Alternative Sources of Credit

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF CREDIT

Advanced credit may be granted by Motlow for courses in areas for which a student has demonstrated satisfactory achievement and proficiency. The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all sources for graduation is 30 credit hours, unless otherwise modified by State legislative mandates or policy changes required by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or the Tennessee Board of Regents.  Sources of advanced credit include:

Advanced Placement Examination Program
Advanced Standing Credit in English
American Council on Education Certifications
Armed Services Credit
Cambridge International Examinations
Certified Administrative Professional Rating
Challenge Examination Program
College Level Examination Program
Correspondence Courses
Dual Credit Program (Credit by Assessment)
International Baccalaureate Program
LPN Licensure
Paramedic Licensure
Portfolio Assessment
TCAT Articulation Agreements

For additional information about alternative sources of credit, contact the Office of Admissions and Records at Motlow.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION PROGRAM CREDIT

Motlow College participates in the Advanced Placement Examination Program (APEP) of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all advanced credit sources, which includes Advanced Placement Examination Program Credit, is 30 credit hours for graduation; credit may be given to qualified students in any two of the following subject areas:

The maximum amount of alternative sources of credit allowed from all sources is 30 total credit hours required for graduation, unless otherwise modified by State legislative mandates or policy changes required by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or the Tennessee Board of Regents. 

*TBR Community Colleges will award/transfer PLA credit for AP scores in to the suggested course or the equivalent course at their institution.  There may be variations in course number and/or course title.  Community colleges should award the PLA credit for course other than the suggested course when it is in the best interest of the student.

ADVANCED STANDING CREDIT IN ENGLISH

Students under 21 years of age with an ACT sub-score in English/Writing of 27 to 30 or an SAT sub-score in Writing of 610 to 680 will be given 3 hours of advanced standing credit for ENGL 1010.   Students under 21 years of age with an ACT sub-score in English/Writing of 31 or an  SAT sub-score in Writing of 690 or higher will be given 6 hours of advanced standing credit for ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020.  The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all advanced credit sources, which includes advanced standing credit in English, is 30 credit hours required for graduation.

AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION (ACE) CERTIFICATIONS

Motlow became a member of the EC-Council in 2020. If an individual has the following certifications, that credit could be granted in the following courses:

ARMED SERVICES CREDIT

Veteran students who have received an honorable discharge after serving active duty with the armed forces may request credit by submitting a valid DD214 form. Up to four (4) hours of physical education credit may be granted. Students will receive one credit for each six (6) months of active duty. These credits meet the physical education activity requirements for all programs of study.

In evaluating other armed services credit, Motlow State Community College uses the Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experience in the Armed Services published by the American Council on Education (ACE). Based on ACE recommendations, Motlow accepts credit as outlined in the table below.

Starting with 2019–2020 Academic Year, all Tennessee Board of Regent schools will begin awarding course credits for certain courses that match with Military occupations held and courses taken. 

CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

Starting with the 2019-2020 academic year, Motlow will begin granting appropriate semester hours credit to qualified students presenting official record of acceptable grades on Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) examinations. Credit will be awarded for A (Advanced) level and AS (Advanced Subsidiary) level. The following courses have been approved for award of credits. Other AICE examinations may be approved for award of university credits following institutional review.
 

CERTIFIED ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL RATING CREDIT

After successfully completing 12 semester hours at Motlow State Community College (excluding learning support hours which earn institutional credit only and may not be used to meet any degree requirements, a Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) may receive a maximum of 12 semester hours credit from the following courses for which college credit has not already been received:

The student must provide documentation of the CAP rating to receive credit. The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all advanced credit sources, which includes Certified Administrative Professional Rating Credit is 30 credit hours required for graduation. The application for credit is available from the Curriculum Chair of Business and Technology.

This acceptance of the CAP rating for credits is subject to change whenever (1) the content of the CAP exam is revised so that it does not correspond with the content of the courses designated for credit or (2) the courses at Motlow are revised substantially.

CHALLENGE EXAMINATION PROGRAM CREDIT

Students who have achieved competence equivalent to that offered in a course through on-the-job training, previous instruction, or other methods may receive credit for selected courses as designated by the department head in conjunction with the faculty member administering the challenge examination. In rare cases, students may be approved to use the challenge exam as a means of earning less than a course’s full hours, such as when transferring quarter-term credits to Motlow. To receive credit by challenging a course, the student must:

1. Contact the appropriate curriculum chair to determine if your experience, instruction, or training can be matched with a specific course in your chosen major.
2. If advised by the curriculum chair to continue, submit the Challenge Application, along with evidence of qualifications, and pay the $25 fee.
3. Work with the curriculum chair or assigned faculty member to take the examination. 
4. Approval and completion of the challenge exam process must occur prior to the 100% refund date (the day before classes start for the course being challenged). The student must also be enrolled in the current term at the College and have a minimum GPA of 2.0.

An email will be sent by the Chair to the student to notify them of the test results. If the examination is successfully completed, the student will receive the credit hours with a grade of “P,” which will not be used in computing grade point average. These credit hours will not be counted towards the current semester’s minimum hours for financial aid. The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from the Challenge Examination Program is one-fourth of the total number of credit hours required for graduation. 

Failure does not impact the student’s GPA, but the student may challenge a specific course only once, and this challenge program may not be used to remove an “I” or an “F” grade or to improve a grade already earned.

If a student requests a Challenge Exam for a course that has a CLEP exam listed in Motlow’s catalog, the department head will determine if the student must take the CLEP exam or will be allowed to Challenge the course by taking a Departmental exam. The student will not be charged both the CLEP fee and the Challenge Exam fee.

Contact the appropriate curriculum chair/director for additional information concerning challenge of specific courses. Procedure for challenge of selected nursing courses is outlined in the Nursing Program section of this catalog.

COLLEGE-LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM CREDIT

The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all credit sources, which includes College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Credit, is 30 credit hours required for graduation. Motlow has been approved as a limited CLEP Testing Center. An application and a fee (see Expenses and Business Regulations) must be submitted through the Office of Testing at least four weeks prior to the test date. This office should be contacted for any additional information. CLEP results may not be used to remove an “I” or “F” or to improve a grade already earned.

The following is a list of the CLEP subject examinations administered at Motlow State Community College and for which credit is granted by the College. Opposite the examinations are the Motlow State Community College course equivalents. Motlow does not grant credit on the basis of the CLEP general examination.

CORRESPONDENCE COURSE CREDIT

Credits earned by correspondence and extension may be accepted toward graduation subject to the following:

1. The credits earned must be from a college which is a member of the National University Extension Association or the Teachers College Association for Extension and Field Services.

2. Students in residence enrolled in eighteen or more hours at Motlow may not earn credit in correspondence courses at the same time.

The maximum amount of advanced credit allowed from all advanced credit sources, which includes Correspondence Course Credit, is 30 credit hours required for graduation.

DUAL CREDIT PROGRAM

The Dual Credit Program is a collaborative effort between Motlow State Community College (MSCC) and the secondary institutions (high schools) located within the college’s eleven-county service area. The purpose of the program is to provide pathways for secondary students to acquire college credit while still attending a secondary institution. The program objectives are to:

• Integrate secondary education with post-secondary education as a means of reducing repetition in Career and Technical Education courses.
• Reduce costs for attaining a post-secondary education.
• Reduce the time required to complete a post-secondary program of study and/or prepare students to enter the workforce.
• Encourage students to pursue a post-secondary certificate or Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree.

Students are able to earn college credit by completing courses that are being taught as part of their regular high school curriculum, and that have been aligned to meet the learning outcomes of comparable courses offered by the College. Students may earn college credit by successfully completing the aligned high school course, and then successfully completing an end-of-course assessment that is developed and administered by the college. Effective with the 2016-17 academic year, students will be charged a testing fee for each Dual Credit Exam scheduled.

High school students who have completed an approved high school course and who wish to take a Dual Credit exam must submit a completed Dual Credit Application to Test along with the $25.00 exam fee. Application and payments should be sent to:

Motlow State Community College
Business Office, Dept. 180
P.O. Box 8500
Lynchburg, TN 37352-8500

Credit Card payment by phone: (931) 393-1531 or (931) 393-1532

High school students who successfully pass the Dual Credit Examination with a grade of 70% or higher are then eligible to receive the appropriate number of MSCC credits for the aligned course. The earned credit hours will be retained by the College on behalf of the student for a maximum of two (2) years after anticipated high school graduation date listed on the Dual Credit Application to Test. The credit will be recorded on the student’s academic transcript upon written request of the student after the student has been admitted to the College (including dual enrollment) and has completed three (3) collegiate-level credits.

College credits earned through the Motlow State Community College Dual Credit program may transfer to other post-secondary institutions at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the receiving institution to determine if the earned credit will transfer.

Motlow State Community College will create a Dual Credit Course Option menu from which secondary institutions will be able to select courses for dual-credit opportunities. This menu of courses will be reviewed annually for changes in curriculum alignment.

High school students who successfully pass the Dual Credit Examination with a grade of 70% or higher will receive a letter along with instructions for requesting the earned credit be added to their academic record.

The maximum amount of alternative sources of credit allowed from all sources is 30 total credit hours required for graduation, unless otherwise modified by State legislative mandates or policy changes required by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or the Tennessee Board of Regents.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM

Starting with the 2019-2020 academic year, Motlow will begin awarding students college credit for acceptable scores on examinations administered by the International Baccalaureate Organization as outlined in the table below.

LPN LICENSURE

Upon completion of the summer LPN-to-RN Transition Course, the student will receive seven credit hours for NRSG 1700  plus an additional 10 semester credit hours for NRSG 1340 , NRSG 1710 , and NRSG 1720 .

PARAMEDIC LICENSURE

Licensure as a Paramedic in Tennessee reflects equivalency of the MSCC Paramedic Technical Certificate.

PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

 Portfolio Credit

Currently enrolled students may request portfolio credit to potentially receive college credit for life experience, work experience, training programs, serving in the military, studying independently, volunteering or doing community service, or studying open-source coursework.

The portfolio will be assessed by at least two faculty members in the discipline for which portfolio credit has been requested. These faculty members will be responsible for working with the student to evaluate the request and to determine if the student’s life experience, work experience or training adequately matches the SLO’s of the specific Motlow course.

The lead faculty will set up an independent study course of 1, 2, or 3 semester hours. Tuition will be charged to the student for the independent study course but will not exceed 3 hours and will not necessarily equate to
the credit earned for the portfolio.

Students requesting portfolio credit should apply with the Coordinator of Prior Learning at least one semester before they are considering enrolling in the class under consideration. Credit awarded through this option is not considered part of the College’s graduation residency requirements. A maximum of 30 hours of credit can be earned by this and all other Alternative Sources of Credit, unless modified by State legislative mandates or policy changes required by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or the Tennessee Board of Regents.

TCAT ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS

MOTLOW BUSINESS OFFICE AND TCAT ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE TECHNOLOGY

TCAT graduates and other students who obtain the Industry Certifications listed below will be granted credit upon verification of the Certification(s). TCAT graduate who have completed the course(s) listed below can request to challenge the course equivalent(s) as listed. If approved by the Business and Technology Curriculum Chair, the student will follow the Challenge Exam process to accomplish this.

MOTLOW CYBER DEFENSE AND TCAT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT

TCAT graduates and other students who obtain the Industry Certifications listed below will be granted credit upon verification of the Certification(s). TCAT graduate who have completed the course(s) listed below can request to challenge the course equivalent(s) as listed. If approved by the Business and Technology Curriculum Chair, the student will follow the Challenge Exam process to accomplish this. 

MOTLOW EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND TCAT GRADUATES

Students completing the diploma program at a Tennessee College of Applied Technology will receive credit upon admission to a TBR community college for:

Additional credits may be awarded by the receiving community college on a case-by-case basis, consistent with accreditation requirements of NAEYC.

MOTLOW MECHATRONICS AND TCAT INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE AUTOMATION

TCAT graduates who have obtained a diploma in Industrial Maintenance Automation can request to challenge MECH 1310, 1320, 1330 and 1340. If approved by the Mechatronics Curriculum Chair, the student will start with MECH 1310 and follow the Challenge Exam process to accomplish this.

MOTLOW MEDICAL OFFICE AND TCAT MEDICAL CODING

TCAT graduates and other students who obtain the Industry Certifications listed below will be granted credit upon verification of the Certification(s). TCAT graduate who have completed the course(s) listed below can request to challenge the course equivalent(s) as listed. If approved by the Business and Technology Curriculum Chair, the student will follow the Challenge Exam process to accomplish this.

Course equivalencies listed above are not only for TCAT graduates but can be awarded to any student holding any of the above Industry Certifications who present their certificate(s) to the Coordinator of Prior Learning to be verified by the appropriate Dean or Curriculum Chair.