Prior Learning Credits

Advanced Placement allows incoming students at WGTC to receive course credit based upon previous experience, formal or informal, and results in advanced standing within a technical certificate, diploma or degree program. Advanced Placement includes the following:

Transfer Credit

As part of the admission process, all official transcripts are evaluated for possible transfer of credit. Ordinarily, institutions from which credits are transferred must be accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. As a general rule, credit will be given on a course equivalent basis. Transfer credit will be considered for courses completed with a “C” or better from a college, university, or other accredited postsecondary institutions. A student who receives transfer credit must be aware that the awarding of this credit by WGTC does not guarantee that institutions subsequently attended by the student will also accept these credits. Course transfer credit is recorded as “TR” (“A”, “B”, or “C”) on the transcript and does not require the payment of course fees. This credit is not included in the calculation of the student’s GPA and does not count as institutional credit. Transfer credit evaluations will be completed and posted to the student’s academic history which may be accessed through myBanWeb. Any student with questions regarding the evaluation of transfer credit should contact the Office of the Registrar. In order to graduate from a program, at least 25% of a student’s program credit hours must be completed at WGTC.

Students who have completed all or part of their secondary and postsecondary education outside of the United States are required to have their foreign postsecondary educational credentials evaluated by an independent evaluation service. Please contact the Office of Admissions for a list of approved agencies.
The Registrar classifies transferring applicants as students on probation if their last college placed them on probation or dismissal.

The following guidelines apply to the evaluation of transfer credit:

• Official transcripts are required from all postsecondary institutions verifying a minimum grade of “C” in all courses for which students are seeking transfer credit to their program of study.
• Ordinarily, institutions from which credits are transferred must be accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. In some instances where course equivalency is questioned, credit must be validated by examination.
• A desktop review (evaluation of courses for transfer credit) is required. If a written course description is needed, students are responsible for obtaining appropriate course documentation.
• Decisions regarding the granting of transfer credit are made at the academic program level and confirmed by the Registrar.
• Specific occupational courses may not be more than 10 years old (120 months) at the time the student is accepted to the college.
• There are no time limits on transferability of general education courses.
• Testing (written and/or performance) may be required to validate proficiency of a student for coursework to be transferred.
• WGTC reserves the right to rescind previously awarded student course exemption as warranted.

GATRACS
The Georgia Transfer Articulation Cooperative Services (GATRACS) is a partnership between the University System of Georgia, Technical College System of Georgia, Georgia Department of Education, and the Georgia Student Finance Commission. GATRACS is a tool designed to assist students in the transfer process. For more information, visit their
website at https: www.gafutures.org.

Standardized Exam Credit

Advanced Placement credit will be awarded based on nationally normed exams including, but not limited to, the following:

• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) - Credit will be awarded for successful completion of any appropriate CLEP subject area examinations. Credit should be awarded based on score recommendations of the Council on College Level Services.
• International Baccalaureate Credit (IB)- Credit will be awarded to students who have taken appropriate courses (determined equivalent to courses offered at a Technical College) in high school and achieve a score of 3 or more on the International Baccalaureate Examination. The IB Examinations are offered by the International Baccalaureate Examination Board.
• Advanced Placement Examinations (AP) - Credit will be awarded to students who have taken appropriate courses (determined equivalent to courses offered at a Technical College) in high school and achieve a score of 3 or more on the Advanced Placement Examination. The Advanced Placement Examinations are offered by the College Entrance Examination Board. Official AP transcripts must be submitted to the college to receive credit.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit will be awarded to students who score in the 50th percentile or higher in the following subject areas. Credit will not be granted for the general exam. Students who wish to receive credit for any course subject not listed below should contact the Office of the Registrar at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

*Students are given credit for the lecture portion only of this course. Students are required to complete the lab portion of this course at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

National Testing Center
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College has contracted with Moody Air Force Base (MAFB) to become a National Testing Center to provide CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) and DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support). Testing is administered through their on-base education center.

CLEP gives military personnel, their dependents, and students enrolled in any college at MAFB the opportunity to receive college credit by earning qualifying scores on any of the 33 examinations. Information regarding specific awarding of these college-level credits for Wiregrass Georgia Technical College students may be found in the “Credits Earned Outside The College” section of this catalog.

All CLEP exams are administered at the Moody Air Force Base Extended Campus – National Testing Center by appointment only. CLEP and DANTES are both computer-based exams.

To assist military personnel in meeting their educational goals, the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) funds CLEP exams for eligible military service members and eligible civilian employees. Professional and Certification Exams for a number of IT certifications and national certifications for many of the programs taught at WGTC are offered at the National Testing Center through Pearson Vue, ACT, AMP, and DANB. Contact the National Testing Center at MAFB for additional information at (229) 253-9571.

Prior Learning Assessments

Prior Learning Assessments (PLAs) provide a pathway to enable students who have stopped short of a degree, but have acquired knowledge through other means, the chance to complete their education. PLA is a process through which students identify areas of relevant learning from their past experiences, demonstrate that learning through appropriate documentation, and submit their materials so that they can be assessed and possibly awarded academic credit relative to specific course objectives. Credit received through PLA may only be awarded if the student has been employed in the occupational field within the last ten years or can demonstrate work experience in field within the last ten years.

WGTC may award college credit with the following methods:

• Military Training - Credit awarded based on the American Council of Education or the Community College of the Air Force.
• Student Portfolios - Credit awarded by faculty evaluation of a student’s documented life-work.
• Corporate Training - Occupational training provided by organizations and/or manufacturers.
• Apprenticeship Training - Training provided through an official work-based program (often required for licensure).
• Professional Certification and Licensure - Specialized certifications earned through training programs and required for employment (example: POST, BICSI, Trade Organizations)
• Institutional Exemption Exam - Challenge exams that demonstrate a mastery of the course competencies.
• Standardized Exam Credit - Credit based on nationally normed exams including, but not limited to CLEP (College Level Exam Program), International Baccalaureate Credit (International Baccalaureate Exam), Advanced Placement Exams (AP).

The following guidelines apply:

• The number of credits student may earn will vary. Students must meet the residency requirement of the college which is 25% of the program.
• If a student does not agree with the recommendation of credit, he or she has the right to appeal the college’s decision, but ultimately the college reserves the right to deny the awarding of credit based on the faculty’s findings thus ensuring the quality of education delivered by WGTC.

1. Non-Traditional/Experiential Learning: Course credit may be awarded for military training or corporate courses where appropriate. In addition, WGTC recognizes that college level learning does take place through experiential learning and other methods including, but not limited to, professional certifications and training programs, manufacturers training, and in apprenticeship type programs. Credit awarded in these areas does not count toward the college’s residency requirement, and no guarantee of credit can be made without a formal review by the Registrar and/or faculty. Additional fees may be charged depending on the method of advanced placement chosen by the student. Details of the process including a fee schedule are outlined in the WGTC Prior Learning Assessment Handbook.
2. Military Training Credit: WGTC may award credit for training received in the Armed Forces. The training shall be certified by the Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experiences in the Armed Services, published by the American Council on Education to (ACE), by the official catalog of the Community College of the Air Force, or some similar document. Credit shall be given when training experience meets required competencies of courses offered at the institution. Military course transfer credit is recorded as ‘TRM’.
3. Institutional Exemption Exam: Students may be allowed to exempt courses by demonstrating thorough mastery of written and/or performance tests that have been developed locally and adequately demonstrate achievement of the necessary competency level. WGTC publishes information every term based on courses that have exemption tests and how to apply for them. Students are charged 25% of normal tuition to exempt a course. No fee shall be charged to students taking an exam to validate articulated credit from high school. Exemption exam course transfer credit is recorded as ‘EXE’.
4. Individualized Student Portfolios: WGTC may allow for credit to be awarded based on a student’s portfolio. The student typically develops a specifically designed portfolio that helps them identify and articulate their learning from a variety of experiences equating prior learning to college courses, educational plans, and integrates prior and new learning to achieve academic goals. Faculty with appropriate subject-matter expertise evaluates the student’s portfolio to determine the equivalent level of college credit. Portfolio course transfer credit is recorded as ‘EXP’.
5. Apprenticeship Training: WGTC will evaluate apprenticeship training for college credit. Consideration may be given to working with trade associations to evaluate prior apprenticeship training for college credit as well as offer part of the training through the college for credit. Proper documentation including a transcript or a training record may be required.
6. Program Evaluations of Non-Credit Instruction: WGTC will evaluate and may award credit for recognized proficiencies that equate to specific courses offered at their institutions. For example, police officers may receive some credit for police academy training, and they can apply this credit to degree programs in criminal justice.

Time Limits of Credit to be Transferred

There are specific time limits for transferable credit. General academic core courses taken at other postsecondary institutions or credit obtained through standardized examinations are transferable for an indefinite period of time. These courses include English, Mathematics, Psychology, Speech, Economics, and other general academic courses. Specific occupational courses such as computer courses, electronics, accounting, keyboarding, allied health core courses, and other occupational specialized skills courses are transferable for a period of no more than 10 years (120 months) except with the approval of faculty and administration.

Residence Requirements for Degree/Diploma/Technical Certificate

A minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the course work of a particular program of study must be completed at WGTC for degrees/diplomas/technical certificates granted by the college. The Office of the Registrar will ensure that students are notified at the time of award of advanced placement credit if they are not in compliance with the residence requirements.

Course Substitution

Students in diploma programs may elect to take degree level academic core courses within their programs of study without actually converting to degree-seeking status. A degree level course may be taken as a substitute for a regular diploma-level course but cannot be taken as a substitute if the diploma-level course has already been taken.

Although students using this option do not have to be degree-seeking, they do have to meet the minimum entrance level scores on the placement test for the degree-level course. Students who entered Wiregrass Georgia Technical College on the basis of other satisfactory degree-level scores may also be eligible for course substitution. Financial aid will not be affected by the proper substitution of courses.

Students who do not have the minimum scores required to take degree courses, and who have not otherwise met the admission requirements for degree-level courses, cannot register for these courses. However, they may schedule a placement test in the Office of Admissions and attempt to obtain scores necessary on the relevant section of the placement test. A student who registers for a degree-level course without meeting the minimum requirements will be withdrawn from those classes and will be responsible for any financial ramifications.

Courses that are allowed as substitutes for diploma level courses are:

Elective Credits

Within academic programs there are courses which are designated as elective courses that may be chosen to fulfill the academic requirements of the program. Students should confer with their advisor while choosing which electives will be approved for credit.

Credits Earned Outside the College

Students must complete at least 25 % of coursework towards a particular program of study at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College in order to be eligible for graduation from the college. Up to 75 % of coursework may be transferred from another postsecondary institution, through a combination of Advanced Placement (AP), Articulation Credit, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), or other such examinations.

Reverse Transfer

Students completing credit after leaving WGTC have the opportunity to transfer those credits back to the College for a period of 120 months (10 years), to complete the requirements for their original program of study. Students must have enrollment at WGTC within 60 months (5 years) of the reverse transfer credit being received in order to graduate.

Registered Apprenticeship

WGTC sponsors and operates a Registered Apprenticeship Program through partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor. Registered Apprenticeship is an industry-driven training system that combines on-the-job training with job-related technical instruction. Apprenticeships follow an earn-while-you-learn model that allows students to gain a college education, valuable work experience, and steadily rising wages. Students who complete a registered apprenticeship will receive an industry-recognized, national certificate as well as a college credential.