 Students in the Allied Health, Computer Science, Engineering, IT, Mathematics, Nursing and Science programs must complete the specified math requirements. 3 Engineering, Allied Health, and Nursing students must also complete the specified science requirements. 4 Dental Hygiene students must meet the specified oral communication course to meet CODA requirements. 5 Nursing students must meet the specified psychology requirement. 11

14 SECTION 2 Earned In Non-Traditional Programs Non-traditional sources of college-equivalent learning may include a combination of the following, but are not limited to these: Formal and informal work place training programs as evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) or National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) Military training programs as evaluated by ACE or NOVA Training prerequisites approved by NOVA faculty Clinical Coding Associate or Clinical Coding Specialist Students presenting a current Clinical Coding Associate (CCA) certificate or a Clinical Coding Specialist (CCS) certificate will be eligible for credit for several Health Information Management (HIM) courses which may be applied to the Clinical Data Coding career studies certificate. Except for HIM 196, all courses also may be applied to the Health Information Management AAS degree. Students must provide proof of CCA or CCS certification and receive approval by the Assistant Dean for Health Information Management based on a personal interview. The assistant dean may require the student to complete additional training before granting credit for the following courses. Course HIM 110 Intro. To Human Pathology 3 HIM 111 Medical Terminology 3 HIM 196 Onsite Training 1 HIM 250 Health Data Classification Systems I (ICD-9-CM) 4 HIM 254 Advanced Coding and Reimbursement 3 HIM 255 Health Data Classification Systems II (CPT) 2 HIM 260 Pharmacology for HIM 3 TOTAL 19 Effective Spring 2008 Criminal Justice Academies Physical Education Credit and Waivers for Criminal Justice Academy Completers Students who have completed a program of study at a state academy recognized by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services may be granted all or part of the physical education credit required for a degree program. Students should contact a Student Services Center for procedures required to initiate an evaluation of transfer credit. 12

15 Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy Effective 5/2011 for students who graduated from the FCCJA in Fall 2010 or later. Basic Law Enforcement School Course ADJ 110 Introduction to Law Enforcement 3 ADJ 127 Firearms and Marksmanship 3 ADJ Electives 9 ADJ 211 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures I 3 ADJ 212 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures II 3 ADJ 236 Principles of Criminal Investigation 3 ADJ 237 Advanced Criminal Investigation 3 PED 116 Lifetime Fitness and Wellness 2 Total 29 Combined School Course ADJ 110 Introduction to Law Enforcement 3 ADJ 127 Firearms and Marksmanship 3 ADJ 140 Introduction to Corrections 3 ADJ Electives 9 ADJ 211 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures I 3 ADJ 212 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures II 3 ADJ 236 Principles of Criminal Investigation 3 ADJ 237 Advanced Criminal Investigation 3 PED 116 Lifetime Fitness and Wellness 2 Total 32 Leadership in Police Organizations (formerly West Point Leadership Course) Effective Spring 2008 Course ADJ 111 Law Enforcement Organization and Administration I 3 ADJ 112 Law Enforcement Organization and Administration II 3 Total 6 To receive credit for the Basic Law Enforcement School or the Combined School, students must present a letter of verification with a seal on it from the FCCJA. To receive credit for the West Point Leadership Course, students should provide a letter from a designated Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy administrator stating that the student passed the West Point Leadership Development Course. 13

16 Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy Credit for prior learning is granted as shown below for students who completed training at the NVCJTA in January 2013 or later, effective March Students who completed their training prior to January 2013 will receive credit as previously granted under the agreement which expired 2011 and was extended through June 2012 (see old manuals). Basic Law Enforcement School ADJ 110 Introduction to Law Enforcement 3 ADJ 127 Firearms and Marksmanship 3 ADJ Electives 9 ADJ 211 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures I 3 ADJ 212 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures II 3 ADJ 236 Principles of Criminal Investigation 3 ADJ 237 Advanced Criminal Investigation 3 PED 116 Lifetime Fitness and Wellness 2 Total 29 Combined Basic Deputy Sheriff School ADJ 110 Introduction to Law Enforcement 3 ADJ 127 Firearms and Marksmanship 3 ADJ 140 Introduction to Corrections 3 ADJ Electives 9 ADJ 211 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures I 3 ADJ212 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures II 3 ADJ 236 Principles of Criminal Investigation 3 ADJ 237 Advanced Criminal Investigation 3 PED 116 Lifetime Fitness and Wellness 2 Total 32 No more than 32 credits will be applied toward the ADJ AAS. No more than 26 credits will be applied to the ADJ certificate because SACS requires that students complete at least 25% of a program at the institution awarding the credential. The NVCJA curriculum will be reviewed again in academic year

17 Prince William County Public Safety Training Academy Effective 5/2011 for students who graduated from the PWCPSTA in Fall 2010 or later. Basic Law Enforcement School ADJ 110 Introduction to Law Enforcement 3 ADJ 127 Firearms and Marksmanship 3 ADJ Electives 9 ADJ 211 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures I 3 ADJ 212 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures II 3 ADJ 236 Principles of Criminal Investigation 3 ADJ 237 Advanced Criminal Investigation 3 PED 116 Lifetime Fitness and Wellness 2 Total 29 Combined School (Deputy Sheriff s Basic Academy) ADJ 110 Introduction to Law Enforcement 3 ADJ 127 Firearms and Marksmanship 3 ADJ 140 Introduction to Corrections 3 ADJ Electives 9 ADJ 211 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures I 3 ADJ 212 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures II 3 ADJ 236 Principles of Criminal Investigation 3 ADJ 237 Advanced Criminal Investigation 3 PED 116 Lifetime Fitness and Wellness 2 Total 32 Leadership in Police Organizations (formerly West Point Leadership Course) Effective Spring 2010 Course ADJ 111 Law Enforcement Organization and Administration I 3 ADJ 112 Law Enforcement Organization and Administration II 3 Total 6 To receive credit for the Basic Law Enforcement School or the Combined School, students must present a letter of verification with a seal on it from the academy. To receive credit for the West Point Leadership Course, students should provide a letter from a designated PWCPSTA administrator stating that the student passed the West Point Leadership Development Course. Virginia Criminal Justice Academies Per the statewide agreement, NOVA will grant credit for the completion of training programs certified by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services other than those listed earlier in this manual. Graduates shall provide Form 41, Department of Criminal Justice Services, to certify successful completion. are awarded as follows: 15

18 Law Enforcement Officer ADJ 100 Survey of Criminal Justice 3 PED 116 Lifetime Fitness and Wellness 2 ADJ Elective 3 Total 8 Corrections Officer ADJ 100 Survey of Criminal Justice 3 PED 116 Lifetime Fitness and Wellness 2 Total 5 Jailors ADJ 100 Survey of Criminal Justice 3 PED 116 Lifetime Fitness and Wellness 1 Total 4 A VCCS-wide articulation agreement with the Academies went into effect January It lists suggested course articulation but does not prescribe a maximum number of credits. Virginia State Police Academy (State Articulation Agreement Revised August 1997) Course ADJ Introductory Course 3 ADJ Law Courses (ADJ ) 6 ADJ Investigation Course (ADJ 236 or 237) 3 ADJ Electives 3-6 PED 116 Lifetime Fitness and Wellness 2 Total Regardless of the source, credit for prior learning is applied to the ADJ AAS and ADJ certificate programs as follows: Course ADJ AAS ADJ Certificate ADJ 110 No, but may be substituted for ADJ 100 No, but may be substituted for ADJ 100 ADJ 127 No, but an elective in the Forensics programs No, but an elective in the Forensics programs ADJ 140 No, but may be substituted for ADJ 111 No ADJ 211 Yes Yes ADJ 212 Yes Yes ADJ 236 Yes No ADJ 237 Yes No ADJ electives Yes Yes, but not all 9 credits PED 116 Yes No 16

19 Early Childhood Development Military Child and Youth Services Training Credit for prior learning will be granted to students who successfully complete the Army Child and Youth Services Training Program modules at Fort Belvoir, Fort Myer, or Quantico and present documentation showing completion of the prescribed training modules, as indicated below, to a counselor or Early Childhood faculty member. Training records will be generated by the Ft. Belvoir, Ft. Myer, or Quantico Department of Defense Child Development and Youth Services office. A copy will be included in the student file within the NOVA Early Childhood Development program. Training Modules NOVA Courses and Foundation Training + CHD 165 Observation and Participation in EC/Primary Settings, 3 cr. + Preschool Modules EDU 235 Health, Safety, and Nutrition Education, 3 cr. Foundation Training + CHD 165 Observation and Participation in EC/Primary Settings, 3 cr., + Infant/Toddler Module EDU 235 Health, Safety, and Nutrition Education, 3 cr. Foundation Training + School CHD 225 Curriculum Development for School-Age Child Care, 3 cr. + Age Module EDU 235 Health, Safety, and Nutrition Education, 3 cr. Foundation Training + Family EDU 235 Health, Safety, and Nutrition Education, 3 cr. Child Care Module Effective June Please see old manuals for credit available to students who completed the training modules February 2007 May Child Development Associate Credit for prior learning will be granted for 3 credits for CHD 120 Introduction to Early Childhood Education for students holding a current Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Prospective students must present a valid, current CDA credential certificate to a counselor or a full-time Early Childhood Education faculty member. This credential will be verified by the Council for Professional Recognition. For more information, please see Effective June 2008 Fairfax County Office for Children School Readiness Certificate Students who complete the Fairfax County School Readiness Certificate program offered by the Office for Children are eligible to receive 3 credits for CHD 120 Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Students must present a Certificate of Achievement showing completion of the School Readiness Certificate to a counselor or full-time Early Childhood faculty member. Effective Summer 2009 Emergency Medical Technician Basic & EMT-Intermediate (Virginia), EMT-Paramedic (National or Virginia) Credit for prior learning may be awarded to NOVA students presenting current, original certification cards for the following Emergency Medical Services (EMS) levels: EMT-Basic (7 credits), EMT-Advanced (16 credits), EMT-Intermediate (28 credits) and Paramedic (39 credits). Students must have completed successfully at least one course prior to credits being awarded. Certifications must be kept current throughout completion of the EMS program. Students must hold EMT-Basic certification to enter the 17

20 NOVA ALS courses, and kept current throughout the program. Additional credit for prior learning may be awarded for specialized certifications (ACLS, etc.). Please see chart below for specific course listings. Certification NOVA Courses EMT Basic National or Virginia EMS 111 Emergency Medical Technician-Basic 7 EMT-Advanced Virginia EMS 151 Introduction to Advanced Life Support EMS 157 ALS Trauma Care EMS 170 ALS Internship I EMS 213 ALS Skills Development Subtotal: From EMT-B: Total: EMT-Intermediate National or Virginia Paramedic National or Virginia EMS 153 Basic ECG Recognition EMS 155 ALS Medical Care EMS 159 EMS Special Populations EMS 172 ALS Clinical Internship II EMS 173 ALS Field Internship II Subtotal: From EMT B/E: Total: EMS 207 Advanced Patient Assessment EMS 211 Operations EMS 216 Paramedic Review EMS 242 ALS Clinical Internship III EMS 243 ALS Field Internship III EMS 244 ALS Clinical Internship IV EMS 245 ALS Field Internship IV Subtotal: From EMT-I: Total: Specialized Certifications NOVA Course Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS) or EMS 161 Basic Trauma Life Support 1 International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) (Effective Jan. 2008) Provider or Instructor Pediatric Basic Trauma Life Support EMS 162 Pediatric Basic Trauma Life Support 1 (PBTLS) or Pediatric Education for Prehospital Providers (PEPP) (Effective Jan. 2008) Provider or Instructor Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) EMS 165 Advanced Cardiac Life Support 1 Provider or Instructor Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Provider or Instructor EMS 169 Pediatric Advanced Life Support 1 Effective Fall 2006; updated for Fall

21 Fire Science Technology Virginia Department of Fire Programs and the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications Effective July 1, 2009, the VCCS approved credit for prior learning for Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) programs. The VCCS recommendation can be viewed at the bottom of the page, Note that it specifies that credits will be granted only upon completion of all other FST AAS requirements. Further, it states that not all FST courses are available at all VCCS colleges, so the determination of which of the above courses apply to the Fire Science Technology degree program will be made by the college offering the program. The following chart shows how credit will be applied at NOVA for students holding certification by VDFP or the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (NBFSPQ). Students may receive credit for specific NOVA Fire Science Technology courses by presenting proof of the appropriate certification as indicated below. Requirements Completion of Firefighter I + Firefighter II + current certificates from VDFP or NBFSPQ Completion of Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Technician + current certification Completion of HAZMAT Operations + current certification with department approval Completion of Fire Inspector I + current certification from VDFP or NBFSPQ Completion of the National Fire Academy Leadership I, II and III + current certification. Effective June 2007 NOVA Courses and FST 100 Principles of Emergency Services, 3 cr. + 3 FST elective credits FST 112 Hazardous Materials Chemistry, 3 cr. FST 112 Hazardous Materials Chemistry, 3 cr. FST 115 Fire Prevention, 3 cr. FST 237 Emergency Service Supervision, 3 cr. PED Waiver Students who are currently employed by a fire department and can document that they have completed physical fitness requirements for the job may have the two-credit physical education requirement waived (see page 27). Other ACE-Recommended Courses Some fire training organizations have had their courses evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE). As is true of other disciplines, in general NOVA will follow ACE recommendations. Foreign Language Credit and Waiver Students who have completed two years of foreign language in high school or whose native language is not English may: 1. Request assessment by the College faculty if the language is currently taught at NOVA. Such assessment could place a student into levels above the introductory course in the foreign language sequence. If students are granted advanced placement, additional general electives will have to be completed to meet the minimum credit requirements for the degree. 2. Take the Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or SAT II exam or NYU Foreign language exam if prior education is in a language covered by one of those tests (see Section 3). 19

22 Students who achieve a satisfactory score will be awarded credit for the foreign language that may be used toward completion of a degree. 3. Students who are proficient in a foreign language not offered by NOVA or through CLEP may request a waiver of the foreign language requirement in A.A. degrees. Proficiency is generally indicated if the student has at least the equivalent of a high school diploma from an institution where the primary language is other than English. If the foreign language requirement is waived, additional general electives must be completed to meet the minimum credit requirements for the degree. This waiver is accomplished through a substitution form generated by the student s faculty advisor. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) LPNs licensed in Virginia who are admitted to NOVA s Nursing program and who successfully complete NUR 115 LPN Transition (3 cr.) and NUR 116 Selected Nursing Concepts (1 cr.) will be granted credit for NUR 111 Nursing I (8 cr.) NUR 115 and 116 are designed to bridge the gap between LPN training and the first semester of the Nursing program. A grade of C or better is required in these courses. Marketing Sales University Professional Selling Equivalent credit for MKT 215 Sales and Marketing Management (3 credits) will be granted to students who have successfully completed the Sales University Professional Selling course. Students must present a certificate of completion of the program, which will be accepted for seven years from the completion date. (Effective Fall 2007) Military Training and Courses Credit may be granted for military training and skills if the awarding of credit is recommended by the American Council on Education publication, Military Guide: A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services, and approved by the academic dean of the student s chosen curriculum. Students may also check for accepted courses at The transcript evaluation process takes 4-6 weeks. Once the transcript and evaluation request forms are received, credits that are applicable to the student s chosen program will be posted. Once credits are posted, students will receive an via their NOVA account. Also note that students seeking to apply evaluated military credits to courses at the Medical Education Campus (MEC) should contact a MEC counselor for more information about the applicability of those credits. Military training and skills should be equivalent to NOVA courses. If a service member has questions regarding training-related credits versus their degree requirement applicability, he or she should contact the program division for more information about possible course substitution. Military training credit in career-technical areas that is 10 or more years old and is to be applied toward graduation in the careertechnical area, must be approved by the appropriate academic dean. In cases of conflict, course requirements as stated in the NOVA College Catalog supersede any other requirements. 20

23 Military Basic Training Students who have completed basic training may receive credit for PED 116 (and PED elective if required by the student s program) only if the course is listed on the student s military transcript or DD214. Students may request a military transcript from If a service member finds that their records need to be corrected, it is the responsibility of the service member to contact the JST regarding corrections to their service records. Individuals can make updates and corrections to their service records or JST transcripts at Military Transcript Evaluation To have a military transcript evaluated, students must: 1) Request an official military transcript for ARMY/NAVY/MARINES/COAST GUARD: request official Joint Services Transcript at Transcripts will automatically be sent electronically to NOVA s Office of Military Services. 2) Submit completed form Request for Evaluation of Transcript to (program listed on form must match program listed in Student Information System). If a student is placed in more than one program, an evaluation form must be completed for each. Forms can be submitted directly to the student services center at your campus or ed to [email protected]. Community College of the Air Force Air Force (CCAF) Transcripts: Community College of the Air Force transcripts are evaluated by the College Records Office as a traditional college transcript. CCAF transcripts may be requested at or CCAF/RR, 130 West Maxwell Blvd., Maxwell Air Force Base, AL CCAF will not accept fax requests for transcripts. Marine Corps (MCE), Navy (NER) and Coast Guard (CGR) Ratings & Schools Credit may be given in accordance with ACE recommendations. Students who are active duty or Reserve Sailors/Marines or who separate/retire on or after 10/1/99 must submit a service record or Joint Service Transcript. Request a JST transcript at If you are unable to access this site, you may obtain the form from your local Navy College Office or Marine Corps Lifelong Learning Center. If you cannot visit one of these offices, call the Navy Virtual Education Center (VEC) toll free at or [email protected]. Mail or fax the form to the address/fax number on the form. The Navy VEC will send the official JST transcript to the college(s) you designate. You may also submit the form in person or by fax to your local Navy College Office or Marine Corps Lifelong Learning Center, which will order the official JST transcript to be sent electronically to NOVA. Army Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) Credit may be granted for Army primary and secondary MOS at Skill level if current proficiency can be documented. Credit for MOS Skill Level 10 will only be granted for ratings prior to October 1991, but credit may be granted for courses leading to this skill level after October After March 1995 skill levels 30 and 40 may yield credit for management skills but not technical skills. Skill level 20 is valid only from January 1990 to February Specific MOS credit is listed throughout this manual. 21

24 Marine Corps Correspondance Courses (MCI) Transcripts listing completed correspondence courses may be obtained from the Marine Corps Institute, 912 Charles Poor Street, SE, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC or call toll free MCI-USMC. Joint Cyber Analysis Courses (JCAC) in Information Technology Credit may be given for Joint Cyber Analysis courses taken by service members in multiple branches of the military. Due to the nature of this field, training must have been completed within the past five years. NOVA Courses ITE 221 PC Hardware and O/S Architecture 3 ITN 100 Introduction to Telecommunications 3 ITN 155 Introductory Routing Cisco 4 ITN 171 Unix 1 3 ITN 208 TCP/IP 4 ITN 260 Network Security Basics 3 ITN 261 Network Attacks, Computer Crime and Hacking 4 ITN 262 Network Communication, Security and Authentication 4 ITP 100 Software Design 3 ITP 130 C Programming I 4 TOTAL 35 Effective Fall 2013 Marine Corps Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) in Information Technology Credit may be given for several Marine Corps MOS in the Information Technology field. MOS Telephone Systems Installers Maintainers ITE 100 Introduction to Information Systems 3 ITE 102 Computer and Information Systems 1 ITE 115 Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts 3 ITE 126 Operating System Fundamentals 1 ITE 180 Help Desk Support Skills 3 ITE 182 User Support/Help Desk Principles 3 ITE 221 PC Hardware and O/S Architecture 3 ITN 106 Microcomputer Operating Systems 3 ITN 107 Personal Computer Hardware Troubleshooting 3 ITN 209 VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) 3 TOTAL 26 Effective Spring 2013 MOS Telecommunications Systems Chief ITN 100 Introduction To Telecommunications 3 ITN 209 VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) 3 TOTAL 6 Effective Spring 2013 MOS Field Radio Operator 22

25 ITE 100 Introduction to Information Systems 3 ITE 102 Computer and Information Systems 1 ITE 115 Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts 3 ITE 126 Operating System Fundamentals 1 ITE 180 Help Desk Support Skills 3 ITE 182 User Support/Help Desk Principles 3 ITE 221 PC Hardware and O/S Architecture 3 ITN 106 Microcomputer Operating Systems 3 ITN 107 Personal Computer Hardware Troubleshooting 3 TOTAL 23 Effective Spring 2013 MOS Radio Chief ITN 100 Introduction To Telecommunications 3 ITN 101 Introduction to Network Concepts 3 TOTAL 6 Effective Spring 2013 MOS 0651 Cyber Network Specialist ITE 180 Help Desk Support Skills 3 ITE 182 User Support/Help Desk Principles 3 ITN 106 Microcomputer Operating Systems 3 ITN 107 Personal Computer Hardware Troubleshooting 3 ITN 200 Administration of Network Resources 3 TOTAL 15 Effective Spring 2013 MOS 0651 NCO Cyber Network Supervisor ITE 100 Introduction to Information Systems 3 ITE 102 Computer and Information Systems 1 ITE 115 Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts 3 ITE 126 Operating System Fundamentals 1 ITE 221 PC Hardware and O/S Architecture 3 ITN 200 Administration of Network Resources 3 ITN 106 Microcomputer Operating Systems 3 ITN 107 Personal Computer Hardware Troubleshooting 3 ITN 209 VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) 3 TOTAL 23 Effective Spring 2013 MOS 0651 Cisco CCNP ITN 250 Computer Forensics I 4 ITN 252 Computer Forensics II 4 ITN 253 Network Troubleshooting: CISCO 4 TOTAL 12 MOS 0659 Cyber Systems Chief 23

26 ITE 180 Help Desk Support Skills 3 ITE 182 User Support/Help Desk Principles 3 TOTAL 6 Effective Spring 2013 MOS 0689 Cyber Security Chief ITN 276 Computer Forensics I 3 ITN 277 Computer Forensics II 3 TOTAL 6 Effective Spring 2013 MOS Communications Chief ITN 100 Introduction to Telecommunications 3 ITN 101 Introduction to Network Concepts 3 ITN 154 Network Fundamentals: CISCO 4 ITN 155 Introductory Routing: CISCO 4 ITN 156 Basic Switching and Routing: CISCO 4 ITN 157 WAN Technologies: CISCO 4 ITN 220 Wireless Network Security (W-NS) 3 ITN 260 Network Security Basics 3 TOTAL 28 Effective Spring 2013 MOS 2651 Special Intelligence System Administrator/Communicator ITE 100 Introduction to Information Systems 3 ITE 102 Computer and Information Systems 1 ITE 126 Operating System Fundamentals 1 ITE 180 Help Desk Support Skills 3 ITE 182 User Support/Help Desk Principles 3 ITE 221 PC Hardware and O/S Architecture 3 ITN 100 Introduction to Telecommunications 3 ITN 106 Microcomputer Operating Systems 3 ITN 107 Personal Computer Hardware Troubleshooting 3 ITN 200 Administration of Network Resources 3 ITN 260 Network Security Basics 3 ITN 262 Network Communication, Authentication and Security 4 ITN 266 Network Security Layers 3 TOTAL 36 Effective Fall

27 Office Skills Training Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC) Students who completed Community Preservation and Development Corporation s Computer Skills Employment Training course, MS Office Suite, may be eligible for college credit. Effective January 2007, students may be eligible for credit for AST 236 Specialized Software Applications (3 cr.) or BUS 226 Computer Business Applications (3 cr.). To receive credit, students must present a Level I or Level II CPDC Certificate of Graduation dated January 2001 or later. Training Futures (NVFS) Effective January 2007, students who completed Northern Virginia Family Services Training Futures MS Office Suite and Keyboarding courses and present their credentials are eligible for credit for AST 236 Specialized Software Applications (3 cr.) or BUS 226, Computer Business Applications (3 cr.).students are also eligible for credit for AST 101 Keyboarding (3 cr.). To receive credit, students must provide their graduation certificate and must have completed the courses in January 2001 or later. Physical Education NOVA Basketball, Soccer and Volleyball Sports Teams To receive credit for prior learning for PED 152 Basketball, PED 150 Soccer, or PED 154 Volleyball, students must ask their coach to complete a Team Member Verification form ( , or , respectively) to be submitted to the Student Services Center by the coach verifying their active participation in one full season, with a minimum of 20 hours of participation in practice and game play within the past 2 years. American Red Cross Lifeguard/First Aid Certification and CPR/AED for Lifeguards To receive credit for prior learning for PED 245 Lifeguard Training, students must have actively participated in training within the last 2 years (24 months) and must present current certification in American Red Cross Lifeguard/First Aid certification and CPR/AED for Lifeguards to the Student Services Center at their primary campus. Transfer Courses The physical education requirement may be met by appropriate transfer courses, regardless of the number of credit hours granted by the other institution. Institutions have different methods of indicating that the physical education requirement has been met. For example, another college may record a physical education course on the transcript, indicate that the student passed the course, and award no credit. In such a case, the NOVA physical education requirement is considered fulfilled although no transfer credit hours will be awarded. If additional credit hours are needed for a NOVA degree, these credits may be taken in the form of an elective(s) in any discipline. Waiver for Active Duty Fire Fighters and Police Students who are currently employed by a fire department or police force and can document that they have completed physical fitness requirements for the job may have up to two credits of physical education 25

28 requirements waived. Such a waiver is at the discretion of the academic dean responsible for the student s curriculum and will require that an additional two credits of general elective be completed to meet the total number of credits required for the degree. The online Substitution Request Form must be submitted to designate which course will be used to meet the credit requirement. Respiratory Therapist Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) Students who hold the certified respiratory therapist (CRT) credential of the National Board for Respiratory Care are granted the credit listed below. Credit is awarded only with an official document showing such certification and only after successful completion of RTH 236. Course RTH 102 Integrated Science for Respiratory Care II 3 RTH 111 Anatomy & Physiology of the Cardiopulmonary System 3 RTH 120 Fundamental Theory for Respiratory Care 2 RTH 121 Cardiopulmonary Science I 3 RTH 131 Respiratory Care Theory & Procedures I 4 RTH 135 Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures 2 RTH 145 Pharmacology for Respiratory Care I 1 RTH 151 Fundamental Clinical Procedures 3 RTH 196 On-Site Training in Respiratory Care I 3 RTH 245 Pharmacology for Respiratory Care II 2 RTH 296 On-Site Training in Respiratory Care II 2 Total 28 Updated 2/26/13 RRT Students who hold the RRT credential are eligible to receive credit for the RTH courses listed below upon presentation of an official document showing the certification and after successful completion of one NOVA RTH course. Course RTH 215 Pulmonary Rehabilitation 1 RTH 222 Cardiopulmonary Science II 3 RTH 225 Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Procedures 3 RTH 227 Integrated Respiratory Therapy Skills II 2 RTH 236 Critical Care Monitoring 3 RTH 290 Coordinated Internship 3 RTH 290 Coordinated Internship 3 RTH 223 Cardiopulmonary Science III 2 Total 20 Updated 2/02/

29 Neonatal/Pediatric Specialist Students who hold the Neonatal/Pediatric Specialist designation may be awarded credit for either, but not both, RTH 225 Neonatal & Pediatric Respiratory Procedures or RTH 226 Theory of Neonatal & Pediatric Respiratory Care. Credit is awarded only with an official document showing such certification and only after successful completion of an upper level RTH course. Saylor Foundation Courses The Saylor Foundation offers online courses with proctored proficiency exams. Elective credit is typically awarded for courses recommended for college credit by the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) if NOVA offers courses in the discipline. NCCRS recommends credit in the lower division for the following Saylor Foundation courses. Student records come from The Saylor Foundation, 1000 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 220, Washington, DC, Saylor Course NOVA Equivalent BUS 205 Business Law and Ethics BUS elective 3 BUS 210 Corporate Communication BUS elective 3 POLSC 201 Introduction to Western Political Thought PLS elective 3 StraighterLine Courses NOVA students who present a transcript showing they have passed proctored exams typically may receive elective credit for courses offered by StraighterLine as recommended by the American Council on Education. Students may receive credit for a specific equivalent NOVA course for a few StraighterLine courses evaluated by NOVA faculty as shown in the chart below. Students may submit an ACE transcript or a StraighterLine transcript. StraighterLine course NOVA course equivalent Minimum score to earn transfer credit ACC101 (Accounting I) ACC 211 (this will 3 70% become ACC elective for Fall 2015) ACC102 (Accounting II) ACC elective 3 70% ACC150 (Managerial Accounting) ACC elective 3 70% BIO101L (Introductory Biology for Non BIO elective 4 70% majors with Lab) BIO201 (Anatomy & Physiology I) BIO elective 3 70% BIO201L (Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab) BIO elective 4 70% BIO202 (Anatomy & Physiology II) BIO elective 3 70% BIO202L (Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab) BIO elective 4 70% 27

30 BUS105 (Business Communication) AST % BUS101 (Introduction to Business) BUS elective 3 70% CS 101 (Introduction to Programming C++) ITP elective 3 CHEM101L (General Chemistry I with Lab) CHM % CIV101 (Western Civilization I) Does not transfer CJ101 (Introduction to Criminal Justice) ADJ elective 3 70% ECON101 (Macroeconomics) ECO elective 3 70% ECON102 (Microeconomics) ECO elective 3 70% ENG101 (English Composition I) ENG elective (cannot be 3 70% applied to most NOVA degree programs) ENG102 (English Composition II) ENG elective (cannot be 3 70% applied to most NOVA degree programs) FIN101 (Personal Finance) FIN % MAT150 (Business Statistics) Not evaluated yet 3 MAT201 (Precalculus) MTH elective 3 MAT 202 (Introduction to Statistics) MTH elective 3 MAT250 (General Calculus I) MTH elective; not 3 70% available if students took MTH 173, 174, 271 or 272 at NOVA MAT251 (General Calculus II) MTH elective; not 3 70% available if students took MTH 173, 174, 271 or 272 at NOVA MEDTERM101 (Medical Terminology) Not evaluated yet, but dean says probably equivalent to a NOVA course NUTRI101 (Introduction to Nutrition) DIT % PHY250 (General Physics I) PHY elective 3 70% PHY250L (General Physics I with Lab) PHY %; also, students must pass the lab component and the lecture component, and at least 60% of the grade must be based on proctored exams. PSY101 (Introduction to Psychology) PSY % SOC101 (Introduction to Sociology) SOC elective 3 70% USHIST101 (US History I) Does not transfer 28

31 SECTION 3 Credit By Exam This section of the manual lists exams for which NOVA has determined specific equivalents. Some exams may no longer be given, but credit may be applied for up to 20 years. Because exams must be studied carefully before a NOVA equivalent can be determined, some relatively new exams may not be listed. In that case, NOVA grants credit as recommended by ACE. Abitur Credit will be granted to students successfully completing the Abitur, Certificate of University Maturity (Zeugnis Der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife). Test scores must be presented directly to a Student Services Center at NOVA. Abitur Certificate of General University Maturity (Zeugnis Der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife) Subject Score NOVA Course Biology 1-3 BIO General Biology I-II 8 Chemistry 1-3 CHM College Chemistry I-II 8 English 1-3 No credit this is English for non-native speakers 0 French 1-3 FRE 211 Inter. French Conversation I 3 German 1-3 GER 241 Inter. German Composition I +GER elective 6 History 1-3 HIS elective 3 Physics 1-3 PHY Intro. To Physics 8 Social Studies 1-3 HIS 101 History of Western Civilization I 3 Effective Spring Advanced Placement Examination Program (AP) The College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) administers Advanced Placement (AP) examinations that enable high school students to complete college-level courses, to demonstrate college-level achievement through examinations, and to receive college course credit, if qualified, when they enter an institution of higher education. The CEEB examinations are offered in the high schools by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The AP examination scores are reported as follows: Extremely well qualified 5 Well qualified 4 Qualified 3 (Needed for NOVA credit) Possibly qualified 2 No recommendation 1 Students must have official AP score reports forwarded from ETS to a Student Services Center for inclusion in the permanent record. NOVA students intending to transfer should note that most senior institutions require a minimum score of 4. Students should note that many senior institutions will not accept a score of 3 and will reevaluate AP (and other) credit for prior learning awarded by NOVA. Specific college course credits will be granted for a minimum score of 3 on the AP examinations according to the following listing: 29

32 AP Examination NOVA Course Equivalent Credit Art History ART Art, Studio (determined by portfolio submitted to campus Art Department) Biology BIO Chemistry CHM Chinese Language and Culture CHI Computer Science A CSC Economics, Macro ECO Economics, Micro ECO English Language & Composition ENG English Literature & Composition ENG Environmental Science ENV 100 (prior to Fall 2009) ENV (effective Fall 2009) 3 8 French Language FRE German Language GER Geography, Human GEO Government & Politics/Comparative PLS Government & Politics/U.S. PLS 135, PLS History, U.S. HIS History, European HIS History, World HIS Italian Language and Culture ITA Japanese Language and Culture JPN Latin LAT Mathematics (Calculus AB) MTH Mathematics (Calculus BC) MTH Music Theory MUS Physics B PHY (under review Spring ) Psychology PSY Spanish Language SPA Spanish Literature SPA 233 (3 cr) + SPA elective (3 cr) or 6 SPA Statistics MTH

33 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration ARI GAMA (Air Conditioning & Refrigeration): HVAC Apprenticeship to Degree Students who have completed their apprenticeship with a score of 75% correct or better and pass two of the ARI- GAMA competency exams with a grade of 70% or better may receive credit for all Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (AIR) courses required for the Air Conditioning & Refrigeration degree. NOVA students may receive full or partial credit by submitting the following documentation: a copy of the certificate showing completion of the apprenticeship program, a copy of the GAMA exam results scoring 70% or higher, or a copy of their Master HVAC card. ICE/ARI EPA Exams (Virginia Master Mechanical License) Students who present evidence that they have passed all parts of the Industry Competency Exams, the ARI EPA Certification Exams, and successfully complete AIR 238 Advanced Troubleshooting and Service with C or better, may be granted credit for all AIR courses in the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration A.A.S. degree, certificate, and career studies certificate programs. These individuals will be licensed Virginia Master Mechanical Tradesmen. Credit will be awarded for AIR 111, AIR 121, AIR 122, AIR 134, AIR 154, AIR 205, AIR 207, AIR 213, AIR 235, AIR 251, AIR 252 and AIR 257. The prerequisite for AIR 238 will be waived by either completion of AIR 251 or providing current documentation of certification. Assessment by Local Exam (ABLE) Using exams prepared by NOVA faculty, Assessment by Local Exam (ABLE) allows students to receive credit for courses by demonstrating they have acquired the competencies through prior education or other experiences. In most cases, students must contact the department offering the exam to determine if they are qualified to take the exam; they may have to meet certain background requirements in order to qualify. There is no charge for ABLE exams or for having credit recorded on the student s permanent record. earned through ABLE exams do not count toward the College residency requirement and may or may not transfer to other institutions of higher education. ABLE exams are listed in the chart below. Course AIR 111 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Controls 3 AIR 121 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration I 4 DRF Elective 3 HLT 141 Introduction to Medical Terminology 1 HRT 100 Introduction to Horticulture 3 NAS 150 Human Biology 4 SDV 100 College Success Skills No prior approval is required. However, students who have earned an A-F grade in SDV are ineligible to take the SDV ABLE. 1 31

34 Cambridge, University of, Advanced Level Examinations Credit for prior learning will be granted to students successfully completing the University of Cambridge Advanced Level Examinations General Certificate of Education. Test scores must be presented directly to a Student Services Center at NOVA. General Certificate of Education University of Cambridge Advanced Level Examinations Subject Grade Course Chemistry A CHM College Chemistry I-II 8 B CHM 111 College Chemistry I 4 Economics C or better ECO Principles of Macroeconomics + Microeconomics 6 English C or better ENG College Composition I-II 6 Mathematics C or better MTH 163 Precalculus I + MTH 173 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I 8 Physics C or better PHY 231 Gen. Univ. Physics I 5 Psychology C or better PSY 201 Intro. To Psychology 3 *A grade of C at Cambridge is equivalent to a grade of B in the U.S. Effective Spring Certified Manager (CM) The Certified Manager (CM) Program is sponsored by the Institute of Certified Professional Managers and founded by the National Management Association. The Institute is a business center of the College of Business at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Passing of the certified exam and presentation of the Certified Manager certificate provided by the Institute of Certified Professional Managers will substitute for BUS 200, Principles of Management, for 3 credits. Credit for prior learning for CM certification is effective Spring 2006 for students with CM certification dated January 2006 or later. 32

35 Certified Professional Legal Secretary (PLS) Upon successful completion of all parts of the PLS exam and with the authorization of a faculty advisor, students may be awarded up to 27 credits from among the following courses: Course ACC 211 Principles of Accounting I 3 AST Elective (Legal Office Procedures) 3 AST Elective (Shorthand I) 3 AST 243 Office Administration I 3 ENG 111 College Composition 3 ENG 115 Technical Writing 3 LGL 110 Intro. To Law & the Legal Assistant 3 LGL 125 Legal Research 3 PSY 201 Introduction to Psychology I or PSY 126 Psychology for Business/Industry 3 For information: National Association of Legal Secretaries Resource Center; 8159 East 41 st St.; Tulsa, OK Telephone: ; Fax: ; [email protected] College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) CLEP is a program of credit by examination that offers students the opportunity to earn college credit for knowledge acquired outside the conventional college classroom. College-level competency may have been acquired through personal reading, formal study, job experience, non-credit course work, television taped courses, correspondence courses, military training, adult courses, and advanced studies in high school. NOVA grants credit for a specified level of performance on CLEP General Examinations in five General Education areas and Subject Examinations in specific course disciplines. The examinations all require an American Council on Education recommended minimum score of 50 for credit to be awarded, unless a higher score is specified in the following chart. Students should view the CLEP website at to be sure the test they want to take is still offered. On the following page is a list of the CLEP examinations and the course equivalents for which NOVA grants credit. For further information, contact a Student Services Center at one of the campuses. Students may take CLEP exams through the NOVA Alexandria Campus Workforce Development and Continuing Education Office or the NOVA Annandale Center for Employee Development (CED), Exams can also be taken at Fort Belvoir or Quantico Marine Corps Base. 33

36 CLEP Exams and NOVA Equivalents General Examinations Course Credit College Composition ENG Humanities HUM Mathematics, College MTH Social Sciences and History Social/Behavioral Science 6 Electives Natural Sciences Natural Science Electives (revised effective Fall 2009 because there is no lab) 6 Subject Examinations Course Credit Accounting, Financial ACC Algebra, College MTH American Government PLS American Literature ENG Biology BIO Business Law, Introductory BUS Calculus MTH Chemistry CHM College Composition Modular Exam 0 Educational Psychology, Introduction to PSY English Literature ENG French Language (cutoff score of 50) FRE (cutoff score of 59)(clarified 3/2015) FRE German Language (cutoff score of 50) GER (cutoff score of 60)(clarified 3/2015) GER History of the US I: Early Colonization to 1877 HIS History of the US II: 1865 to Present HIS Human Growth & Development PSY Information Systems & Computer Applications ITE Management, Principles of BUS Marketing, Principles of MKT Macroeconomics, Principles of ECO Microeconomics, Principles of ECO Precalculus MTH Psychology, Introductory PSY Sociology, Introductory SOC Spanish Language (cutoff score of 50) SPA (cutoff score of 63)(clarified 3/2015) SPA Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 HIS Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present HIS

37 DSST Program (formerly known as DANTES) The DSST Program is offered by Prometric, which began updating exams in NOVA awards specific course credit for acceptable scores, as recommended by the American Council on Education. Several types of examinations are reported: end-of-course examinations for correspondence, extension courses from regionally accredited colleges and universities, College-Level Tests of General Educational Development given prior to 1960, and General Examination of the College-Level Examination Program. Also, college course credit may be granted for tests administered by the United States Armed Forces Institutes (USAFI) prior to June 1, 1974, for scores at the 40 th percentile and above. Scores at the 20 th percentile and above are accepted for DANTES exams taken prior to September A complete listing of current and prior tests and recommended scores may be found at: Exams are administered at Ft. Belvoir and Quantico Marine Corps Base. DSST exams are also offered at the Alexandria Workforce Development Testing Center on the AL campus Exam Min Score Course Art of the Western World 48/400 ART Elective 3 Astronomy 48/400 NAS Elective 3 Business Ethics & Society Not evaluated -- Business Law II (no longer offered, 12/31/2014) 52 BUS Business Mathematics 45/400 BUS Criminal Justice 49/400 ADJ Electric Circuits (no longer offered, 1/01/2004) 46 ETR Elective 4 Environment & Humanity: Race to Save the Planet 46/400 ENV Ethics in America 46/400 PHI Elective 3 Foundations of Education 46/400 EDU Elective 3 Fundamentals of College Algebra 46/400 MTH Elective 3 Fundamentals of Counseling 47/400 HMS Elective 3 Fundamentals of Cybersecurity Not evaluated -- General Anthropology 47/400 SOC Here s to Your Health 48/400 HLT Elective 3 A History of the Vietnam War 49/400 HIS Human/Cultural Geography 48/400 GEO Human Resource Management 48/400 BUS Introduction to Business 46/400 BUS Introduction to Computing 49/400 ITE Introduction to Law Enforcement (replaces Survey of 45/400 ADJ 110 (100 for old 3 Criminal Justice ) test) Introduction to the Modern Middle East (no longer 44 HIS offered, 12/31/2014) Introduction to World Religions 49/400 REL Lifespan Developmental Psychology 46/400 PSY Management Information Systems 45/400 IT Elective 3 Money & Banking 48/400 ECO Elective 3 Organizational Behavior 48/400 BUS 201 (rev 9/96) 3 Personal Finance 46/400 FIN Physical Geology (no longer offered, 12/31/2014) 46 GOL Elective 3 Principles of Finance 46/400 FIN Elective 3 Principles of Financial Accounting (no longer offered, 49 ACC

38 Exam Min Score Course 12/31/2014) Principles of Physical Science I 47/400 PHY Elective 3 Principles of Public Speaking 47/400 CST Principles of Statistics 48/400 MTH Principles of Supervision 46/400 BUS Rise & Fall of the Soviet Union 45/400 HIS Elective 3 Substance Abuse (replaces Drug and Alcohol Abuse) 49/400 HMS Technical Writing 46/400 ENG The Civil War and Reconstruction 47/400 HIS Western Europe Since 1945 (replaces Contemporary 48 HIS Elective 3 Western Europe ) (no longer offered, 12/31/2014) Updated April 2015 Excelsior College Examinations (formerly PEP) NOVA recognizes the Excelsior College Examinations, formerly known as ACT Proficiency Exam Program (PEP). Credit is granted in accordance with the recommendations of the American Council on Education National Guide at Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP) Students who provide an ACE transcript showing that they successfully completed the CDP or ACP exams within the past 10 years may request credit for: Certified Computing Professional Exam (CCP) Course ITE 100 Introduction to Information Systems 3 ITP 100 Software Design 3 IT electives 100-level ITD, ITE, ITN, ITP 6* Associate Computer Professional Exam (ACP) Course ITE 100 Introduction to Information Systems 3 ITP 100 Software Design 3 IT electives 100-level ITD, ITE, ITN, ITP 9* *No more than 9 credits of IT electives may be granted if both exams have been passed. The ACP and CDP exams were effective 5/90 through 12/93. Beginning 1/94, the ICCP exams became computer based. The tests are now called Associate Computing Professional (still ACP) and Certified Computing Professional (CCP). For more information: ICCP, 2400 East Devon Avenue, 281, Des Plain, IL Telephone: Website: 36

39 International Baccalaureate (IB) Students completing the Higher Level exams for International Baccalaureate will be granted credit for prior learning for these exams if a score of 5 or above is achieved. Prior to Spring 2012, a score of 4 was also accepted, but VCCS policy now requires a score of 5 or higher. IB Exam Score of 5 Score of 6 &7 Biology BIO 101, 4 cr BIO , 8 cr Chemistry CHM 111, 4 cr CHM , 8 cr Computer Science CSC 201, 4 cr CSC , 8 cr English A1 ENG 111, 3 cr ENG , 6 cr English B ENG 111, 3 cr ENG 111, 3 cr French A1 or B ( ) no cr FRE , 6 cr Geography GEO 220, 3 cr GEO GEO elect., 6 cr German A1 or B ( ) no cr GER , 6 cr History HIS 101, 3 cr HIS 101, 112, 6 cr Mathematics MTH 173, 5 cr MTH , 10 cr Philosophy PHI 101, 3 cr PHI , 6 cr Physics PHY 201, 4 cr PHY , 8 cr Psychology PSY 201, 3 cr PSY , 6 cr Social and Cultural SOC 211, 3 cr SOC , 6 cr Anthropology Spanish A1 or B ( ) no cr SPA , 6 cr Visual Arts ART 131, 3 cr ART , 6 cr Students must have an official report of exam scores sent from the International Baccalaureate Organization to a Student Services Center at NOVA. Effective Spring 2009, the Administrative Council approved the concept of granting credit for Standard Level IB Courses. Specific equivalencies have not been determined. No credit is granted yet for Standard Level IB courses at NOVA. For information: International Baccalaureate North America 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 240 New York, NY Telephone: ; Fax: ; [email protected] 37

40 Medical/Clinical Laboratory Technician Certification Students certified as a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) will be granted the credit listed below toward the Medical Laboratory Technology AAS degree upon presentation of a valid document showing such certification. Course MDL 101 Introduction to Medical Laboratory Techniques 3 MDL 127 Hematology 3 MDL 215 Immunology 2 MDL 216 Blood Banking/Immunohematology 4 MDL 243 Introduction to Clinical Molecular Diagnostics 2 MDL 251 Clinical Microbiology I 3 MDL 252 Clinical Microbiology II 2 MDL 261 Clinical Chemistry and Instrumentation I 4 MDL 266 Clinical Chemistry Techniques 3 MDL 276 Clinical Hematology Techniques 3 MDL 277 Clinical Immunohematology/Immunology Techniques 4 MDL 278 Clinical Microbiology Techniques II 4 MDL 281 Clinical Correlations 1 Total 38 Updated 2/23/13 38

41 National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence Automotive Technician Certification Tests (ASE) Credit may be granted for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Automotive Technician Certification Tests. For each course for which credit is to be granted, Auto and Auto Body alike, written employer verification of two years full-time technician work experience, including specific information on the ASE areas and percentage of time the technician worked in each area, is required. This verification is to be provided on company stationery over the signature and title of his/her supervisor. The following credits are awarded for ASE exams: ASE Exam NOVA Course Credit A1 Engine Repair AUT 112 Automotive Engines II 4 A2 Automatic Transmission Trans Axle AUT 142 Auto Power Trains II 4 A3 Manual Drive Train and Axle AUT 141 Auto Power Trains I 4 A4 Suspension and Steering AUT 266 Auto Alignment, Suspension, and 4 Steering A5 Brakes AUT 265 Automotive Braking Systems 4 A6 Electrical Systems AUT 241 Automotive Electricity I 4 A7 Heating & Air Conditioning AUT 236 Automotive Climate Control 4 A8 Engine Performance AUT 111 Automotive Engines I 4 TOTAL 32 L1 Advanced Engine Performance AUT 121 or AUT 122 Automotive Fuel Systems I or II OR AUT 215 Emissions Systems Diagnosis & Repair + AUT 226 Advanced ASM Emissions Diagnostics 4 B2 Painting & Refinishing AUB 118 Automotive Paint Preparation 4 B3 Non-Structural Analysis AUB 106 Basic Sheet Metal Operations 4 B4 Structural Analysis & Damage Repair AUB 116 Auto Body Repair 4 TOTAL 12 More information from ASE: ASE 101 Blue Seal Drive, S.E. Suite 101 Leesburg, VA Telephone: ASE-Tech ( ); Local: Or call the NOVA Automotive program: Alexandria Campus Telephone: or Manassas Campus Telephone: or

42 New York University (NYU) Foreign Language Proficiency Exams This option is intended for students who were educated in a language other than English and they wish to earn college credit for their native language. NOVA will accept the 12-Point exam at six credits for World Language 201 and 202. Scoring for this test can take up to eight weeks and the scores are valid for five years. Students must take the exam at a designated location in the United States if not taking it at NYU. Credit is awarded based on ACTFL ratings. Students take a 12-point exam that tests listening, reading, and writing skills. Students are given two hours to complete the entire 12-point exam. A score of at least 7-9 points (Intermediate-Mid) may receive 3 credits for level 201. A score of points (Intermediate-High) may receive 6 credits for levels 201 and 202. More information about these exams and the list of languages offered can be found at Exam can be taken at a NOVA Workforce Development location: Annandale (703) or Alexandria (703) Phlebotomy Certification and/or valid documentation of extensive experience Students certified as a Phlebotomy Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) and/or who have extensive current experience in all aspects of phlebotomy under the direction of a CAP accredited full service laboratory will be granted the credit listed below upon presentation of valid documentation showing such certification and/or experience. Course Applicable to MDL 106 Clinical Phlebotomy 4 Phlebotomy Career Studies Certificate Updated 2/23/13 40

43 SAT Subject Tests Credit for prior learning will be granted to students for successful completion of the listed SAT Subject Exams. Test scores must be presented directly to a Student Services Center at NOVA. SAT Subject Tests Subject Exam Score NOVA Course French German Latin Spanish Effective Spring FRE 201 Intermediate French I FRE Intermediate French I-II GER 201 Intermediate German I GER Intermediate German I-II LAT 201 Intermediate Latin I LAT Intermediate Latin I-II SPA 201 Intermediate Spanish I SPA Intermediate Spanish I-II 6 U.S. History 530 HIS elective 3 41

44 SECTION 4 Credit for Learning Obtained through Life Experiences - PLACE NOTE: These procedures are under review. PLACE (Prior Learning Activity for Credit Evaluation) allows students to develop portfolios based on their experiences to demonstrate learning equivalent to one or more college courses. If accepted by the faculty, the student is then awarded credit for the course or courses. PLACE is for adults who have gained collegelevel learning through work, volunteer activities, participation in civic and community assignments, travel, independent study, and similar life experiences. Requirements and Procedures: 1. SDV 298 PLACE Seminar A portfolio development course (SDV 298) is required of all students seeking credit for experiential learning. The purpose of the portfolio course is to direct students in the preparation of a portfolio for each course for which the student seeks credit. Students are provided with a course content summary for each course for which they wish to earn credit. Each portfolio consists of six parts: a. a chronological record, which is a short synopsis of year-by-year major events in the student s adult life; b. a life history (mainly work history) paper to introduce the student to the faculty evaluator, including a summary of his or her many lifetime accomplishments; c. a goals paper, which helps the student focus and shows the faculty evaluator where the student plans to go in the short term and long term future; d. a narrative of competencies which describes where learning took place and a very detailed description of that learning based on the course content summary; e. a copy of the course content summary; and f. documentation of each statement made of major accomplishments and learning experiences (job descriptions, transcripts, letters of verification, performance evaluations, pictures, audio and video, samples of work produced, computer programs written, etc.) 2. Students must pay an evaluation fee for each course before the portfolio will be evaluated. 3. The academic deans assign each portfolio to an appropriate faculty member. 4. Credit is awarded based upon the recommendation of the faculty member. If credit is recommended, the student will receive a P grade for the course. 5. Students may be awarded up to 15 credits through PLACE, plus the credit for SDV 298, toward an associate degree. Students may receive up to 10 credits toward certificates and career studies programs through PLACE. In special cases, students may receive more credits through PLACE; to do so they must submit a detailed letter of justification. 6. Credit earned through PLACE may not be used to meet the residency requirement for graduation, but the credit from SDV 298 does count toward residency. The PLACE program is offered at some campuses and online through the Extended Learning Institute. For additional information, call the Student Services Center at any NOVA campus. 42