TRANSFER COURSEWORK INTO NCMC

The Missouri Higher Education Core Transfer Curriculum is a recommended lower-division core curriculum of forty-two semester credit hours intended to facilitate student transfer among Missouri’s public institutions of higher education. All public colleges and universities have adopted the Core Transfer Curriculum, which is commonly known as CORE 42.

CORE 42 is comprised of dozens of courses distributed across five knowledge areas. These courses are designated with a Missouri Transfer (MOTR) course number and icon, which guarantees the one-to-one transfer of these courses among all Missouri public institutions of higher education.

NCMC accepts credit earned from institutions accredited by agencies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. All courses designated as MOTR courses by sending institutions will be accepted in transfer.
Courses outside the designated Missouri Transfer Core Curriculum will be accepted in transfer when the courses are:

• Lower division, credit-bearing courses equal in content to current NCMC coursework.
• Lower division, credit-bearing courses with a grade of “D” or higher.

Coursework from institutions on a quarter hour system will be converted to semester hours using a two-thirds conversion factor for transfer to NCMC.

Transferred-in credit is not used to calculate a student’s grade point average for academic standing at NCMC. All grades, including any received from other higher education institutions, will be considered for athletic eligibility, financial aid eligibility, and used to calculate the cumulative grade point average required for graduates in the Associate in Arts in Teaching program.

Transfer course equivalencies for many institutions can be found on the Course Equivalency page of the NCMC website under myCOMPASS > Degree Planning > Transfer Course Equivalencies.

There are some courses that are not accepted in transfer to NCMC. These include:

• Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses not equivalent to content and/or level of NCMC courses.
• Courses with upper-division level course numbers (300 and above).
• Courses in which a grade of “F” (or equal to “F” level work) or an incomplete was received.

North Central Missouri College staff does not evaluate foreign transcripts. Students seeking credit must have their foreign transcripts evaluated by a foreign transcript evaluation service, nationally accredited in the United States, and submit an official copy of the results to the NCMC Registrar’s Office. Credit may be granted for foreign coursework based on the results of such evaluations if substantially similar to courses offered by NCMC. The same requirements and limitations apply to foreign credit as those applicable to credit earned at U.S. colleges and universities.

Students may view courses accepted in transfer on their NCMC transcript and academic plan through myCOMPASS, the student portal. Courses that are not applicable to degree requirements at NCMC will be noted as lower division coursework on the student transcript.

Students may appeal institutional decisions on the acceptance of transfer credit toward graduation requirements at NCMC. The Transfer Credit Re-evaluation Appeal form is available on the NCMC website. The form, along with any supporting documentation supplied by the student, will be forwarded to the academic department chairperson for review. A student whose appeal is denied may file a request for review with the Dean of Instruction. If the issue is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction, the Vice President of Academic Affairs will make a final decision.

If NCMC does not accept credit from a Missouri public institution for courses, designated as MOTR courses, a written notice will be sent to the student and the sending institution within ten business days of the denial of credit.

When the transfer dispute involves any designated MOTR course, and the dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or sending institution, NCMC will notify the commissioner of higher education within 45 business days after the date the student received written notice of denial.

Review by the commissioner of higher education is initiated after all other remedies have been exhausted, without resolution to the satisfaction of the student and sending institution. The commissioner or his/her designee shall notify the chief academic officers at both the sending and receiving institutions and the student of the appeal. Documentation, relevant to the decision being appealed, must be submitted within 15 business days of the commissioner’s notification.

The commissioner of higher education or his/her designee will make the final determination about a dispute concerning MOTR course transfer and give written notice of the determination within 30 business days of the documentation deadline. The chief academic officer of the receiving institution will inform the commissioner within 30 business days of the action taken in regard to the commissioner of higher education’s recommendation.

For more information, call (660)359-3948, ext. 1206, or email [email protected].

North Central Missouri College believes that learning is a lifelong process and recognizes knowledge is acquired in many different ways. In addition to the traditional classroom setting, mastery of college-level knowledge and skills may occur as a result of nontraditional learning experiences such as employment, military training and experience, non-collegiate training programs, advanced high school courses, and self-development. NCMC awards applicable credits earned for nontraditional prior learning. Credit is awarded for measurable college-level learning which includes knowledge, skills and competencies that students have obtained as a result of their prior learning experiences. College credit may be granted on a case-by-case basis for prior learning that can be documented and falls within NCMC’s regular credit course offerings. Application for credit for prior learning (CPL) must be approved prior to course enrollment regardless of method or type of prior learning. All mandatory institutional requirements for certificates and degree programs must be met and individuals are only eligible for prior learning credit once officially accepted as an NCMC student. Missouri state law limits the number of credits that can be awarded for prior learning to a total of 30 credit hours.

Please note that there may be financial aid implications as it relates to credit for prior learning. Please visit with the Financial Aid Office for further details. Credit granted through one of the CPL options may be used to fulfill NCMC program requirements, however transferability to other institutions is at the discretion of the receiving institution.

Non-collegiate Programs
Credit may be granted for training programs that have been successfully completed at non-collegiate organizations such as government agencies, corporations, and businesses when applicable to students’ declared programs of study at NCMC and approved by the NCMC instructional department and dean. Non-collegiate courses will be evaluated in accordance with the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations and with The National College Recommendation Service (formerly known as PONSI, the National Program of Non-collegiate Sponsored Instruction) recommendations, as well as in accordance with the college’s articulation agreements with nontraditional organizations and agencies. Non-collegiate programs must be approved prior to NCMC course enrollment when students believe they have mastery of course skills and objectives. Students must be admitted to the college prior to applying for Credit by Prior Learning. An approved application for Credit for Prior Learning, payment of the CPL fee, and positive departmental assessment is required to receive credit. Credit for non-collegiate programs will not be granted when students have previously attempted the courses they are seeking CPL credit for. Students may not enroll in courses they have previously received credit for through the Credit for Prior Learning program. Official transcripts or certificates must be submitted to the registrar’s office with the CPL application. Information on availability can be sought through division chairs or the appropriate academic dean. Missouri state policy requires industrial certification, used for credit for prior learning, must have been awarded within the last five years.

Military Education and Training
Credit may be granted for military education and training, based on recommendations made by the American Council on Education. Credit will be awarded in disciplines substantially similar to courses and programs offered by NCMC. Official military transcripts, including Community College of the Air(CCAF), AARTS, SMART, or other military transcripts, must be submitted to the registrar’s office for evaluation. There is no fee charged to transcript credit for training in the armed services.

Portfolio Assessment
Credit for prior learning acquired through employment, self-study, volunteer, civic, or other activities may be awarded through the portfolio assessment option. Students must demonstrate that prior learning and experience have resulted in the acquisition of college-level competencies and skills directly related to courses in their learning programs. Portfolio assessments can be attempted only once per course and cannot be taken by students previously unsuccessful in courses for which they are seeking credit. Students must be admitted to the college prior to attempting portfolio assessment. Students must complete the application process for credit for prior learning and receive prior approval for portfolio assessment by the dean and/or appropriate department. Upon approval the student must pay the required CPL fee and complete the portfolio process within thirty days. The appropriate department chair will assess the portfolio to ensure the student has met or exceeds the learning objectives of the course.

Licensures & Certifications
North Central Missouri College may award credit for some licensures and certifications, when applicable to a career and technical program at NCMC. The certification must be current, documented and approved by the department chairperson. Credit is given when the training and experience required for the certification is equivalent to learning outcomes in courses offered at North Central Missouri College.

National Examinations
The national examination programs for which the college awards credit are:

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams
Credit may be awarded for subject-matter exams sponsored by the College Board, and generally administered through high schools at the culmination of advanced placement (AP) course offerings. Further information can be obtained by contacting high school guidance offices or the College Board website. The college generally awards credit for scores of 3, 4, or 5, when the AP course content is consistent with NCMC course content.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
CLEP is a national credit-by-examination program providing individuals of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to receive credit for college-level achievement acquired in a wide variety of ways. General and subject examinations are available in many different areas. CLEP test centers may be located on the CLEP website. Official test scores must be submitted to the office of the registrar. Contact the registrar for a list of minimum test scores required.

DSST (formerly known as the DANTES Subject Standardized Tests)
Students participating in the DSST program have the opportunity to earn college credit for learning that has occurred outside the traditional classroom. Students may earn up to three credits for each examination based upon their scores and the American Council of Education’s (ACE) score recommendations. Additional information can be obtained on the DSST website.

Excelsior College Exams
Students may complete subject-based exams developed and offered through Excelsior College and Pearson VUE. Students must receive a grade of “C” or higher for examinations to be considered for college credit at NCMC. Official transcripts must be submitted to the registrar’s office for evaluation.

Institutional Proficiency Examinations
Institutional proficiency examinations are offered for some, but not all, NCMC credit classes. An application for credit for prior learning through an institutional exam must be approved by the appropriate dean and/or academic department. Upon approval and payment of the required CPL fee, students contact the appropriate faculty member to arrange to take the proficiency exam within 30 days.

Proficiency exams cannot be retaken and cannot be taken by students previously unsuccessful in courses for which they are seeking credit. Students must be admitted to the college prior to taking proficiency exams. Proficiency exams must be taken within thirty calendar days after fee payment. The appropriate department chair will evaluate the exam to ensure the student has met or exceeds the learning objectives of the course.

Articulated Credit
North Central Missouri may award credit for approved programs of study taken at area high schools and technical schools. Coursework is designed for use toward a career and technical certificate or degree at NCMC. Qualified students must submit articulation certificates and official transcripts from the sending schools to the registrar’s office. For more information on approved programs, please visit the Dual Credit page, under Academics, on the NCMC website.

View NCMC’s Cost of Attendance (COA)

What is Missouri Reverse Transfer? The process of allowing college students or former college students who have completed credits for an associate degree to receive that degree even if they have transferred to a different college or university or stopped out of higher education altogether. Missouri has moved forward with a statewide policy to help more Missourians earn degrees.

What are the benefits?

• Earn your associate degree while pursuing your bachelor’s degree
• Open the door to more job opportunities and higher pay
• Possibly meet general education requirements at your 4-year transfer institution

Are you eligible?

You must have earned a minimum of 15 credit hours at a single two-year institution to be eligible for a reverse transfer degree. Students are not eligible for the program if they currently possess an associate degree or higher.

Do you have questions?

Contact NCMC’s Reverse Transfer Coordinator at [email protected]. A listing of coordinators for all Missouri institutions can be found at Reverse Transfer Program.