Non-Traditional Academic Credit

For information concerning non-traditional credit, contact the Director of the Adult Learners Services Office (256-233-8281) or refer to the policy document Non-Traditional Academic Credit.

Non-traditional academic credit may be awarded for various types of study or learning achieved outside traditional college formats. Examples of such learning are certain educational programs conducted by government (including the military), business, industry or other non-collegiate organizations. Non-traditional academic credit may be awarded for acceptable work experience and or technical training when such experience or training is appropriate for the program of study being pursued. Degree-seeking students may apply for non-traditional academic credit if the credit is applicable toward their program of study. Athens State University follows the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations for awarding non-traditional credit for courses and occupations offered by the military, and for courses and examinations offered by other non-collegiate organizations.

Eligibility of Undergraduate Students Meeting Standard Admission Requirements
In order to be eligible to apply for non-traditional credit, an undergraduate student who has been admitted to the University in one of the standard admission categories (see the policy Admission Requirements for additional information) must have completed at least one semester at Athens State as a degree-seeking student in good standing, and must be currently enrolled or registered at the time of application for non-traditional credit.

Eligibility of Undergraduate Students Not Meeting Standard Admission Requirements
Prospective undergraduate students who do not satisfy the minimum semester hour requirements for admission, and who have completed prior learning that may be eligible for one or more types of non-traditional academic credit, may be able to use such learning to justify admission to Athens State University provided:

The prior learning and potential credit to be awarded is judged to be equivalent to the completion of a technical degree program at an accredited technical college; or
The prior learning and potential credit to be awarded, together with any other college credit earned, is judged to be not less than the minimum hours of college credit required for regular transfer admission.

In addition, a prospective student who wishes to use prior learning to justify admission must:

Have completed at least 18 semester hours of coursework at an institution(s) accredited by an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, with a cumulative transfer grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Have completed courses or earned credit by examination (CLEP/DSST/AP) with acceptable scores in: English Composition I, English Composition II, and a college-level mathematics course (100 level or higher).

Undergraduate admission to Athens State University is conditional until official transcripts are provided to the Office of Admissions from all institutions previously attended, and all documentation for any potential non-traditional academic credit has been received and verified. Official assessments for non-academic credit will be processed only when the conditionally admitted student has completed one semester at Athens State as a degree-seeking student in good standing.

Limitations on Non-Traditional Credit
For a student applying for any type of non-traditional credit, certain limitations exist. Non-traditional credit is awarded only if:

The credit does not duplicate other earned academic credit; and
The credit is applicable to the program or major being pursued, or can be used to fulfill general electives required for a program or major.

Applications for non-traditional academic credit will not be accepted from graduating seniors after the graduation application deadline for a given semester or term.

In addition, in accordance with general University requirements for graduation:

No more than 64 semester hours earned through non-traditional/non-graded sources may be applied toward a student’s degree program.

Any non-traditional credit awarded does not count towards University residency requirements.

Credit by Examination

Credit awarded for acceptable completion of examinations in any of the categories below is recorded as non-graded college credit, and therefore has no effect on a student’s grade point average. Applicability of any credit earned by examination towards the pre-professional or professional course requirements for a particular Athens State degree program and major is subject to the approval of the appropriate faculty advisor(s) in the particular College offering the program or major.

Minimum exam scores required for credit are determined by the American Council on Education (ACE) and are subject to change without notice when ACE performs an exam review. It is the examinee’s responsibility to check the AP/CLEP/DSST/ACE websites to confirm the number of hours and whether upper/lower level credit will be awarded before taking any exams. For more information, contact the University Testing Center (256-233-6540).

Credit for CLEP and AP
Athens State University recognizes credit earned through the Advanced Placement Program (AP) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) provided acceptable examination scores are achieved. Since AP and CLEP are accepted as non-graded credit, any credit awarded will not factor in to a student’s grade point average. Credit awarded for AP and CLEP examinations is at the 100-200 level. Although credit may be awarded by the University, applicability to and fulfillment of pre-professional or professional course requirements in a specific degree program and major is determined by the appropriate faculty advisor(s) in the College offering the program or major. Credit will be awarded only if it does not duplicate other earned academic credit. Official transcripts of AP and CLEP scores must be submitted directly to the Office of Admissions before any credit is awarded. If official examination transcripts cannot be obtained, no credit will be awarded.

Credit for DSST
Credit may be awarded through the completion of DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) under the Defense Activity for Non-traditional Educational Support (DANTES) provided acceptable scores are achieved. DSST is only accepted as non-graded credit, so any credit awarded will not factor in to a student’s grade point average. Credit will be awarded only if it does not duplicate other earned academic credit. Official transcripts of DSST examination scores must be submitted directly to the Office of Admissions before any credit is awarded. If official examination transcripts cannot be obtained, no credit will be awarded.

Credit for NOCTI
Credit may be awarded through the completion of certain examinations offered by the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) provided acceptable scores are achieved. Official transcripts of NOCTI must be submitted directly to the Office of Admissions before any credit is awarded. If official examination transcripts cannot be obtained, no credit will be awarded.

Course-specific Challenge Examinations
Some programs and majors offered by the three academic Colleges of the University may offer challenge examinations for specific Athens State courses required for the program or major. These examinations are developed and assessed by faculty members associated with the particular program or major. Applicable tuition and fees may be assessed for credit earned by challenge examination. Credit earned through coursespecific challenge examinations may be transcribed as 300 or 400 level credit.

Credit through SOPHIA and StraighterLine
In some instances, students may be able to earn credit for general education and some pre-professional requirements from SOPHIA Learning or StraighterLine. Athens State University awards credit for selected courses offered through these providers according to the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations. SOPHIA or StraighterLine courses that are completed successfully are awarded the ACE-recommended credits as non-graded courses (“pass”) and do not factor into a student’s GPA. Please note that Athens State does not accept or award credit for all SOPHIA or StraighterLine courses; be sure to review the specific Athens State partner institution or partner college information before signing up for any SOPHIA or StraighterLine courses. Please contact the Registrar’s Office if you need assistance selecting a class that is permitted.

Credit through GCE A/AS Level Examinations
Athens State University recognizes credit earned through GCE A/AS Level examinations offered by a number of Examining Boards (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA); Edexcel; Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR); Pearson; Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland; Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC); Cambridge International Examinations (CIE); Oxford International AQA).

Students are not required to earn the full Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Diploma as individual GCE subject certificates for A/AS Level examinations passed are considered for transfer credit purposes. Examination scores for A/AS Level Examinations are A, B, C, D, E and U/O. Scores of A–E are passing and credit can be awarded. Scores of U/O are not passing and no credit will be awarded. Official score reports must be submitted to the University in order for credit to be placed on the student’s transcript. Credit will be awarded only once for the same subject, whether from credit by examination, dual enrollment, transfer credit or credit granted by Athens State University.

Credit for Military Experience and Training
Non-traditional academic credit may be awarded to students who have served in the Armed Forces and have appropriate experience or completed specialized training. College credit for military experience or training is awarded according to the American Council on Education (ACE) course credit recommendations. Applications for credit based on military experience or training will generally require documentation that may include:

Appropriate official military transcripts (including AARTS, JST, and/or SMART). Note: United States Air Force members whose military experience has been accepted by the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) should submit CCAF transcripts directly to the Office of Admissions rather than applying for non-traditional credit.
Copies of certificates, awards, and other documentation related to military courses or training.

Documentation of military experience and training will be evaluated according to ACE guidelines, and will consider Military Occupational Specialties and military education based on exhibit dates and ACE recommendations.

Applicability of any credit awarded for military experience or training towards the preprofessional or professional course requirements for a particular Athens State degree program and major is subject to the approval of the appropriate faculty advisor(s) in the particular College offering the program or major.

Credit for Professional Training (Certifications and Licenses)
Some Athens State programs may award non-traditional credit for completion of professional training, coupled with related work experiences, when the training and experience are relevant to the particular Athens State program.

The maximum amount of non-traditional credit that may be awarded in a program and the specific requirements for the documentation and evaluation of the professional training will be published in the appropriate program section of the University catalog. Applicability of any credit awarded for professional training towards the pre-professional or professional course requirements for a particular Athens State degree program and major is subject to the approval of the appropriate faculty advisor(s) in the particular College offering the program or major.

Credit for Work Experience: Portfolio Assessment
Students seeking credit for work experience through portfolio assessment are required to complete the ADP 301 course (current tuition/fee rates apply).

Non-traditional academic credit may be awarded to students who have acquired significant knowledge through legitimate experiences outside an academic environment. The award of non-traditional credit for such experiences generally requires the submission and assessment of a portfolio that includes relevant supporting documentation, and follows ACE recommendations for the award of college credit related to workforce training when appropriate. In general, non-traditional credit awarded through portfolio assessment may only be used to fulfill general electives required for a program or major and is awarded as non-graded credit which has no effect on a student’s grade point average.

All applications for non-traditional credit related to work experience require payment of applicable fees for evaluation and assessment of credit.

The maximum amount of non-traditional credit that may be awarded in a program and the specific requirements for the documentation and evaluation of the professional training will be established by the Director of the Adult Learner Services Office (ALSO), and published in the appropriate University documents. Applicability of any credit awarded for work experience towards the pre-professional or professional course requirements for a particular Athens State degree program and major is subject to the approval of the appropriate faculty advisor(s) in the particular College offering the program or major.

Credit through International Baccalaureate
Athens State University recognizes International Baccalaureate (IB) credit with a score of 4, 5, 6 or 7 on the higher-level examinations. IB score reports should be sent to the Athens State University Registrar’s Office for evaluation. Additional credit may be awarded by a course by course basis as approved by the department. Some departments may award credit based on the subsidiary examinations. The academic unit responsible for the student’s program of study will determine the application of credits toward specific degree requirements. If awarded, credits will be recorded without grades or quality points, and will not, therefore, be included in the calculation of grade point average.