Advanced Placement Examination
Sierra College accepts Advanced Placement (AP) examinations with scores of three or higher. Currently enrolled students may be awarded up to six units of credit per examination. Credit is awarded for a Sierra College course or courses; as general education credit; or as elective credit.
Students automatically receive credit for AP examinations if official College Board Advanced Placement scores are sent to the College (Sierra College Code=4697). Grades are not assigned and the credit is not used in calculating grade point average. Students are notified when credit is granted. AP credit will not be used to alleviate a substandard grade.
Transfer students are cautioned that, regardless of Sierra College policy, some institutions determine Advanced Placement credit based on their own local policies and may recalculate credit. For further information please consult a counselor.
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Sierra College accepts College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations with minimum scores of fifty. Currently enrolled students may be awarded three units of credit per examination upon submission of official results. The exception to this is for examinations in languages other than English, as detailed in the following table. Credit is awarded as general education or elective credit.
Sierra College students automatically receive credit for CLEP examinations if official scores are sent to the College. Grades are not assigned and the credit is not used in calculating grade point average. Students are notified when credit is granted. If a student does not want credit, a written request asking that credit be removed from the transcript must be submitted to an Admissions and Records office.
University of California campuses do not accept CLEP examinations. Transfer students are also cautioned that, regardless of Sierra College policy, some institutions determine CLEP credit based on their own local policies and may recalculate credit. For further information please consult a counselor.
International Baccalaureate Examination
Sierra College accepts International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher Level examinations with minimum scores of four or five, depending on the exam. Currently enrolled students may be awarded three units of credit per examination upon submission of official results. Credit is awarded as general education credit.
Sierra College students automatically receive credit for IB examinations if official scores are sent to the College. Grades are not assigned and the credit is not used in calculating grade point average. Students are notified when credit is granted. If a student does not want credit, a written request asking that credit be removed from the transcript must be submitted to an Admissions and Records office.
Transfer students are cautioned that, regardless of Sierra College policy, some institutions determine IB credit based on their own local policies and may recalculate credit. For further information please consult a counselor.
International Transcript Acceptance
Students wishing to receive credit at Sierra College for courses completed at an international institution must request and pay for an evaluation of their international transcript(s) through one of the following agencies:
- Academic Records Evaluation Center
- Educational Records Evaluation Service
- International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
- World Education Services, Inc.
The evaluation must include a course by course review which determines semester unit value, grade and lower/upper division status. In most cases, students are granted elective credit only for lower division course work completed at international institutions. No credit is granted for upper-division courses. Students wishing to be granted credit for specific Sierra College general education/learning skills or major courses must submit course descriptions in English with course substitution petitions.
International coursework from non-United States regionally accredited institutions cannot be used to meet California State University General Education-Breadth requirements, Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum requirements, and Associate Degree for Transfer requirements. Although international courses may be accepted by four-year universities, evaluation of such courses is determined independently by each transfer institution.
Military Service Credit
A veteran who was on active duty one year or longer and received an honorable discharge may request that 5 units of military training credit be applied to the Health Education/Physical Education associate degree requirement. Credit has no bearing on the student’s GPA and may not transfer to a four-year university. To request credit, students must submit a copy of their DD-214 to an Admissions and Records office or the Veterans Resource Center. Students must submit an application for admission before military credit may be awarded.
Veterans receiving VA educational benefits through the Sierra College Veterans Resource Center must apply for military credit by the end of their second semester of enrollment, regardless of the number of units completed at Sierra.
Transcripts from Other Colleges and Universities
Official transcripts from United States regionally accredited institutions are evaluated for acceptance of all lower-division degree-applicable credit courses. Appropriate units and subject content will be applied to major and general education areas to meet Sierra College graduation requirements. Students should meet with a counselor to determine which courses fulfill Sierra College’s degree and/or certificate requirements.
Transfer credit is also used to fulfill prerequisite requirements. To ensure timely and accurate posting of transfer courses, students should submit their sealed official transcript(s) to a campus Admissions and Records office early in the application process.
2 + 2 Articulation Program
2+2 Articulation is a planned process linking programs and services to assist students in making smooth transitions from secondary to postsecondary levels without experiencing delays or duplication of learning. 2+2 articulation agreements have been developed with many area high school and ROP programs which make it possible for students to gain college credit for specified courses once they have enrolled at Sierra College and have completed other requirements of the agreement. Contact the career and transfer connections office for further information.
Reference: Sierra College Board Policies/Administrative Procedures Chapter 4.