Mar 28, 2024  
UofM 2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
UofM 2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Prior Learning Assessment


1. Credit for Selected Secondary School Courses

a. Advanced Placement Credit

The University of Memphis participates in the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board. Appropriate credit is awarded for scores of 3, 4, or 5. Advanced placement credit may also apply to certain university requirements and to major requirements. Information about credit awarded may be obtained from the Admissions Office and the Office of Admissions website.

b. International Baccalaureate Program

The University of Memphis recognizes secondary students’ participation in the International Baccalaureate Program and awards college credit for completion of selected courses. To be eligible for credit, students must earn a score of 4 or higher. Information on credit awarded is available in the Admissions Office.

2. Credit for Instruction in the Armed Services

An official evaluation of armed services instruction is made after a student is accepted as a regular undergraduate student. Credit awarded for completion of services schools will be governed by recommendations at the baccalaureate level from the current Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experience in the Armed Services. Military transcripts, for example SMART or AARTS, must be presented to the Office of Admissions. Upon presentation of a copy of the veteran’s report of separation (DD Form 214) to the Office of Admissions, six semester hours of health and physical education credit will be awarded. Veterans with less than one year of continuous full-time service who have completed basic training while on active duty will be awarded credit as recommended in the Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.

3. Credit for Non-collegiate Sponsored Instruction

Credit is awarded for non-collegiate sponsored instruction offered by corporations, associations, labor unions, government agencies, and training providers which has been evaluated by the National College Credit Recommendation Service of the American Council of Education and recommended in the current NCCRS guide. The Office of Admissions should be contacted for information.

4. Credit by Examination

Credit by examination is awarded based upon standardized examinations and upon examinations administered by departments of the University for specific courses and for placement. Students may not take an examination for credit in a course previously taken for credit, with the exception of lower division transfer courses that the student wishes to validate for upper division credit. Students may, however, take an examination for credit in a course that was audited or in courses at a lower level than a course taken for credit.

a. CLEP and DANTES Standardized Examinations

The University of Memphis awards credit for standardized examinations of the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) of the College Board and for standardized examinations of the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). Credit awarded is based upon credit recommendations and minimum scores recommended by the American Council on Education. CLEP and DANTES credit may also apply to certain University requirements and to major requirements. For information on credit awarded, test dates, and fees, contact the Testing Center.

b. Departmental Examinations

Almost all courses in the undergraduate curriculum, except for those with laboratory, research, or performance requirements, are available for credit by examination. Students who believe that they have already mastered the material of a particular course offered at the University of Memphis may take a departmentally administered examination for credit in that course.

To apply for credit by examination, a student must be enrolled at the University of Memphis and have a GPA of 2.00 or above. An eligibility form may be obtained in the Office of the Registrar - Records Analysis. Permission to take a credit examination must then be obtained from the chair of the department in which credit is sought and from the dean of the college in which the student is seeking a degree. Students pay $60 per course, plus $15 per credit hour in excess of three (3) credit hours per course (see Fees and Charges ) prior to taking the exam. To receive credit, the student’s examination grade should be the equivalent of a “C” or above. Credit is indicated on the student’s record as CR.

5. Upper Division Credit by Validation Examination

Credit for courses at the freshman or sophomore level is transferred as lower division credit even though the content may be equated to University of Memphis upper division (junior/senior) level courses in some cases. In order to receive upper division credit for a lower division course that has an upper division equivalent, the credit must be validated through appropriate departmental examinations, portfolios, or other documentation. Contact the department to see if this option is available, to make application and to obtain information. There is no fee for validation examinations.

6. Credit for Course Placement and Completion

Some departments offer the opportunity to receive credit by course placement and completion for selected courses. Students who receive prior approval from the department chair may enroll in a University of Memphis course at the level for which they feel previous instruction or experience qualifies them. Upon completion of the course, they receive credit for certain sequential courses numbered lower than the one in which they enrolled. Recording of credit for the lower numbered course(s) is contingent upon completion of the higher level course with a minimum grade of “C”. Upon completion of the course, approval of the chair of the department and payment of fees are required for credits to be recorded. (See Fees and Charges )

In the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, students whose first college-level course in a language is 2010 may apply for credit for 1020 in that language. Students whose first college-level course is 2020 may apply for credit for 1020 and 2010 in that language, and those whose first college-level course in a language is a 3xxx course in composition and/or conversation may apply for credit for 1020, 2010, and 2020 in that language.

7. Credit for Experiential Learning by Assessment

Students seeking degrees in the College of Communication and Fine Arts, the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, and University College, and some programs in teh Fogelman College of Business and Economics may be granted credit for college level knowledge and understanding related to the student’s major area of study and gained from work experience, life experience, or non-college instruction. The student who wants an assessment of such learning prepares a portfolio that describes and documents the learning. Portfolios are assessed by faculty who teach in that area.
Assessment by portfolio is reserved for knowledge and competencies which do not readily fit into the credit by examination procedures described above. More detailed information about procedures may be obtained from the individual colleges. For fee information, see Fees and Charges .

8. Credit for ACT Test Scores

a. English Composition

The University of Memphis awards 3 hours of credit for ENGL 1010 - English Composition**  to students with an ACT English subscore of 29 or above. Students who have previously taken ENGL 1010  and earned a passing or failing grade are not eligible. ACT scores for this credit are valid for 3 years.

b. Mathematics

The University of Memphis awards 3 hours of credit for MATH 1710 - College Algebra  to student with an ACT Math subscore of 29 or above. Students who have previously taken MATH 1710  and earned a passing or failing grade are not eligible. ACT scores for this credit are valid for 2 years.