Credit for Prior Learning
To earn a degree from SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College (except under special circumstances) a minimum of 50% of the degree requirements must be completed at SUNY FMCC. In addition to earning credit through enrollment in credit courses at SUNY FMCC, matriculated students may also be awarded credit through transfer, examination, articulation agreement, and evaluation of military, technical, professional, and/or life experiences.
- The Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs is responsible for evaluation and awarding credit. The Assistant Dean will consult with the appropriate faculty, as necessary.
- Credit earned will be recorded on the SUNY FMCC transcript as degree hours earned, but the grade earned will not be recorded on the transcript or used in computing the student’s grade point average.
- The grade on the transcript will denote the type of credit earned.
- Credit will only be granted to students who have been admitted to the college and for applicable coursework in the certificate or degree program in which they are enrolled.
- Unless otherwise stated, there is no charge for awarding credit.
Credit will be accepted from regionally accredited colleges and programs as listed in the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs at ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home. Students must request official transcripts from all previously attended colleges including the sponsoring college or university for college credits earned in high school through concurrent enrollment programs, such as Project Advance (SUPA) or College in the High School (CHS). Official transcripts may be mailed or emailed directly to the Registrar’s Office from their attending institution or hand-delivered by the student in a sealed envelope from their attending institution. Courses for transfer credit must carry a grade of “C” or better. Courses graded Pass/Fall or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory will only be accepted if a student can provide documentation that their earned grade was equivalent to a “C” or better. Credit for remedial courses is not applicable toward any certificate or degree programs and will not be accepted. The grade will be noted as TR for transfer.
Current students who wish to enroll in courses at other colleges and universities should consult with an academic advisor, the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, or the Registrar to ensure the courses will fulfill graduation requirements. Official pre-approval is recommended through the Transfer Course Approval Form, which is available in the Academic Advising & Student Records Office and must be signed by an advisor.
Credit will be accepted from non-collegiate sites including, but not limited to, Coursera.org, Sophia.org, Straighterline.com, and study.com. Students must request official transcripts and submit to the Registrar’s Office. Credit for courses taken on these sites will be evaluated based on recommendations from the American Council on Education (ACE). The grade will be noted as TRO for transfer for non-collegiate courses.
Students seeking transfer credit from colleges or universities located outside of the United States should utilize a fee-based credentialing service that verifies the authenticity of the foreign transcript, and both translates and evaluates the document. Evaluation should include both course name and the number of credit hours earned. In some cases, students may be requested to provide course descriptions and/or syllabi that have been translated into English before SUNY FMCC will award transfer credit. The student is responsible for all the above. SUNY FMCC recommends using World Education Services (WES) https://www.wes.org/.
Credit may be granted for satisfactory performance on externally administered examinations including, but not limited to, the Advanced Placement (AP) Program, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and comparable proficient programs. These proficiency exams may charge a fee for the exam. SUNY FMCC uses appropriate standards to determine the minimum score required for each examination. The student is responsible for having their official test scores mailed or emailed to the Registrar’s Office.
- A score of 3 or better is required to receive AP credit. Reports may be requested at https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores. The grade will be denoted AP.
- A minimum score of 50 on CLEP examinations is required to receive transfer credit, based on the recommendation of the American Council on Education (ACE). Reports may be requested at collegeboard.org/clep. The grade will be denoted CLP.
Current students are advised to consult with an academic advisor prior to registering for examinations to select examinations that meet course requirements in the certificate or degree program in which they are enrolled.
SUNY FMCC has articulation agreements with NYS Career and Technical Centers, secondary schools, ARC, and industry that enable students enrolled in career and technical programs to transfer to SUNY FMCC and earn college credit. Students must enroll at SUNY FMCC in the appropriate certificate or degree program within eighteen (18) months following completion. Students must submit an articulation validation application and all required documentation to the Assistant Dean. Students must have received a minimum grade of “B” (85 or above) in the program to be articulated and have completed competencies identified. Applications from students in programs that do not have the grade equivalent of 85 will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The grade will be noted APC for articulated courses.
Students must submit an official record of their military education and job experience with descriptions from the appropriate military organization. Students may contact the SUNY FMCC Registrar to determine which organization to contact to obtain the appropriate records. An examples of a military education transcript is AARTS. Credit for courses taken in the armed services will be evaluated on an individual basis following recommendations from the American Council on Education (ACE). The grade will be noted MIL for armed services courses.
Experiential learning credit may be awarded for non-collegiate training and life experience. Students interested in exploring experiential learning credit should contact the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs by midterm of the semester before the one in which credit will be granted to obtain the application form and procedures. Training and life experiences must be educationally relevant or suggest equivalency to course content in the student’s certificate or degree program. Students will be responsible for documenting the training or life experience and what was learned in a comprehensive portfolio as part of the application for experiential learning credit. A program faculty member will review the portfolio and make a recommendation of course equivalencies and associated credits to the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs. The Assistant Dean will review the recommendations and make the final decision. The grade will be noted EXP for experiential learning.
A non-refundable deposit will be required prior to the faculty review. A fee will be required upon awarding experiential credit. The deposit will be applied to the fee. This fee is not for the credit but the evaluation of the portfolio.
If a student changes programs or disagrees with the credit evaluation, the student may request a reevaluation of credit. To initiate the Appeal Process, the student must contact the Academic Advising & Student Records Office at (518) 736-3622 x8140 to schedule an appointment with an academic advisor. The academic advisor and the student will complete the SUNY FMCC Credit Appeal Request Form to challenge any credit that the student feels was not properly awarded, or to request a substitution to the courses that were awarded. The Dean of Academic Affairs will review your appeal and respond accordingly. You may be asked to obtain a syllabus before a new evaluation can be completed. A determination will be made as soon as all supporting documentation has been received.
If you still do not agree with the college’s decision regarding the granting or placement of credit that you earned at a prior SUNY institution, or you have not received a response in 15 business days, you may appeal to the SUNY System Administration. You can submit the appeal by filling out the student appeal form at system. suny.edu/academic-affairs/student-mobility/student-transfer-appeal-process/. SUNY representatives will respond to your appeal within five business days of receipt of the completed application. If the decision finds merit to change the course to meet a major requirement, the receiving institution will be notified to take appropriate action. If you have questions about the process, please email