2003-2004 UAF Catalog

Applying for Admission

Alternative Ways to Earn Credit

UAF Advanced Placement Credit

English

Only students with appropriate test scores may receive local advanced placement credit in English. If you are a student with an English ACT score of 29 or higher or a verbal SAT score of 650 or higher, you may receive credit for ENGL 111X by completing ENGL 211X or 213X with a C grade or better.

You must submit an Application for ENGL 111X Credit form, available from the English Department, to the Office of Admissions at the end of the semester in which you completed the advanced English composition course.

Foreign Language

After completing the course in which you were placed (above 101) and earning a B grade or higher, you may ask to receive "bonus credit" for the two immediately preceding prerequisite courses, if any. However, credit cannot be awarded for such courses if university credit has already been granted for them (for example, through College Board Advanced Placement national tests or credit transfer from another college). Bonus credit will not be awarded for special topics courses, individual study courses, literature or culture courses.

Mathematics

If you are placed in an advanced math course and you complete MATH 201X, 202X or 302 at UAF with a C grade or better, you may also receive credit for any prerequisite calculus course.

Credit by Examination

There are several ways that you can earn college credit by receiving a passing score on an exam. For any of the credit-by-exam options, grades are not computed in the GPA. Credit by examination is not considered UAF residence credit and is not considered as part of the semester course load for full-time classification. You will only be awarded credit by examination if you're currently enrolled or if you were previously enrolled at UAF as a degree student. The credit by examination options are briefly outlined below. For more information contact the UAF Testing Services Office, 112 Signers' Hall, 907-474-5277, e-mail fytest@uaf.edu, or www.uaf.edu/reg/testing.

CLEP (College Level Examination Program)

CLEP is a national testing program that awards college credit for some introductory courses. The exams cost $70 each and are administered daily. To register for a CLEP exam or to receive more information, contact UAF Testing Services at 907-474-5277, or contact the UAF Computer-Based Testing (CBT) center at 907-474-2737.

The following criteria apply to CLEP Exams:

1. If you've earned as many as six semester credits in the area of humanities, social sciences/history, natural sciences or college mathematics, no credit will be awarded for successfully completing that exam.
2. You may not duplicate a course for which you've already been given credit or for which you're currently enrolled.
3. If you've audited a course, you can't take the CLEP Exam for that course for one year.
4. The minimum passing scores for approved CLEP Exams is a score of 50 with the exception of the following Level II (2nd year) listed foreign languages scores: French Level II minimum 52, German Level II minimum 63, and Spanish Level II minimum 54.

College Board Advanced Placement Exams

UAF grants advanced credit, with waiver of fees, for a score of three or higher in the College Board (CEEB) Advanced Placement Tests. Normally, you take these tests during your senior year in high school.

To receive CEEB Advanced Placement credit, you must request that an official report of your examination scores be sent to the Office of Admissions. When you enroll, you will be awarded appropriate credit. You may receive credit for more than one Advanced Placement examination.

Credit for Language Testing

UAF accepts successful test results from regionally accredited colleges and universities for foreign languages not offered by UAF. Only tests equivalent to the first two semesters of foreign language study (specifically first year language skills) will be applied to the core curriculum language requirement.

DANTES-DSST (Standardized Subject Tests)

DSST is a national testing program that offers exams in traditional academic, vocational/technical and business subject areas. Although UAF doesn't administer the exams, credit is awarded for successfully completing DANTES tests as recommended by the American Council of Education. Acceptance of the DANTES exam for a specific catalog course or as a major/minor requirement is subject to departmental approval.

UAF Credit by Exam

You can be awarded credit through UAF credit-by-exam if you're currently enrolled. Subject to departmental approval, most courses are available for credit by exam, except those with numbers ending -90 through -99 (193, 292, 497, etc.). A course challenged for credit can't duplicate a course for which you've already been granted credit or for which you are currently enrolled. If you've audited a class, you can't request credit by examination for that class until one year has passed since the end of the semester in which you audited the course.

Visit the Testing Services Office in 112 Signers' Hall to obtain credit by examination forms, or call 907-474-5277 for more information on challenging a course.

Credit for Prior Learning

Individuals learn a great deal outside the walls of educational institutions. Certificate, associate or bachelor degree students may have up to 25 percent of the total program requirements granted for prior learning.

Credentials for admitted degree students who are currently enrolled are reviewed by faculty from participating departments who determine if this process is appropriate and make recommendations for awarding prior learning credit. Review is made based on equivalency to courses listed in this catalog. Credit received for prior learning doesn't impact your GPA and is not considered as residence credit.

The university will award transfer credit for specified national and state authorizations, certificates, credentials and/or examinations (see Transfer of Credit), which do not need to be reviewed for credit for prior learning. For further information or assistance, contact the Academic Advising Center, 509 Gruening Building, UAF Campus, (907) 474-6396.

Independent Learning

The Independent Learning Program, administered by the Center for Distance Education and Independent Learning, offers an alternative for people who seek a college education but cannot attend classes. The unique advantage of independent learning is its flexibility. You select your own hours of study and work at your own pace in surroundings you choose. Independent learning offers the freedom to structure a personal academic schedule and continue educational progress, even when personal circumstances make it impossible to attend scheduled classes.

For UAF students, UAF independent learning courses count as residence credit. When you enroll in an independent learning course during the regular semester enrollment period and complete the course during the same semester, the course may be used in determining full-time/part-time status, consolidated tuition and eligibility for financial aid and scholastic action. The grade will average in the semester and cumulative grade point averages.

When you enroll in an independent learning course at other times of the year, the credit and grade will not impact the credit load or semester grade point average for any other semester enrollments but will be counted in your cumulative totals.

An Independent Learning Program catalog detailing policies regarding enrollment, transfer, withdrawal, extension, reinstatement, fees, materials and course descriptions is available online. For more information contact the Center for Distance Education and Independent Learning, 130 Harper Building, (800) 277-8060; (907) 474-5353; fax (907) 474-5402; e-mail: distance@uaf.edu or online http://distance.uaf.edu.

As a coordinating entity, the Center for Distance Education and Independent Learning also engages in other distance delivery opportunities for students. Nearly 800 courses and programs are available through the use of instructional technology and collaborative delivery of programs among UA units. Alternative methods of instruction are increasing to meet the needs of students for whom regular campus-based programs are inconvenient, due to the demands of employment, family or community commitments. Students may register at their nearest campus, even if the course originates from another campus unit within the university system. Opportunities for students who prefer distance courses can be found at the University of Alaska Distributed Education Gateway on the web http://distance.alaska.edu/.