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Acceptance of Credit & Advanced Standing
 
 Piedmont endorses the concept that college level learning may occur in a variety of settings. As a result, the college welcomes the opportunity to accept credits transferred from other regionally accredited institutions and actively seeks ways to validate learning gained by nontraditional or extra-institutional methods. Validation of the currency of instructional content represented by transfer credit is a right which the college reserves. The following sources of credit and advanced standing represent not an exclusive listing, but rather an identification of some approaches to which the college is open.

Transfer Students
Piedmont Technical College will accept and give credit for work completed in other colleges and universities. Applicants seeking such credit should complete the regular application form and submit it with a transcript of all work from the schools previously attended. All rules regulating the transfer of credit must be met, and acceptance of such credit will be at the discretion of the registrar and the appropriate department head. The following criteria are observed:

  1. Subjects being transferred must closely parallel subjects being offered by Piedmont.
     

  2. In order to transfer credit, a grade of "C" or better must have been made on the subject.
     

  3. At least one-fourth of credits toward graduation must be earned at Piedmont.
     

  4. Transfer credit will not be included in the computation of the student’s grade point average at Piedmont.
     

  5. Credit for a subject must show on official transcript from the granting institution, and a copy of this transcript must be on file at Piedmont Technical College.
     

  6. Credit given in transfer will be approved in writing and filed in the student’s folder.
     

  7. Transfer students are not required to take the placement test if valid transfer credits are awarded in English and math.
     

  8. Courses completed more than 10 years prior to the enrollment are not eligible for direct transfer credit. If approved by the appropriate department head, however, exemption credit may be granted.

Articulated Credit
Area high school students may receive appropriate articulated credit at Piedmont Technical College for courses completed while in high school.

Courses taken in high school must correspond to courses offered at the College. The process of exemption is accomplished through an articulation agreement among the high schools and the College.

The procedure to receive articulated credit is as follows:

  1. While still enrolled in high school, the student may receive credit in articulated courses.
  2. The high school instructor assesses whether the student has mastered the competencies required for the course, with a grade of “B” or better.
  3. If the student qualifies for exemption credit, the instructor adds the student’s name to the recommended list and sends the list to the College.
  4. The high school student must apply for the articulated credit at the College within 2 years of high school graduation.
  5. The technical college instructor completes an exemption credit form, checking the box labeled “EA” for each student who is to receive articulated credit and sends the forms to the Student Records office at the College.
  6. Exemption credit (number of credit hours) is then posted to the enrolling student’s academic transcript. This process allows students to earn technical college credit in classes already completed at the high school level, without duplication of course contact and without the cost of college tuition to the student.

CLEP
 Piedmont will consider awarding credit for successful completion of any of the CLEP (College Level Examination Program) subject area examinations. Score recommendations of the Council on College Level Services will be used in determining credit to be awarded. CLEP is a program of the College Entrance Examination Board.

PEP
The college also considers awarding credit to applicants who successfully complete one or more examinations under the PEP (Proficiency Examination Program) offered by the American College Testing Service (ACT).

Advanced Placement Examinations
The Advanced Placement Examination Program of the College Entrance Examination Board is accepted by Piedmont. Students who take college-level courses in high school and perform well on Advanced Placement Examinations may be granted credit in the following courses:

  • American History
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Science
  • Economics
  • English Language & Composition
  • French
  • German
  • Macroeconomics
  • Math: Calculus AB and BC
  • Microeconomics
  • Music Listening and Literature
  • Physics B
  • Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
  • Physics C: Mechanics
  • Political Science (American & Comprehensive)
  • Psychology
  • Spanish

Armed Forces Training
 It is the policy of Piedmont to award credit for training experiences in the Armed Services. Such experiences must be certified by the American Council on Education (identified in the Council’s publication, Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services). Credit will be given on the basis of individual evaluation by the curriculum department head. Creditable military experience must closely correspond to courses in the Piedmont curriculum for which the student is applying.

Concurrent Admissions Programs (ConAP)
The Concurrent Admissions Program allows new soldiers to apply for and be admitted to colleges or universities at the same time they enlist. Upon completion of initial enlistment for active military service or initial duty of training for the Army Reserve, students already know they are accepted and ready to enroll at the college of their choice. This program is available through the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) of which Piedmont is a participating member. This agreement is in effect for two years following completion of initial enlistment requirements. A student must meet degree requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of enrollment in classes at the college.

Exemption Credit and Non-traditional Learning
 Students may try to exempt many Piedmont courses by demonstrating through mastery of written and/or performance tests that they are already competent in the course’s content. The registrar or relevant curriculum department head can provide information as to which courses have exemption tests. Applicants with appropriate life experience, corporate courses or other relevant background may also request consideration for credit by contacting the registrar.
 

 Last Updated March 01, 2006