Prior Experience Credit
Advanced Placement
The University of Mount Saint Vincent cooperates with the Advanced Placement Program and encourages prospective students to take advanced placement examinations. Students are responsible for ensuring that their AP exam scores are sent to the University of Mount Saint Vincent. Students who have successfully taken one or more of the Advanced Placement Tests of the College Entrance Examination Board must specifically request advanced placement and/or credit. For scores below three, no credit is awarded. For a score of three, the student will usually receive credit for one elective course worth three credits. For a score of four or five, the student receives credit for one three-credit course. How the course is applied to the curriculum (core or major) is indicated below.
The decision to grant advanced placement and/or credit is based on such factors as the Advanced Placement’s equivalence to the content of courses in the College’s curricula and the applicability of the area of advanced study to the prescribed or elective requirements of the program. No grades are assigned to courses credited. At times, students with an Advanced Placement score of three who intend to major in the area where they have taken an Advanced Placement course will be advised to repeat the College’s course.
Biology
Biology Exam—for students who are not science majors or minors, a score of three or higher is awarded three credits and satisfies one Natural Science core requirement. For students who are science majors or minors or who plan to attend medical school, a score of three is awarded three elective credits; a score of four is awarded four credits and fulfills the BIOL 111 requirement; a score of five is awarded eight credits and fulfills the General Biology sequence of BIOL 111/112. Note – since some medical schools do not accept AP credit in lieu of General Biology I and II, students who plan to attend medical school may wish to request a three credit free elective award instead of credit and placement out of the General Biology sequence.
Chemistry
Chemistry Exam—for students who are not science majors or minors, a score of three or higher is awarded three credits and satisfies one Natural Science core requirement. For students who are science majors or minors or who plan to attend medical school, a score of three is awarded three elective credits; a score of four is awarded four credits and fulfills the CHEM 120 requirement; a score of five is awarded eight credits and fulfills the General Chemistry sequence of CHEM 120/121. Note – since some medical schools do not accept AP credit in lieu of General Chemistry I and II, students who plan to attend medical school may wish to request a three credit free elective award instead of credit and placement out of the General Chemistry sequence.
Economics
Macroeconomics Exam—a score of three is awarded three elective credits; a score of four or five is awarded three credits and satisfies one Social Science core requirement or the Macroeconomics requirement in Business, Economics, and Accounting.
Microeconomics Exam—score of three is awarded three elective credits; a score of four or five is awarded three credits and fulfills the Microeconomics requirement in Business, Economics, and Accounting.
English
English Language and Composition Exam—a score of three, four or five is awarded three elective credits.
English Composition and Literature Exam—a score of three is awarded three elective credits; a score of four or five is awarded three credits in Literature and satisfies one Humanities core requirement.
History
European History Exam—a score of three is awarded three elective credits; a score of four or five is awarded three credits in HIST 202 Royalties and Revolutions: Pre-Modern to Modern Worlds, and satisfies one Humanities core requirement.
United States History Exam—a score of three, four or five is awarded three elective credits; a score of four or five is awarded three credits in HIST 203 Witches, Slaves, and Rebels: Inequality in Early America, and satisfies one Humanities core requirement.
World History Exam—a score of three is awarded three elective credits; a score of four or five is awarded three credits in HIST 214 Shaping of the Modern World, and satisfies one Humanities core requirement.
United States Government and Politics Exam—a score of three is awarded three elective credits; a score of four or five is awarded three credits in HIST 201 Natural Rights, Civil Rights, and Human Rights, and satisfies one Humanities core requirement.
Please note: History majors and history minors may apply a maximum of six AP credits toward their history major or history minor.
Please note: History majors who receive AP credit for a history core course may be required to take another history core course, which will be applied to their history major using the course substitution option.
Language and Literature
Students who receive a 4 or 5 on the AP, or who were awarded three or more credits for college-level courses completed during high school, may choose between the following options for fulfilling their Modern Language Core: One additional three-credit modern language core course in the same language at the appropriate level; or two three-credit courses in a second language of their choice.
Mathematics
Calculus AB Exam—a score of three or higher is awarded four credits and fulfills the Mathematics core requirement; a score of four or five satisfies the Calculus I requirement for a major in science or mathematics or a minor in mathematics.
Calculus BC Exam—a score of three or higher is awarded eight credits and fulfills the Mathematics core requirement; a score of four or five satisfies the Calculus II requirement for a major in science or mathematics or a minor in mathematics.
Physics
Physics B Exam—for students who are not science majors or minors, a score of three or higher is awarded three credits and fulfills the Physics core requirement. For students who are science majors or minors or who plan to attend medical school, a score of three is awarded three elective credits; a score of four or five is awarded eight credits and fulfills the General Physics sequence. Note – since some medical schools do not accept AP credit in lieu of General Physics I and II, students who plan to attend medical school may wish to request a three credit free elective award instead of credit and placement out of the Introductory Physics sequence.
Psychology
Psychology Exam—a score of three is awarded three elective credits; a score of four or five is awarded three Psychology credits and satisfies one Social Science core requirement.
Statistics
Statistics Exam—a score of three is awarded three elective credits; a score of four or five is awarded three credits and satisfies one Mathematics core requirement.
International Baccalaureate
The University of Mount Saint Vincent offers possible college credit for scores of 4 or higher on most higher-level International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations and on some standard-level IB examinations. The final decision always rests with the Department Chairs and Center for Academic Advisement. The University of Mount Saint Vincent accepts only IB scores sent directly from IB North America. View the International Baccalaureate Exam Equivalencies.
College Courses Completed During High School
Transfer credit will be awarded for a college course completed during high school if the following criteria are met. The course must be offered by an accredited college or university. The course must be similar in content to a course given at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, and the student must have achieved a grade of B or better in the course. A maximum of 12 credits will be accepted for college courses completed in high school. Students are responsible for having their transcript sent to the University of Mount Saint Vincent for evaluation and the awarding of credit.
Students awarded three-six credits for college-level language courses completed during high school will only be required to take one three-credit course.
Credit by Examination
The University of Mount Saint Vincent participates in the College Level Examination Program of the College Entrance Examination Board. Prospective freshmen, transfer students, and graduate students who have taken proficiency tests through these programs must request credit at the time they apply for admission to the College.
An official report of examination scores from the College Entrance Examination Board must be submitted to the College as early as possible. Credit will generally be granted for scores greater than or equal to the ACE recommended cutoff scores when the material of the examination corresponds to the scope of the appropriate prescribed or elective course in the College curriculum. Any additional University of Mount Saint Vincent departmental requirements must be met before credit is granted.
Students may earn up to 30 credits through examination; students in special programs may apply for an exception. Credits earned through these programs shall be so indicated on the official transcript. The College also reserves the right to re-evaluate credits offered by transfer students who previously received credit by examination from other colleges.
Students who are attending or who have been accepted for entrance into the College and who wish to take a proficiency examination must have the approval of the Dean of the Undergraduate College and the chairperson of the department concerned. Interested students apply to:
College Level Examination Program
Box 6600, Princeton, NJ 08540
Credit Through Ponsi
The College grants credit for certain non-collegiate learning which has been assessed by the New York Regents National Program on Non-collegiate Sponsored Instruction. The only credits accepted are those based on recommendations which are published annually in the Directory of College Credit Recommendations of PONSI.
American Council on Education – ACE
The American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT) connects workplace learning with colleges and universities by helping adults gain access to academic credit for formal courses and examinations taken outside traditional degree programs. For 31 years, colleges and universities have trusted ACE to provide reliable course equivalency information to facilitate credit award decisions. Corporations, labor unions, professional and volunteer associations, schools, training suppliers, and government agencies participate in this added-value service. To learn more, please visit the ACE website.
Students requesting evaluation of transfer credits taken at another college or university or through AP, IB, CLEP, etc. and college courses completed during high school must submit the official transcript upon matriculation to University of Mount Saint Vincent. After this time, transfer credit will not be granted.