Test and Transfer Credit Information

Credit By Examination

Wayland recognizes the validity of accepting credit for specified levels of achievement on institutionally approved, standardized examinations. Such credit will be assessed and treated as transfer credit. Official score reports must be received by Wayland prior to issuing credit. Scores posted on other institutions’ transcripts will not be viewed as official nor will be granted with the exception of ACT/SAT scores which appear on official high school transcripts. Duplicate credit will not be awarded - for example, three hours of credit in English for both ACT and CLEP credits. Students pursuing the B.A., B.B.A., B.F.A., B.M., B.S, B.S.N., and B.S.I.S. degrees may transfer a maximum of 30 semester hours earned as Credit by Examination; students pursuing the B.C.M. and B.A.S. degrees may transfer a maximum of 42 semester hours. A grade of CR will be assigned for all credit earned by examination except that credit earned through advanced standing examinations. No fee is charged for granting credit for ACT, AP, SAT I, CEEB, or CLEP/DSST (DANTES Standardized Subject Test) scores. Students may not challenge a course in any field in which credit has been given for a more advanced course. For example, credit for SPAN 1301 will not be issued from test credit when credit for SPAN 1302 has been earned previously. Students may not challenge a course in which a grade of F has been received. Test scores will not be accepted as upper-level (3000-4000 level) academic hours. Credit will only be granted if the minimum score or grade is earned for a specific program. Students who fail to meet minimum standards on credit by examination will be required to take the course as applicable to the degree program being sought. The score or grade earned by the student is not subject to appeal.

ACT and SAT Examinations 

Credit may be allowed for satisfactory scores on the English and mathematics sections of the ACT and SAT examinations. Students scoring 29 or above on the ACT English section or 620 or above on the old SAT Writing section or a 34 or above on the new SAT Writing section will be given credit for ENGL 1301 - Composition and Rhetoric . Students scoring 26 or above on the ACT mathematics section or 550 or above on the old SAT Mathematics section or a 29 or higher on the new SAT Mathematics secion will be given credit for MATH 1304 - College Algebra . If the student takes the exam more than once, the highest available ACT or SAT subscores in math and English will be used for credit decisions.

CLEP/DSST (DANTES Standardized Subject Test) Examinations

Credit may be accepted for both the general and subject College Level Examination Placement (CLEP) tests. No credit will be accepted on the CLEP exam without the original score report. The minimum level acceptable for receiving credit for a CLEP exam is the B level. In some instances the ACE recommended score will be accepted. CLEP/DSST (DANTES Standardized Subject Test) credit will not be accepted as upper-level credit unless specified by CLEP/ DSST (DANTES Standardized Subject Test). Credit will only be granted if the minimum score or grade is earned for a specific program.  Students in either the BAS or BCM degree programs who fail to earn a minimum score or grade on examinations may retake examinations to try to earn a minimum score or grade. Students in all other degree programs who fail to meet minimum standards on the first attempt of credit by examination will be required to take the course as applicable to the degree program being sought.

As of July 1, 2010, students who wish to receive CLEP credit in English must take the subject exam titled College Composition Modular. The exam title College Composition will not be accepted for English credit. The essay for the College Composition Modular will be graded by a full-time Wayland English faculty member on the Plainview campus. The English CLEP exams are taken to receive college credits and are also used by Wayland for diagnostic purposes in advising students. After a student’s first term of enrollment at Wayland, the CLEP exam (College Composition Modular) may be taken only once. This applies to both the objective and essay parts of the English CLEP exam. Successful completion of both portions of the examination is required for credit in ENGL 1301  and/or ENGL 1302 .

Students who wish to receive CLEP credit in history must take the subject exams titled History of the United States I and History of the United States II (for six hours credit in U.S.) or Western Civilization I and Western Civilization II (for six hours credit for Western/World Civilization). The general exam titled Social Sciences and History will not be accepted for history credit.

Students who wish to receive CLEP credit in Biology or Chemistry may take the Biology or Chemistry CLEP Subject Exam. The General Examination titled Natural Sciences will not be accepted for science credit.

CEEB Tests

Three semester hours of credit may be awarded for each area of the College Entrance Examination Board Test (CEEB) on which the student scores 3 or better.

Advanced Placement Examinations

Wayland participates with the College Board by granting Advanced Placement (AP) credit when the AP courses and examinations compare favorably with the standards of Wayland and its individual schools. The following chart indicates the number of credit hours and courses that correspond with each minimum AP examination score. The following AP examinations will not be accepted for credit: Computer Science, International English Language, Latin, Music Theory, and Physics C.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Program

Wayland Baptist University will consider credit for Higher Level (HL) examinations resulting in a grade of 4 or better on courses and examinations that compare favorably with the standards of Wayland Baptist University and its individual departments and schools. In order to receive credit, an official score report or IB transcript must be received by the university registrar. Transcripts may be obtained by written request from IB. Detailed information on ordering an IB transcript is available at http://www.ibo.org/en/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/. To contact the IB:

International Baccalaureate North America
475 Riverside Drive, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10115
Tel: (212) 696-4464
Fax: (212) 889-9242
Email: IBNA@ibo.org
http://www.ibo.org
FAQ: https://ibanswers.ibo.org/

The following chart indicates the course and number of credits granted based on HL examinations:

*Biology, Chemistry, and Physics HL examinations will only be accepted for students who are not pursuing a major from the School of Mathematics and Sciences.

Credit is currently not awarded in the following IB areas: Classical Languages, Environmental Systems and Societies, Mathematics, Philosophy, and World Religions.

Advanced Standing Examinations

Credit for a limited number of courses is available by advanced standing examinations. Although grade points and semester-hour credits earned through advanced standing examinations count toward the fulfillment of graduation requirements, they may not be counted toward the 30 hours of residency that must be taken at Wayland. Scholarships are not affected by student performance on these examinations.

The following procedures must be followed to ensure proper awarding of credit. Students on external campuses will coordinate these steps with the external campus executive director/dean.

1. Advanced Standing Examination form may be obtained in the office of the registrar. 
2. Fill out the form obtaining information from the dean of the academic school. 
3. Pay the 1/3 tuition based on campus of record for the course in the business office.
4. Return the form with receipt showing payment to the office of the registrar.
5. Schedule an appointment for test administration with the dean of the academic school.
6. After completion of the examination, the dean will report a grade to the office of the registrar. Credit is granted only if the student scores 80 or above on the examination. The student will receive as a course grade the letter equivalency of the test grade.

If the student fails the examination, he/she must enroll in the course and pay regular tuition and fees. Advanced standing examinations are not available for a course in which the student has previously received a GPA grade of F. Work completed at universities or colleges that are designated as testing schools will be evaluated using the standards of the advanced standing examination.

Transfer Credit

The University will consider for transfer collegiate-level work completed at an institution of higher education. To be acceptable for transfer, the work must be of comparable level and content with the degree being sought at Wayland. In no instance will remedial, high school, or duplicate work be accepted for transfer. Acceptability of work for transfer does not imply that it is applicable toward the requirements of a particular degree program. It is the responsibility of the student to provide official transcripts of all college work completed as of the date of the application. Failure to list all colleges attended is considered grounds for denial of admission into Wayland as well as possible immediate suspension for those currently enrolled at Wayland.

The student must provide official copies of transcripts from each institution attended. The records facility of the granting institution must send such transcripts directly to the University Registrar’s office. Students registering at one of the university’s external campuses may have the transcript sent to the external campus executive director/dean. The executive director/ campus dean will then forward the transcript to the Office of the University Registrar. A hand-carried document will be accepted for evaluation if it is in a sealed institution envelope with a school seal, stamp, or signature on the back flap of the envelope.Upon receipt, the documents become the property of Wayland and will not be returned to the student either as originals or as copies. The university’s transcript evaluators are responsible for the evaluation of transfer credit. For courses not previously assessed, a syllabus and course outcomes may be required and reviewed by the school dean for which that course would be considered equivalent to Wayland work. The university’s academic council will hear appeals of decisions made by these evaluators and the judgment of this council is final.

All transferred work (with accompanying grades or marks) will be translated into Wayland terms. At the undergraduate level, when the content or level renders an equivalency impossible, the work will be given a generic title and number. Under no circumstance will work taken at the freshman or sophomore level count toward satisfying the upper-level requirements established for any degree. Work completed at universities or colleges that are designated as testing schools will be evaluated using the standards established under the advanced standing examination portion of the catalog.

Transfer work will become a part of the student’s record only after matriculation (defined as enrollment continued after census date) and then only when the student has established a course of record. Transfer credit will be assessed and students will be informed of the amount of credit which will transfer, preferably prior to their enrollment, but at least prior to the end of the first academic term in which they are enrolled or permitted. A total of six hours of D grades may be accepted in transfer. No courses with a grade of D will be accepted from an institution at which the student has a GPA of less than a 2.0. A grade of D will not be accepted as transfer for any English course used to fulfill a university or degree specific general education core requirement. A grade of D will not be accepted as transfer into a student’s major, minor or specialization.

Transfer Credit Equivalencies

For purposes of transfer, work taken on a trimester system will be converted to semester hours on a one-to-one basis. If the work was taken on a class hour basis, 15 class hours will be equated to one semester hour. For conversion from quarter hours to semester hours, the following equivalencies have been established:

The university will use the summation of the individual course equivalencies from a particular institution to compute GPA and/or credits earned. For credit systems other than those listed above, the university registrar will determine an appropriate mathematical relationship
and apply it to the record in question.

Foreign Institutions

Students who wish to transfer work from foreign institutions must submit the following:

1. Official transcript(s) in the original language sent directly from the issuing institution to the Office of the University Registrar.
2. Translations of the official transcript(s) into standard English and certified by a translator approved by the university registrar. 
3. Evaluation of the official transcript must be done by a professional evaluator service.

This evaluation must include appropriate subject identification, upper/lower level designation, and U.S. equivalent GPA calculation. A copy of the results for each transcript must be sent directly to Wayland from the evaluation service. A list of acceptable companies is available from the university registrar or the international admissions representative. The preferred agency is World Education Services, Inc. (WES). WES may be contacted at:

World Education Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 5087
Bowling Green Station
New York, NY 10274-5087
Email: info@wes.org
Web Site: www.wes.org

Non-Collegiate Experience

Military Credit

Persons who are currently serving in the military or those who have been granted honorable or general discharge from military service of the United States must request a review of service records for assessment for potential credit for the B.A.S. or B.C.M.
degrees per federal mandate. The student must provide certified copies of the DD214 or other applicable documents. American Council on Education (ACE) guidelines will be used in the evaluation process.

Other

Credit for non-collegiate experience is awarded only in areas offered within the current curriculum of the university and appropriate to the student’s educational program (i.e., B.A.S., B.C.M., and A.A.S. degrees). It is awarded to matriculated (defined as enrollment after census date) students only. Decisions regarding the awarding and determination of such credit will be made by qualified faculty at the university according to procedures and standards approved by the university’s academic council. These procedures and standards are available in the B.A.S./B.C.M. records office. Credit may be awarded only when there is documentation, which demonstrates achievement equivalent to outcomes specified for courses in the student’s degree program. Credit awards must be supported by documentation indicating the procedure utilized to evaluate the learning and the basis on which the credit was awarded. Credit for non-collegiate work may not duplicate credit previously awarded.

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)

Wayland Baptist University is a current member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Degree Network System (DNS).  The school participates in the DNS-2 (Associate Level) and DNS-4 (Bachelors level) system.  The DNS is a group of institutions selected to provide servicemembers and their eligible family members the opportunity to complete college degrees without losing credit because of frequent changes in duty station. For example, many courses offered by member institutions have two-way guaranteed transferability to provide more flexibility and options in order to satisfy degree requirements. The SOC DNS Student Agreement issued to all eligible students at member institutions provides a complete evaluation of the servicemember’s prior learning, including courses from other colleges and universities, military training courses, military occupational experience, nationally-recognized exams, and other non-traditional credit, as well as clearly identifying requirements for completing the degree. Current SOC Degree Network System membership and participating degree information is available at http:// www.soc.aascu.org.

Correspondence and Extension Credit

Although Wayland does not offer either correspondence or extension courses, the university may allow a maximum of 12 semester hours (six in the major) of such credit to be transferred from another institution. For a course to transfer, a minimum grade of C is required. Students may not transfer a course by correspondence in which a D or an F has already been earned in residence.

International and American Study Opportunities

Wayland Baptist University participates in the bestsemester.com program. CCCU’s bestsemester.com offers students an opportunity to experience the real world and share their faith in either an international or national environment. The Culture Shaping program focuses on participating in the American Studies Program, Contemporary Music Center, and the Los Angeles Film Studies Center. The Culture Crossing program has an international focus with Latin American Studies, Middle East Studies, the Scholars’ Semester in Oxford, Oxford Summer, Australia Studies Centre, and Uganda Studies.

Credit is available for participation in these programs. Students interested in participating in bestsemester.com should contact the registrar’s office for more information. Federal financial aid is available for students doing study-abroad programs and should contact the Financial Aid office for more information.

Culture-Shaping Programs

The following program descriptions are from bestsemester. com. For more information visit their website at www.bestsemester.com.

The American Studies Program (ASP)

Washington, D.C., is a stimulating educational laboratory for the ASP. Participants explore pressing national and international issues through enrollment in either the Public Policy Initiatives track or Global Humanitarian Enterprise track, which combine seminars led by ASP faculty and Washington professionals with student projects. The internship (20-30 hours per week) is essential to the ASP experience. Students live in the Dellenback Center in the Capital Hill neighborhood. [Students can earn 16 semester hours of credit.]

The Contemporary Music Center (CMC)

The Contemporary Music Center (CMC) provides students with the opportunity to live and work in the refining context of community while seeking to understand how God will have them integrate music, faith and business. The CMC offers three tracks: the Artist, Executive and Technical Tracks. The Artist Track is tailored to students considering careers as vocalists, musicians, songwriters, recording artists, performers and producers. The Executive Track is designed for business, arts management, marketing, communications and related majors interested in possible careers as artist managers, agents, record company executives, music publishers, concert promoters and entertainment industry entrepreneurs. The Technical Track prepares students for careers in live sound, concert lighting and studio recording. Students within each of the tracks receive instruction, experience and a uniquely Christ-centered perspective on creativity and the marketplace, while working together to create and market a recording of original music. Each track includes coursework, labs, directed study and a practicum. [Students earn 16 semester hours of credit.]

The Los Angeles Film Studies Center (LAFSC)

The Los Angeles Film Studies Center (LAFSC) is designed to train students to serve in various aspects of the film industry with both professional skill and Christian integrity. Each semester, students live, learn, and work in L.A. The curriculum consists of two required seminars, Hollywood Production Workshop and Theology in Hollywood, focusing on the role of film in culture and the relationship of faith to work in this very influential industry. In addition, students choose one elective course from a variety of offerings in film studies. Internships in various segments of the film industry provide students with hands-on experience. The combination of the internship and seminars allows students to explore the film industry within a Christian context and from a liberal arts perspective. [Students earn 16 semester hours of credit.]

Culture-Crossing Programs

The following program descriptions are from bestsemester. com. For more information visit their website at www.bestsemester.com.

The Australian Studies Centre (ASC)

The Australian Studies Centre (ASC) is a cultural studies program with an arts focus, based in Sydney, Australia. The program is run by the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), an international association of intentionally Christian colleges and universities. Designed to provide undergraduates of all majors and career interests with the opportunity to study the arts and theology in Sydney, the program also emphasizes Indigenous studies and faithful, global involvement.

Cultural Interaction is a large factor of the ASC semester. Students participate in service projects and live in homestays with local families to help them encounter the Australia that tourists never see. From art and ministry to drama and dance, students attending ASC have every opportunity to pursue their passions and interests with other Christians from around North America and the world even as they compare and contrast the Australia of myths and movies with the realities of everyday life. Throughout the semester, ASC students engage the history of Australia’s Indigenous peoples and discover their modern identities and present realities. [ASC students receive 16 semester hours of credit.]

The Latin American Studies Program (LASP)

The Latin American Studies Program (LASP) introduces students to a wide range of experiences through the study of the language, literature, culture, politics, history, economics, ecology and religion of the region. Living with a Costa Rican family, students experience and become a part of the day-to-day lives of Latin Americans. Students also take part in an internship/practicum and travel to nearby Central American nations. Students participate in one of four concentrations: Latin American Studies (offered both fall and spring terms); Advanced Language and Literature (designed for Spanish majors and offered both fall and spring terms); International Business (offered only in fall terms); and Environmental Science (offered only during spring terms). [Students in all concentrations earn 16-18 semester credits.]

The Middle East Studies Program (MESP)

The Middle East Studies Program (MESP), based in Cairo, Egypt, allows Council students to explore and interact with the complex and strategic world of the modern Middle East. The interdisciplinary seminars give students the opportunity to explore the diverse religious, social, cultural and political traditions of Middle Eastern peoples. Students also study the Arabic language and work as volunteers with various organizations in Cairo. Through travel to Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Turkey, students are exposed to the diversity and dynamism of the region. At a time of tension and change in the Middle East, MESP encourages and equips students to relate to the Muslim world in an informed, constructive and Christ centered manner. [Students earn 16 semester hours of credit.]

Uganda Studies Program (USP)

Uganda Studies Program (USP) provides students with immersion in a local community and broad exposure to a variety of people and places in Uganda and neighboring Rwanda. Students in the Uganda Studies Emphasis (USE) live on campus at Uganda Christian University in Mukano, Uganda, sharing their lives with university students from Uganda and other nations in Africa. Students in the intercultural Ministry and Missions Emphasis (IMME) live with host families within walking distance of the university, experiencing life as a Ugandan family member. All USP students take classes from UCU professors and share their meals with UCU students. USP students will not leave Uganda without being exposed to and engaged in the realities of African life. [In addition to the core experiential course, students will choose from an approved selection of courses from the UCU Honours College to earn up to 16 hours of credit.]

Programmes in Oxford

The Scholars’ Semester in Oxford (SSO)

The Scholars’ Semester in Oxford (SSO) is designed for students interested in doing intensive scholarship in this historic seat of learning. Working with academic tutors, students hone their skills and delve into the areas that interest them most. As Visiting Students of Oxford University and members of Wycliffe Hall, students have the privilege to study and learn in one of university’s historic halls. SSO students enroll in a Primary and Secondary Tutorial, an Integrative Seminar and the course Christianity and Cultures. The SSO is designed for students interested in the fields of Classics, English & Literature, Theology & Religious Studies, Philosophy, and History, though all majors may apply. Applicants are generally honors and other very high-achieving students. [Students earn 17 semester hours of credit.]

The Oxford Summer Programme (OSP)

The Oxford Summer Programme (OSP) is a program designed for students wishing to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between Christianity and the development of the British Isles and give more focused attention to topics of particular interest through the seminars which emphasize student learning and research under expert guidance. Seminars (and their attached tutorials) are given on specialized topics under the direction of expert Oxford academics in the areas of history, religious studies, philosophy, English literature, the history of art, and history of science. The programme is structured for rising college sophomores, juniors, and seniors, graduate and seminary students, non-traditional students, teachers, and those enrolled in continuing education programs. [Students earn 6 semester hours of credit.]