Transfer of AP Credits

What Happens When MC Grants AP Credit for a Course but the Transfer Institution Does Not Accept It?

The AP Transfer Policy for Maryland State Schools is shown at the bottom of the MC AP Comparison Chart which is on this page, center column:  https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/counseling-and-advising/transferresourcesforcounselors.html

AP Credit transfer policy to Maryland State Public institutions: If a student satisfies a General Education Requirement with an AP score of 3 (example, a 3 in Environmental Science @ MC fills a 4-credit Lab Science, then the MD transfer institution should consider a Lab Sci. Gen Ed 4 credit requirement to be filled upon transfer, but the student will have to 'make up' those 4 credits w/ transferable elective credits if a score of 3 for AP Env. Sci. is not accepted.  Students may need to work w/ their MD public transfer institutions to ensure that this policy is recognized.

This is a good point to review as it’s complicated AND we see a lot of students planning to transfer to UM where it is often an issue.

“Trouble” AP credits for UM are:

1.      All AP Histories – US, European and World –

a.      MC grants credit for a score of 3, so if you see that a student has AP credit for just one HIST, then that’s a signal that the student got a score of 3 and UM will not accept a 3.

b.      MC also grants credit for TWO HIST’s if the student gets a 4 or 5, but UM only gives credit for ONE HIST with a score of 4 or 5, so for example if the student has Gen Ed Humanities filled with HIST 200 AP and also GEIR HIST 201, then you need to subtract one of those HIST courses from the transfer credit total.

2.      AP Languages – MC accepts a 3 for most World Language AP tests but UM does not accept a 3, only a 4 or 5.  And MC grants 6 credits of SPAN 201 & 202 for example, but UM only grants 3 credits of SPAN 203 for a score of 4 or 5.

3.      AP Government – MC grants credit for a 3 = POLI 101, but UM requires a minimum of a 4

4.      AP Biology – MC accepts a 3 and grants credit for BIOL 101; a score of 4 or 5 grants credit for BIOL 150, so if you see AP scores for BIOL 101 General Biology that indicates a score of 3.

5.      AP Chemistry - MC accepts a 3 and grants credit for CHEM 109/109L Chemistry and Society; a score of 4 or 5 grants credit for CHEM 131 so if you see AP scores for CHEM 109/109L that indicates a 3.

But a score of 3 is fine for these three subjects ONLY at UM:

1.      AP English Language and Composition is fine, MC grants ENGL 101 and UM grants credit for a Lower Level Elective - LLE

2.      AP English Language and Literature – MC grants credit for ENGL 190 Intro to Lit and UM gives credit for a LLE, so this Gen Ed credit does not need to be “replaced”

3.      AP Art History – transfers to UM as ARTT 150

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Just to put it in other words, if a student has filled a Gen Ed Category with an AP score which will not be accepted by UM, if the student gets the MC General Education Program Completion Stamp on their transcript OR graduates from MC with an AA, AS or AAT, then UM will accept the whole Gen Ed Package as completed as usual but the student will need to “replace” the missing credits from an unaccepted AP score with any transferable ELECTIVE course.   

Example:  Student has AP credit for AP HIST with a score of 3 used to fill a Humanities Distribution, and the student graduates with a total of 60 credits but UM will only accept 57 credits, so any general elective could be taken to replace the missing 3 credits, does NOT have to be a Humanities course.

Should a student pick up the extra 3 “missing” credits prior to transfer? 

a.      One advantage to transferring with 60 transferable credits to UM is that the student is then able to take the needed Advanced Writing course (ENGL 391) in their first semester after transfer, if they come in with less than 60 credits and “make up” the missing credit in the first semester after transfer, then they miss out on having “junior” status and must wait a full semester to take Advanced Writing. 

b.      Parking Lot Permits for commuters are based on the number of credits earned (!) so closer-in parking lot assignments are designated for students with 60 + credits, you can see that here:  https://transportation.umd.edu/parking/students

c.       UM majors at Shady Grove prefer that students enter with 60 credits completed, but this is also not required… Items 1 & 2 above do not apply to Shady Grove, but if the remaining credits still need to be made up, then it could be a stress to add them while at USG where full-time enrollment in 5 classes per semester is typically required and students can’t take 100- or 200-level classes so they would need to take an advanced 300/400 level elective to fill in the credits.

One more thing to consider – Financial Aid @ MC will not cover the additional credits needed to make-up AP credits because those credits may not be not needed for graduation from MC.  So yet another point to be aware of…

How do you keep all of this straight?  Print out the AP Comparison Chart  in color and hang it up or bookmark it on your computer.

Also you can go to the UM Transfer Services Center site at this link:  https://www.transfercredit.umd.edu/plc/APGenEd.pdf

This Gen Ed Transfer Policy for Maryland Schools also applies to IB and CLEP credits…  MC accepts most IB scores with a 5, but UM requires an IB score of 6 for many courses.   UM IB Score Chart:  https://www.transfercredit.umd.edu/plc.html#ib

For Private and Out-of-State Schools, search for “AP Credits” on each school’s site.

And, you can refer a student to me for advising if you detect AP or IB questions/issues, I can provide a more detailed look at the situation -  anne.schleicher@montgomerycollege.edu

Anne Schleicher, Counselor (Part-time)

Montgomery College Online Advising Services

www.montgomerycollege.edu/transfer