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SFCC Catalog 2019-2020 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Transfer of Credit

Transfer of Credit from SFCC to Other Institutions

With few exceptions, SFCC cannot guarantee transfer of credit to other colleges and universities; credit is accepted at the discretion of the receiving institution. There are important exceptions to this general rule. Public institutions in New Mexico are obligated to accept general education courses that have been approved for transfer by the New Mexico Higher Education Department, and they are also obligated to accept coursework in approved transfer modules in Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Business Administration, Teacher Education and General Engineering. Visit www.hed.state.nm.us for more information. Refer to the certificate  in General Academic Transfer.

Transfer of Credit From Other Institutions to SFCC

To transfer credit earned at other institutions of higher education to SFCC, several criteria must be met:

  • Courses must be from accredited institutions.
  • Official transcripts must be on file in the SFCC Registrar’s Office.
  • Courses must be approved for content and learning outcomes by the SFCC Registrar. The Registrar evaluates the courses with SFCC faculty advisors and counselors in specific program areas.
  • Courses considered for transfer must have a grade of “C” or higher.

The same exceptions that apply to transfer of credit from SFCC to other New Mexico institutions apply to transfer of credit from other New Mexico institutions to SFCC - those general education courses that are approved by the New Mexico Higher Education Department and the courses making up transfer modules outlined below.

Planning for effective transfer with maximum efficiency is ultimately the student’s responsibility. Responsible transfer planning includes early and regular consultation with the intended degree-granting institution to ensure that all pre-transfer course work will meet the requirements of the desired degree.

General Education Requirements for Transfer Students With a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher

When an official transcript arrives in the Registrar’s Office showing completion of a bachelor’s or higher degree, for most degree programs, a comment is posted to the SFCC transcript stating that general education requirements have been met.

Exceptions to this occur when a student chooses a program of study that has a specific general education requirement such as art history for a Fine Arts degree. The student will be expected to complete those requirements. Some majors may have specific general education requirements, such as Nursing, Respiratory Care, Fine Arts or the sciences. Check with your advisor to see if you need to meet specific general education requirements.

Prerequisites of ENGL 109  or ENGL 1110  will be satisfied as a result of holding a bachelor’s or higher degree. A math or science course taken more than three years ago cannot fulfill a prerequisite for a subsequent math or science course unless a student can demonstrate proficiency.

A math or science course taken more than five years ago cannot fulfill a prerequisite for other courses. Because course material differs from college to college, placement testing is the best way to determine accurate course placement. The college reserves the right to disenroll or transfer a student who does not meet the necessary course prerequisites. A student may be permitted to waive a prerequisite based on demonstrated mastery of skills. A student must petition the appropriate department chair or designee for permission to waive a prerequisite.

Lower Division Credit Transfer Modules

Students who have selected a field of study but have not yet selected the college or university from which they wish to earn a bachelor’s degree are advised to take courses outlined in one of the lower-division 60 (minimum) credit transfer modules during their freshman and sophomore years. For students enrolled at any public institution in New Mexico, these courses are guaranteed to transfer to any New Mexico public university and apply toward bachelor’s degree program requirements. Students should consult advisors at their current institution regarding which specific classes fit these categories. Lower-division transfer modules exist for:

  • Business Administration
  • Criminal Justice
  • Early Childhood Education
  • General Engineering
  • Teacher Education

Modules for additional areas of study are being developed. For more information, visit www.hed.state.nm.us.

Transferring Courses to Fulfill the New Mexico General Education Curriculum

In accordance with policies established by the New Mexico Higher Education Department, designated general education curriculum courses successfully completed at any regionally accredited public institution of higher education in New Mexico are guaranteed to transfer to any New Mexico public institution. Students who have decided on a major and/or an institution to complete their studies should consult with an academic advisor at that particular institution to determine the most appropriate course selections. Students enrolling for the first year of study at a New Mexico college or university and considering possible transfer into a certificate and/or degree program at another institution are encouraged to take the courses approved for transfer during their freshman and sophomore years of study. The curriculum matrix of approved courses guaranteed to transfer and meet general education requirements at any New Mexico college or university can be found on the New Mexico Higher Education Department website at: https://hed.state.nm.us/resources-for-schools/public_schools/general-education

Courses approved to meet the General Education Curriculum at Santa Fe Community College are listed below:

New Mexico General Education Curriculum (NMGEC)

As outlined in SFCC Policy 3-3 Associate in Arts and Associate in Science Degree Requirements, students must complete courses approved for general education by the New Mexico Curriculum and Assessment Committee in the disciplines of communications (6 credit hours, ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1210 required), mathematics (3 credit hours) laboratory science (4 credit hours), social and behavioral sciences (3 credit hours), humanities (3 credit hours) and creative and fine arts (3 credit hours). Students must complete additional general education credits in the disciplines of communications (3 credit hours), math or science (3 credit hours), and humanities, social and behavioral science, or creative and fine arts (3 credit hours).

As outlined in SFCC Policy 3-4 Associate in Applied Arts and Associate in Applied Science Degree Requirements, students must complete courses approved for general education by the New Mexico Curriculum and Assessment Committee in the disciplines of communications (6 credit hours, ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1210 required), mathematics (3 credit hours), laboratory science (4 credit hours), humanities (3 credits), and social and behavioral sciences or creative and fine arts (3 credit hours).

Area I: Communications

Select six credit hours

Area II: Mathematics

Select three credit hours

Area III: Sciences

Select four credit hours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Area IV: Social/Behavioral Sciences

Select three credit hours

Area V: Humanities

Select three credit hours

Area VI: Creative and Fine Arts

Select three credit hours

Note:

NOTE: The New Mexico Higher Education Department has approved for transfer many additional courses in each of the general education categories. If a transfer institution has unspecified course requirements in a particular category, students have many more options than are indicated in the preceding list. Consult with an SFCC advisor or check with the Registrar’s Office for the latest updates.

 

Articulation

SFCC has articulation transfer agreements with various high schools, agencies and postsecondary schools and programs. For more information, stop by the Registrar’s Office in the Welcome and Advising Center, go to www.sfcc.edu/registrar or call 505-428-1264.

Credit for Prior Learning

SFCC recognizes that students may gain college-level knowledge through life and work experience outside of traditional academic settings. The Credit for Prior Learning process provides students the opportunities to document their college-level knowledge or use predetermined examinations or earned licenses to demonstrate the equivalency of their learned skills to classroom competencies. Each program defines specific procedures on how students may apply for Credit for Prior Learning consistent with national standards and best practices. SFCC will follow such as indicated in SFCC Policy 3-18 Credit for Prior Learning and Prior Learning Assessment, its procedures and the college’s residency requirements. It is not possible to earn prior-learning credit for every course in a program, and each process is subject to specific requirements and fees imposed by the department. For more information, contact the department chair in the area of study for which you will be requesting credit for prior learning. For information on college level examinations, contact the Testing Center at 505-428-1625.
  1. College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
    Refer to the equivalency matrix.
  2. DANTES Standardized Subject Tests (DSST)
    Refer to the equivalency matrix.
  3. College Board Advanced Placement Program (AP)
    Refer to the equivalency matrix.
  4. Armed Services Educational Experience
    SFCC will award credit for prior learning in alignment and according to the recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) and the United States Armed Forces Institute. The Military Occupational Specialists credit recommendations may be modified to be consistent with the institution’s credit policy subject to review by the college’s subject matter expert, course descriptions and objectives. Additionally, two physical education credits will be awarded to students who have completed basic training in the military service. For more information, contact the Registrar’s Office.
  5. Certifications and Licensures
    SFCC will award course credit to students who have earned certain professional credentials by examination that demonstrate learning comparable to that of the published learning outcomes for the course credit requested. Contact the department chair for more information.
  6. SFCC Challenge Examinations
    Students may earn course credit by successfully passing a comprehensive challenge exam developed internally by the department, if one is available. If the student passes the challenge exam with a grade of C or higher, the course will be posted to the student’s transcript with a grade of P (Pass) and the appropriate number of credit hours. The course will count toward graduation requirements, but it will not be included in calculating the grade point average. The course will not count towards the SFCC residency requirement for graduation. A student may attempt a challenge exam only once per course. If the challenge is unsuccessful, the student must take the course to receive academic credit. Contact the department chair for more information.
  7. Credit by Portfolio
    If no exam options are available, students may, in certain cases, be able to earn course credit by documenting in a portfolio college-level learning acquired through those experiences. Faculty members will evaluate and assess if the learning outcomes are met as listed on the course syllabus. Course credit awarded through the portfolio process will not count towards the SFCC residency requirement for graduation. Contact the department chair for more information.

College Board (CEEB) Advanced Placement (AP) Program

Advanced Placement Exam Minimum Score Equivalent SFCC Course Credits Granted
Art      
Art history 3 ARTH 2110  and ARTH 2120   6
Biology      
Biology 3 BIOL 1140 /BIOL 1140L  or BIOL 1110 /BIOL 1110L   4
  4 BIOL 2110 /BIOL 2110L   4
  5 BIOL 2110 /BIOL 2110L  and BIOL 2410 /BIOL 2410L   8
Chemistry      
Chemistry 3 CHEM 1120 /CHEM 1120L   4
  4 CHEM 1215 /CHEM 1215L   4
  5 CHEM 1215 /CHEM 1215L  and CHEM 1225 /CHEM 1225L   8
Computer Science      
C S A 3 ISCS 125    
CSAB 3 ISCS 125 *  
Economics      
Macro ECON 3 ECON 2110   3
Micro ECON 3 ECON 2120   3
English      
English 3 ENGL 1110 *  
Environmental Science      
History      
U.S. History 3 HIS 161 and 162 6
Languages      
FREN Lang 3 FREN 1110 , FREN 1120 , FREN 2110 , 212 14
GERM Lang 3 GRMN 1110 , GRMN 1120   8
SPAN Lang 3 SPAN 1110 , SPAN 1120 , SPAN 2110 , SPAN 2120   8-14**
Math      
Calc AB 3 MATH 1510   3-4
Calc BC 3 MATH 1510  and MATH 1520   6-8
Physics      
Physics 1 3 Department review  
  4, 5 PHYS 1230 /PHYS 1230L   4
Physics 2 3 Department review  
  4, 5 PHYS 1240 /PHYS 1240L   4
Physics B 3 Department review  
Physics C Elec., and Mang. 3 Department review  
  4, 5 PHYS 1320 /PHYS 1320L   4
Physics C Mechanics 3 Department review  
  4, 5 PHYS 1320 /PHYS 1320L   4
Political Science      
Amer. Gov. 3 POLS 1120   3
Psychology      
Psych. 3 PSYC 1110   3

*Subject to departmental review

**Where a range of credit is possible, the credit awarded is determined by the department head.

Equivalency Matrix of SFCC Courses/CLEP and DSST

CLEP Exam (or DSST where noted) Minimum Score SFCC Course and Credit hours
Financial Accounting 50 ACCT 2110  (4)
DSST Principles of Financial Accounting 50 ACCT 2110  (4)
Biology 50 BIOL 1110  (4)
Principles of Management 55 MGMT 2110  (3)
Introductory Business Law 50 BLAW 2110  (3)
Principles of Marketing 50 MKTG 2110  (3)
Chemistry 50 CHEM 1215 /CHEM 1215L /CHEM 1225 /CHEM 1225L  (8)
Principles of Macroeconomics 50 ECON 2110  (3)
Principles of Microeconomics 50 ECON 2120  (3)
College Composition 50 ENGL 1110  (3)
College Composition 70 ENGL 1110 /ENGL 1120  (6)
DSST Technical Writing* 46 ENGL 2210 * (3)
English Literature 50 ENGL 251/252 (6)
American Literature 50 ENGL 261/262 (6)
French Language 50 FREN 1110 /FREN 1120  (8)
French Language 59 FREN 1110 /FREN 1120 /FREN 2110 /212 (14)
German Language 50 GRMN 1110 /GRMN 1120  (8)
German Language 60 GRMN 1110 /GRMN 1120 /GRMN 2110  and 3-credit language elective (14)
Western Civilization I 50 HIST 1150  (3)
Western Civilization II 50 HIST 1160  (3)
History of the United States I 50 HIST 1110  (3)
History of the United States II 50 HIST 1120  (3)
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature 50 Humanities Elective (3)
College Algebra 50 MATH 1220  (4)
Precalculus 50 MATH 1250  (4)
Calculus 50 MATH 1510  (4)
American Government 50 POLS 1120  (3)
Introductory Psychology 50 PSYC 1110  (3)
Introductory Sociology 50 SOCI 1110  (3)
Human Growth/Development 50 Social Science Elective (3)
Spanish Language 50 SPAN 1110 /SPAN 1120  (8)
Spanish Language 63 SPAN 1110 /SPAN 1120 /SPAN 2110 /SPAN 2120  (14)
*To earn credit, a student must score at the appropriate level on the multiple choice portion of the DSST and also successfully complete a separate writing assignment. Contact the Testing Center for information, 505-428-1625.

Complaint Procedure for Transfer Students

All New Mexico public postsecondary institutions are required to establish policies and practices for receiving and resolving complaints from students or from other complainants regarding the transfer of course work from other public institutions in the state. SFCC’s complaint process is as follows:

  1. File a written appeal with the Registrar’s Office providing the prefix/number of the course(s) in question, semester and year the course was taken, the name of the course and the course description from sending institution’s catalog.
  2. If the request is denied, the student may continue the appeal process to the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and must do so no later than 30 days following the notification of denial.
  3. The Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, in concert with the appropriate college and/or content area, will review applicable materials and render a final decision.

If the course or courses in question are part of a state-approved transfer module, the student may make further appeal to the Higher Education Department:

New Mexico Higher Education Department
2048 Galisteo Street
Santa Fe, NM 87505-2100

If a student’s articulation complaint is upheld at that level, and the student was required to repeat the course, the receiving institution shall reimburse the student the complete cost, including tuition, books and fees for each course the student was required to repeat at the receiving institution.

Students who have been admitted to SFCC as degree students in transfer from a regionally accredited college, university or other postsecondary institution may request the transfer of credit earned at other institutions. Students must request that each previously attended college or university send an official transcript directly to the Registrar’s Office. SFCC will accept college transcripts directly from students only in sealed envelopes marked “official transcript.” Credits may be transferred in accordance with the following guidelines:

  1. Credit for courses from regionally accredited institutions will be accepted without condition.
  2. Credit for courses accepted in transfer may be used toward graduation requirements as approved by the department head and as specified in the college’s graduation regulations.
  3. Credit for technical or occupational courses earned at nationally accredited postsecondary institutions will be evaluated according to the technical program being followed at SFCC and may be substituted for SFCC requirements as approved by the division dean. Such work might not apply toward courses in a major or toward general education requirements.
  4. The GPA for all courses accepted in transfer that are used to meet graduation requirements must equal 2.0 or more. Course work at SFCC is on a semester-credit-hour basis. Therefore, all transfer work will be converted to semester hours. For example, three quarter hours will be transferred as two semester hours of credit.