Transfer of Credit to ACC

Previous Coursework

ACC evaluates lower-division (freshman and sophomore) courses for possible transfer credit. You must have earned a C or above to earn credit. Consult your instructional program or area to request transfer consideration for courses for which you received a D or to request evaluation of upper-division coursework. Approved transfer credits appear on your unofficial ACC transcript.

You may be eligible for transfer credit through the following alternate means.

ACCTech Program

You can receive college credit for high school classes that are part of the ACCTech Program, a partnership between area school districts and ACC. To receive credit, you must enroll in ACC, complete at least one college course, and request your ACCTech credit within 24 months of high school graduation. Visit sites.austincc.edu/acctech for more information.

Credit by Examination: Non-Institutional Credit

You can earn up to 30 coursework credits through non-institutional credit-by-exam programs such as Advanced Placement (AP), the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Defense Activity for Non Traditional Education Support (DANTES).

How to Receive Credit
To receive credit, you must provide the Admissions and Records Office with official test scores sent directly from the testing service and complete at least one credit class at ACC.

Non-Institutional Credit by Exam Restrictions

Pursuant to the Texas Education Codes 51.301 and 51.302, no student may receive more than three semester hours of advanced placement for the six-semester-hour legislative requirement for American Government and no more than three semester hours of advanced placement for the six-semester-hour legislative requirement for American History.

American Government credit limit: Only 3 credits of required Government courses may be substituted through AP or CLEP exams. At least 3 credits must be completed through classroom work.

Grade designation: AP and CLEP credit is designated as “CR” (credit) on the ACC transcript. A letter grade (A, B, C, D, or F) is not assigned.

Transfer not guaranteed: AP credit might not transfer from ACC to other institutions. No student may receive more than three semester hours of advanced placement for the six-semester credit hour legislative requirement for American Government.

IB credit limit: ACC limits credits awarded for IB exams to 24 credits.

Additional restrictions and requirements may apply. Please check with an advisor or counselor prior to taking any CLEP Exam. Non-ACC students need to check with an advisor or counselor at the college they plan to attend to ensure credit can be awarded.

How to Receive Credit
To receive credit, you must provide the Admissions and Records Office with official test scores sent directly from the testing service and complete at least one credit class at ACC.

• AP: to order official test scores, go to apstudent.collegeboard.org/home
• CLEP: to order official score reports, go to clep.collegeboard.org/earn-college-credit/your-score
• IB: to order a transcript, go to internationalbaccalaureate.force.com/ibportal/IBPortalLogin?lang=en_US
• DANTES:  to order a transcript, go to clep.collegeboard.org/earn-college-credit/military-benefits

ACC Testing Services

ACC’s Highland Campus is an approved testing site for many exams including CLEP and Advanced Placement. More information is available at austincc.edu/support-and-services/services-for-students/testing-services/licensure-and-certification-testing/college-level-examination-program.

Minimum Scores

Refer to the following charts for scores needed to receive credit. Foreign Language credit hours have changed. Please see the Catalog Addendum page for updates.

Credit by Examination – Institutional Credit/Course Challenges

If you feel your background, education, and experience provide sufficient knowledge in a subject area, you can earn course credits through institutional credit by examination, or course challenges. Earning credit through challenge examinations is equivalent to passing a cumulative, end-of-the-term examination.

Below is a list of some instructional areas offering institutional course credit by examination. Contact your program directly to find out if credit by examination is an option.

• Accounting
• Allied Health Sciences
• Biotechnology
• Child Care and Development
• Health Information Technology
• Office Administration
• Sonography
• Visual Communication

How to challenge a course
Complete the following steps to test and receive course challenge credit:

• Consult with your instructional program or area about a specific course and your eligibility to take a course challenge exam.
• Obtain a Course Challenge Form from the Admissions and Records Office.
• Obtain the signature of the appropriate instructional dean or program chair who approves the testing and assigns an instructor to administer the test.
• Obtain the signature of the professor who previously taught the course at ACC and has agreed to administer and grade the challenge examination.
• Return the signed Course Challenge Form to the Admissions and Records Office.
• Pay the course challenge fee.
• Take the examination at the designated Testing Center.
• Verify the instructor submitted passing scores to the Admissions and Records Office.

How to receive credit
To receive credit, you must earn at least a B on the course challenge exam, enroll at ACC and complete at least one college course, and have the instructor submit your course challenge results to the Admissions and Records Office.

Institutional credit by examination restrictions
Not every course or student is eligible for challenge exams. Check with your instructional program or area for available classes and eligibility requirements.

• International students may not apply course challenges toward their 12-credit enrollment requirement.
• You must meet the course prerequisites and institutional enrollment requirements in order to receive credit.
• You may challenge a course only once. Additional challenges are not permitted.
• You may not challenge a course in which you currently are enrolled or previously earned a grade of A, B, C, D, F, I, W, or AU.
• Grades earned through course challenges are not calculated in your GPA and do not count toward scholastic achievement awards.

Child Development Associate (CDA)
Prospective students who have a current CDA (Child Development Associate Credential) may have the course requirement for CDEC 1311 waived. For information, contact the Child Care and Development Department at 512-223-5201.

If you feel your background, education, and experience provide sufficient knowledge equivalent to an introductory course in the Child Care and Development Department, you can earn course credits through institutional credit by examination or course challenges through a portfolio process. For more information, contact the Child Care and Development Department at 512-223-5201.

Military Transcripts and Service Credits

You can earn up to 30 credits for your military training and service.

How to receive credit
To receive credit, you must provide the Admissions and Records Office with an official military transcript and a certified copy of your DD Form 214, and complete one class at ACC. Any credit awarded will not be calculated in your GPA.

Previous coursework
ACC uses the American Council on Education (ACE) reference guide “Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services” to award credit for military training. If a course equivalency is not listed by ACE, you may contact ACE directly to request a review. (See acenet.edu for contact information.) ACC’s instructional programs and areas have final authority on awarding credit. Note: ACE recommendations apply to military training/courses only.

Health and Kinesiology credit
If you were active-duty for at least six months, you may be eligible to receive 4 credits of health and kinesiology. To receive credit, provide the Admissions and Records Office with your DD Form 214 or a certified letter from your commanding officer attesting to your period of service.

All veterans must submit official military transcripts for evaluation. Visit austincc.edu/students/veterans-services/military-transcripts-and-service-credits for more information.

Noncredit Hour to Credit Hour Conversions

Noncredit coursework can be converted to credit hours (“credit conversion”) in some circumstances. To be eligible for credit conversion, you must meet the following conditions:

• ACC offers an equivalent course that is recognized as a credit course by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
• ACC offers credit and noncredit courses in the same discipline.
• You successfully completed all modules for the noncredit courses in which credit would be awarded.
• The instructional program faculty approves the credit conversion.

If your noncredit coursework fulfills these conditions, contact the Admissions and Records Office to request credit conversion.