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• Procedures and Policies
• Credit by Examination

Credit by Examination is available upon recommendation of the appropriate department chairperson. The student must have completed approximately 80 percent of the course material in a classroom setting; or the student must have completed 60 percent of the course material plus have appropriate work experience in the same content area. Exams are not given on the basis of work experience alone. An exam can be taken only once. Students must take the exam within one year of initial enrollment at MSOE.

Typically, students who meet the following criteria are not eligible for Credit by Examination unless the student has taken additional coursework or has had additional work experience that relates to the course content:

• The student has dropped or failed the class at MSOE.
• The student has earned a non-transferable grade less than a C in an equivalent course at another university.
• The student earned a score less than what we accept on an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam.

Procedures for requesting advanced credit:

1. The student must contact the department chairperson in the area in which he or she would like to take an examination to determine if the student has sufficient background to be eligible for an exam of this nature. If possible, the student should provide any available documentation of coursework completed in this content area to the chairperson at this time (transcripts, course description, syllabi, etc). 
2. The student fills out a Credit by Examination form (available from the Registrar's Office) and the department chairperson signs the form indicating approval.
3. The department chairperson is responsible for selecting the instructor who will administer the exam. 
4. The instructor should review the course outline and the general content of the examination with the student in advance of the examination date. 
5. The non-refundable exam fee must be paid to the Student Accounts Office prior to taking the examination. The Student Accounts Office will then sign the appropriate section of the form indicating that the fee has been paid. 
6. Once the exam is completed, the instructor will complete the form with the appropriate grade and submit it to the department chair within seven days after student takes the exam. The final grade must be 77 or above for credit to be awarded. 
7. The department chair will complete the form and forward it to the registrar for processing.

Students may also participate in the Advanced Placement Program (AP) or College Level Examination Program (CLEP) sponsored by the College Board or the International Baccalaureate Program (IB). Incoming students should call the Enrollment Management Office to see which courses would qualify for advanced placement at MSOE and what scores are required to receive credit.