Alternative Credentialing

Advanced Placement

A student may fulfill one-fourth of the total requirements in a curriculum through Advanced Placement Tests administered by the College Entrance Examination Board. A list of advanced placement tests and the courses applicable is available in the Registrar’s Office. A student awarded credit for Advanced Placement Tests will be notified by the Registrar. A similar notification will be forwarded to the student’s Department Chairperson. Credits awarded will be posted to the student’s permanent file. See the Registrar for more details.

Challenge Examination (Constructed and Evaluated by Mount Aloysius College)

A student who has had previous education or who believes course content has been mastered is eligible to apply for a challenge examination. A student wishing to challenge a course may do so prior to or within the first three (3) weeks of the course. A student must be currently enrolled at Mount Aloysius College to be eligible for in-house examinations. NOTE: The College retains the right to determine which courses may or may not be challenged.

Procedures for Challenge Examination:

1. Course to be challenged must be listed in the current Catalog and must be approved by the Department Chairperson and the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs;
2. Challenge Form must be secured from the Office of the Registrar;
3. A $100 fee must be paid to the Business Office and noted as “PAID” on the Challenge Form;
4. Challenge Form must be presented to the instructor responsible for the course to be challenged;
5. A challenge examination for credit may be taken only once;
6. The standard of performance required to merit a “P” grade is determined by the instructor responsible for the course; and
7. “P” will be indicated on the student’s transcript, but the “P” and number of credits will not be computed into the quality point average.

College Assessment of Prior Learning (CAPL)

Mount Aloysius College will not award credit simply for a student’s years of experience but, rather, the College will request that the student demonstrate his/her knowledge gained as a result of these experiences. Credit can be earned for work accomplished through the College Assessment of Prior Learning (CAPL). The goal of this assessment procedure is to credential knowledge. Students wishing to pursue this process should contact the Registrar for detailed directions and proper forms.

The administrative policy and guidelines for the College Assessment of Prior Learning are as follows:

1. The College will credential previous learning that is equivalent to Mount Aloysius College course credit for a maximum of forty (40) credit hours toward the associate degree or ninety (90) credits toward the bachelor degree;
2. Only Mount Aloysius College designated courses are CAPL eligible. Credits through the CAPL process must be approved by the Department Chairperson and the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs or his/her designee;
3. A non-refundable application fee payable to Mount Aloysius College of $200 per course will be assessed for the initiation of the CAPL process;
4. If a department does not have a designated CAPL evaluator, the Registrar will assist the student in securing a faculty member to assess his CAPL portfolio. The faculty member must receive permission from the department chairperson prior to committing him/herself to involvement in the CAPL program;
5. The CAPL committee will consist of the Division Chairs and the Registrar and will review CAPL applications and the portfolio;
6. The recommendation of the CAPL committee will be presented to the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs for approval. Upon final approval, the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will notify the Registrar of the credits to be awarded. The student’s department chairperson is notified of the approved credits and will then inform the student (The student is then required to pay the appropriate per credit fees.); and
7. Credits earned by way of CAPL will be assessed a fee of $25 per credit.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Mount Aloysius College recognizes advanced achievement by granting college credit to qualified students for work accomplished through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Credit may be granted in lieu of formal course work to the student who has demonstrated proficiency in the subject examinations given by the CLEP.

Rules and Regulations for CLEP:

1. An individual is eligible to take a CLEP examination upon approval of the Department Chair and the Registrar;
2. An individual who achieves the qualifying score on a particular examination will receive credit for the Mount Aloysius College course corresponding to that examination;
3. Certain CLEP subject examinations, which have been approved by the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and the appropriate department chairperson, are recognized for the purpose of course fulfillment and credit at Mount Aloysius College;
4. In the absence of local norms, the recommendation of the Council on College Level Examinations will be followed in determining a satisfactory score;
5. Courses satisfied by means of the CLEP exam will be listed on a student’s transcript as “P” under the heading of CLEP. Failures will not be recorded;
6. A student may fulfill up to one-fourth of the total requirements in a curriculum through CLEP subject examinations;
7. Through a cooperative program with Saint Francis University, CLEP examinations are administered nine times during the academic year at Saint Francis under the direction of the Learning Resource Center. Arrangements for taking an examination may be made by contacting the Registrar at Mount Aloysius College one month before the exam date; and
8. The cost for each CLEP examination is payable to CLEP, and a fee is payable to Saint Francis University.

Directed Study (Credit Courses)

Directed study is not to be confused with independent study. When a student undertakes directed study, the student enrolls for a course listed in the current catalog and by prior arrangement with the instructor, pursues the work independent of the classroom situation.

The student in assuming responsibility for the initiation of directed study should understand that permission is limited. Request will be granted only in those few instances when no other viable alternative is available.

The procedure for directed study is as follows:

1. The student consults with and receives approval of the department chairperson and dean;
2. If the dean approves the student’s request, he or she notifies the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs;
3. If the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs concurs, the department chairperson notifies the specific faculty member; and
4. A faculty member would be asked to direct the study and meet with the student. The student should understand that studying independently does not mean tutorial help will be provided but rather that more work and responsibility will be expected.

Independent Study (Credit Courses)*

Independent study is generally defined as a student-initiated academic pursuit mutually agreed upon by the student and the faculty member, and carried on outside the traditional classroom setting. A student is encouraged to plan independent studies primarily in his/her major area. The student in assuming responsibility for the initiation of independent study should follow these guidelines:

1. The student consults with and receives approval of the faculty member. The faculty member receives approval from the department chairperson;
2. The proposed independent study must address in writing all requirements expected of any course at Mount Aloysius College;
3. It should be recognized that independent study is to be attempted only when it is established by past record that a student will benefit more from such an experience than he/she would from the structure and guidance of a traditional setting. Independent studies may not duplicate regularly-offered courses; and
4. After the course has been developed, the student must obtain the permission of his/her department chairperson and the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs to proceed with the course.

International Baccalaureate Policy

The International Baccalaureate Program (IB) is a two-year pre-university course designed for high school juniors and seniors who are able and interested in challenging reading, thinking and writing.

The IB program is comprehensive, adhering to worldwide standards, and is designed to provide students with a balanced education. It includes all the main liberal arts disciplines: languages, social sciences, experimental sciences, mathematics and humanities.

Successful completion of the program earns for the student a diploma recognized for university admission throughout the world. Mount Aloysius College recognizes graduates of this program by awarding both credit and placement for specific scores on the IB examinations.

Students may earn College course credits by demonstrating a specified level of performance on selected standard level (SL) and higher level (HL) prior to enrolling at the College. For credit to be awarded, students must earn a score of 5 or above on either level of exam.

Students must forward IB examination scores to the College to initiate the credit review process. IB credit granted by other colleges/universities does not  automatically translate into course credit at Mount Aloysius College and original IB examination scores must be submitted for determination of credits to be awarded.

Procedure

IB examinations are scored on a 7-point scale, and students earn grades ranging from 1 (very poor) to 7 (excellent).

Mount Aloysius College awards a minimum of three semester credits for each standard level (SL) and higher level (HL) International Baccalaureate (IB) exam passed with a grade of 5 or better.

Students submitting IB examination scores to the College should not enroll in courses for which IB credit may be granted.

Academic departments recommend the college course(s) for which credit shall be awarded based on the score level achieved on the IB examination(s).

IB credit is considered non-resident credit for purposes of graduation.

The College will grant up to 24 semester hours of credit to students who successfully complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and receive scores of 5 or higher on exams.

Students Occupationally and Academically Ready (SOAR) Credits

Students Occupationally and Academically Ready (SOAR) Programs of Study are career and technical education programs approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). SOAR Programs of Study are considered by Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to be High Priority Occupations, which means that they are in high demand because they require a high skill level. As a result, graduates of these programs are likely to earn higher than average wages.

High school students enrolled in SOAR programs can transfer college credits as a result of articulations between secondary schools and the College. Prospective students should contact the Office of Freshman Admissions to receive more information on the active SOAR Articulations and the credits that would be transferred after the completion of the program of study at the secondary school. Credits can only be transferred when the program of study is successfully completed in accordance to the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s guidelines.