College Catalog

Alternative Ways to Earn Credit

Students admitted to Pellissippi State may obtain advanced standing and course credit by the following:

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). Pellissippi State recognizes and accepts credit derived from general and subject area examinations of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). The Testing Center, (865) 694-6454, administers the CLEP exams on an individual basis. For a list of the CLEP subject and general examinations, go to www.pstcc.edu/cohorts/clepscores.php

DSST Credit by Exam Program (formerly DANTES). DSST subject standardized tests also are used to award college credit to students who can demonstrate knowledge of subjects commonly taught in introductory college courses. The Testing Center also administers DSST subject exams on an individual basis. The subject tests, required scores and credits awarded are listed below.

 

Advanced placement test. Pellissippi State offers course credit and advanced placement for successful completion of advanced placement examinations administered by the CEEB to high school students. The subject tests, required scores and credits awarded are listed below. Specific information can be obtained from Enrollment Services.

 

Military service credit. Pellissippi State will grant credit for appropriate educational experiences in the armed services in accordance with the American Council on Education Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experience in the Armed Services. Veterans should provide Enrollment Services with supporting documents of previous training.

Credit for extra-institutional learning. Pellissippi State may award credit for extra-institutional learning according to the American Council on Education Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs.

Credit for Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) examination. Students passing the Certified Professional Secretary examination will be granted 16 semester hours of credit at Pellissippi State for the following courses, which will apply to a certificate or degree. These credits will be awarded after 12 semester hours have been earned at Pellissippi State.

 

In addition to the 16 semester credit hours that are granted upon completion of the CPS examination, additional credit will be awarded for passing the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) examination as follows:

 

Credits awarded are subject to change when the actual content of the CPS examination changes or when courses at Pellissippi State are revised substantially.

To receive credit for these courses, the person passing the exam should have successfully completed 12 semester hours at Pellissippi State and should provide an official copy of the score report showing that all parts of the examination have been passed.

A grade of P will be awarded for the completed courses. These grades will not be computed in the student’s grade point average but will contribute to total hours earned toward a degree or certificate.

Proficiency credit by examination. A student with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 may apply for credit by examination for many college-level courses at Pellissippi State on the basis of experience or training. A student may apply for credit by examination no later than the first two weeks of the term (no later than the first week for INFS 1010 and ADMN courses). MATH and INFS 1010 and ADMN credit by examination are given only in the fall and spring semesters. The student’s application for credit by examination must be approved by the dean.

The examination criteria will be determined by the dean and may consist of a comprehensive written test and/or an oral test that is usually administered in the Testing Center. A laboratory examination may be given when necessary. Credit by examination will be given on a pass/no pass basis only and will not be computed in the student’s grade point average. A student may not attempt an examination for any course more than once and may not drop the course after attempting the examination.

A student must register for credit by examination by completing the required form and paying fees accordingly. A student who has already taken a course and received a grade may not apply for credit by examination. A student may apply for credit by examination for no more than two courses per semester. Credit by examination is counted as part of a student’s course load. The load of courses taken and courses in which that student is seeking credit by examination may not exceed the maximum allowed at any one time.

Credit for life experience. Credit for life experience may be petitioned for courses for which credit cannot feasibly be granted by other means, such as advanced placement, CLEP, credit by examination or transfer credit. Credit for life experience may be granted by verification of college credit recommendation in the Directory of the National Program on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction or by approval by the vice president of Academic Affairs, the dean and an appropriate faculty committee.

A request to petition for credit for life experience will require approval by the appropriate dean (or designee) prior to the student’s submission of a portfolio documenting professional experience that directly relates to the content of a specific course at Pellissippi State.

Credit for life experience may be granted for up to 25 percent of the credit applied toward the degree. In exceptional individual cases, however, up to 30 credit hours may be awarded if justified by the special nature and content of the learning experience. The student must also meet the College’s graduation residency requirement as specified in the Academic Information and Services section of this Catalog and Handbook.

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