Mar 19, 2024  
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Transfer Credit Policies, AP, CLEP, IB, and UMBC Administered Departmental Examinations



Transfer Credit Policies

A student may be able to progress from one segment of the Maryland public higher education system to another without loss of time or duplication of courses. To help accomplish this, Maryland’s public colleges and universities follow certain statewide policies. Detailed information is available from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Transfer Policies website and the Student Guide to Transfer among Maryland Colleges and Universities.

Specific to UMBC, the Policy on the Awarding of Undergraduate Transfer Credit articulates the standards for the assessment and awarding of undergraduate transfer credit including academic credit for coursework earned at other institutions, competency-based education, and military training, experience, education, and coursework. Several exceptions may apply such as: students accepted into the Engineering program may transfer up to 65 credits, students with an Associates of Arts in Teaching (AAT) from Maryland community colleges may transfer up to 64 credits, and if eligibility is met, the Shady Grove Transfer Credit Limit Exception will permit the transfer of up to 66 credits, instead of the standard 60-credit transfer limit, from a Maryland two-year school to UMBC on the condition that six (6) of the 66 credits are language courses directly applicable toward the 201-level language sequence required as part of the UMBC General Education Program.

Maryland Community College Recommended Transfer Programs

The Recommended Transfer Programs (RTP) provides a list of community college courses that will best prepare students for UMBC’s course of study. Transfer students with acceptable grades in courses specified in the UMBC Recommended Transfer Program Guide are assured transfer with no loss of credit. These program guides are available in the transfer advisors’ offices at all Maryland community colleges or via the web at ARTSYS.

Credit for Competency-Based Education 

Students may pursue as many as 60 credits of competency-based education toward a baccalaureate degree through the Advanced Placement (AP) Program, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, or through a UMBC Administered Departmental Exam.

AP, CLEP, and IB 

Required test scores, credits and UMBC course equivalency is determined by the respective academic department. Please refer to the charts below for more information.

Credits earned through AP, CLEP, or IB may be used to fulfill General Education Requirements, when equivalent to a UMBC general education course. 

Credits earned through AP, CLEP, and IB tests have no effect on the calculation of the UMBC grade point average, nor are they applied to the minimum number of credits needed to qualify for honors at graduation or to meet the 30 credit minimum resident requirement. 

Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations

AP-CLEP Articulation Updates 2023  

UMBC will award credit and/or placement based on the scores indicated below in the approved Advanced Placement (AP) examinations listed. To receive credit for AP exams, students must have an official Advanced Placement score report sent to the UMBC Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
UMBC
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250

Students may request an official AP score report by writing to:

Advanced Placement Service
P.O. Box 6671
Princeton, NJ 08541-6671

Please remember to include UMBC’s College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) code number (5835) in the request.

Examination Required Score Credits UMBC Course Equivalency
Art History 5, 4, 3 3 ART 216  
Art Studio - Drawing 5, 4, 3 3 ART 214  
Art Studio - 2D 5, 4, 3 3 ART lower-level elective
Art Studio - 3D 5, 4, 3 3 ART lower-level elective
Biology 4 8 BIOL 141  + BIOL lower-level elective with Lab
  5 8 BIOL 141 +BIOL 142 +Lab
Chemistry 5, 4 4 CHEM 101  
Chinese 5 7 CHIN 202  and CHIN 301  
  4 4 CHIN 202  
  3 4 CHIN 201  
Computer Science A 5 3 CMSC 201  
  4, 3 3 CMSC 104  
Computer Science A 5, 4 3 IS 125  (BTA major ) or IS 147  (IS major )
  4 3 IS 125  
Computer Science Principles 5,4,3 3 CMSC lower-level elective
Economics - Macro 5, 4 3 ECON 102  
Economics - Micro 5, 4 3 ECON 101  
English Language and Composition 5, 4 3 ENGL 100  
English Literature and Composition 5, 4 6 ENGL 100  and ENGL 210  
Environmental Science 5, 4 3 GES 120  
French 5 7 FREN 202  and FREN 301  
  4 4 FREN 202  
  3 4 FREN 201  
French Literature 5, 4, 3 4 FREN lower-level elective
German Language 5 7 GERM 202  and GERM 301  
  4 4 GERM 202  
  3 4 GERM 201  
Government and Politics - American 5, 4, 3 3 POLI 100  
Government and Politics - Comparative 5, 4, 3 3 POLI 260  
History - European 4 or 5 3 HIST 110  
History - World 4 or 5 3 HIST 200  
History - United States 4 or 5 3 HIST 101  
Human Geography 5, 4, 3 3 GES 102  
Italian Language 5, 4 6 Meets 201 Language Proficiency
  3 4 Meets 201 Language Proficiency
Japanese Language 5 7 JPNS 202  and JPNS 301  
  4 4 JPNS 202  
  3 4 JPNS 201  
Latin 5, 4, 3 3 LATN lower-level elective
Latin - Vergil 5, 4 3 LATN 332  
  3 3 LATN lower-level elective
Latin Literature 5, 4 6 LATN lower-level elective
  3 3 LATN lower-level elective
Math - Calculus AB 5, 4 4 MATH 151  
  3 4 MATH 150  
Math - Calculus BC 5, 4 8 MATH 151  and MATH 152  
  3 4 MATH 151  
Music - Theory 5, 4, 3 3 MUSC 101  
Physics B 5, 4, 3 8 PHYS 111  and PHYS 112  
Physics C - Mechanics 5, 4 4 PHYS 121  
Physics C -Electricity & Magnetics 5, 4 4 PHYS 122  (no lab)**
Physics 1 5, 4 4 PHYS 111  
Physics 2 5, 4 4 PHYS 112  
Psychology 5, 4, 3 3 PSYC 100  
Research 5, 4, 3 3 Lower level elective
Seminar 5, 4, 3 3 Lower level elective
Spanish Language 5 7 SPAN 202 SPAN 301  
  4 4 SPAN 202  
  3 4 SPAN 201  
Spanish Literature 5, 4 3 SPANISH 300 level elective
  3 4 SPAN 202  
Statistics 5, 4 4 STAT 121  

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) Examinations

AP-CLEP Articulation Updates 2023  

UMBC will award credit and/or placement based on the scores indicated below in the approved College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations listed. To receive credit for CLEP exams, students must have an official score report sent to the UMBC Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
UMBC
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250

Students may request an official CLEP score report by writing to:

CEEB
CLEP Transcripts
P.O. Box 6600
Princeton, NJ 08541

Or call: 609-771-7865

Please include UMBC’s CODE (5835) in the request.

Acceptability of CLEP examinations and scores required are subject to change based on modifications to exam content by the College Board. For more information about CLEP, visit the College Board website.

General Examinations*

Examination Minimum Scaled Score Credits UMBC Course Equivalency
Humanities 50 3 Lower level elective
Mathematics 50 3 Lower level elective
Natural Sciences 50 3 Lower level elective
Social Sciences and History 50 3 Lower level Elective

Subject Matter Examinations

Examination Minimum Scaled Score Credits UMBC Course Equivalency
American Government 50 3 POLI 100  
American History
(History of US I)
50 3 HIST 101  
American History
(History of US II)
50 3 HIST 102  
American Literature 50 3 ENGL 243  
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature 50 3 ENGL 210  
Calculus 51 4 MATH 151  
Chemistry (General) 50 4 CHEM 101  
College Algebra 60 3 MATH lower-level elective
College Composition 67 3 ENGL 100  
Educational Psychology 50 3 EDUC 311  
English Literature 50 3 ENGL 241  
Financial Accounting 50 3 ECON 121  
French Language 50 8 FREN 101 , FREN 102  
  62 12 FREN 101 , FREN 102 , FREN 201  
German Language 50 8 GERM 101 , GERM 102  
  62 12 GERM 101 , GERM 102 , GERM 201  
Human Growth and Development 50 3 PSYC 200  
Information Systems - Computer Applications 59 3 IS 101  
Introductory Business Law 50 3 MGMT lower-level elective
Macroeconomics - Introduction 50 3 ECON 102  
Microeconomics - Introduction 50 3 ECON 101  
Precalculus 50 4 MATH 150  
Principles of Management 50 3 MGMT 210  
Principles of Marketing 50 3 MGMT lower-level elective
Psychology - Introduction 50 3 PSYC 100  
Sociology -Introduction 50 3 SOCY 101  
Spanish Language with Writing* 50 8 SPAN 101 , SPAN 102  
  62 12 SPAN 101 , SPAN 102 SPAN 201  
Western Civilization I 50 3 HIST 110  
Western Civilization II 50 3 HIST 111  

*The required score and equivalents for the Spanish Language exam are the same as the Spanish with Writing.

The Biology exam is not transferable.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Examinations

UMBC will award credit and/or placement based on the scores indicated below in the approved International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations listed. To receive credit for IB exams, students must have official examination results sent to the UMBC Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
UMBC
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250

Students may request an official IB score report at the International Baccalaureate website.

Examination Level Required Score Credits UMBC Course Equivalency
Art/Design Higher/ SL 5,6,7 3 ART lower-level elective
Biology Higher 6,7 4 BIOL 141 +Lab
Chemistry Higher 6,7 4 CHEM 101  
Chinese Literature A Higher 6,7 3 MLL 328  
Computer Science Higher 6,7 4 CMSC 201  
Economics Higher 5,6,7 6 ECON 101 ECON 102  
English A Higher 5,6,7 6 ENGL 206  
        and ENGL 210  (or ENGL 231  or ENGL 233 )
English B Higher 5,6,7 6 ENGL 206  and ENGL 210  (or ENGL 231  or ENGL 233 )
Environmental Science Higher/SL 5,6,7 3 GES 120  
Film Higher 5,6,7 3 ART lower-level elective
French A Higher 6,7 9 FREN 301 , FREN 302  and upper-level FREN elective
    5  6 FREN 301 FREN 302  
  SL 6,7 6 FREN 301 FREN 302  
    5  3  FREN 301  
French B Higher 6,7 7 FREN 202 FREN 301  
    5  4 FREN 202  
  SL 6.7 4 FREN 202  
German A Higher 6,7 9 GERM 301 GERM 302 GERM 303  
    5  6  GERM 301 GERM 302  
  SL 6,7 6 GERM 301 GERM 302  
    5  3  GERM 301  
German B Higher 6,7 7 GERM 202 GERM 301  
    5  4 GERM 202  
  SL 6,7 4 GERM 202  
Geography Higher/ SL 5,6,7 3 GES 102  
Greek Higher 6,7 7 GREK 201 , and 300-level Greek course
  SL 6,7 4 GREK 201  
History Higher 5,6,7 3 HIST lower-level elective
History of Africa Higher 5,6,7 3 HIST lower-level elective
History of the Americas Higher 5,6,7 3 HIST lower-level elective
History of East and Southeast Asia Higher 5,6,7 3 HIST lower-level elective
History of Europe Higher 5,6,7 3 HIST lower-level elective
History/Culture of the
Islamic World
Higher 5,6,7 3 HIST lower-level elective
History - World Higher 5,6,7 3 HIST lower level elective
Latin Higher 6,7 7 LATN 201 , one 300-level Latin course
  SL 6,7 4 LATN 201  
Math with Further Math Higher 5,6,7 8 MATH 151 STAT 121  
Math Higher 5,6,7 8 MATH 151 STAT 121  
Mathematics - Analysis and Approaches Higher 5,6,7 12 MATH 150 , MATH 151 , MATH 152  
  SL 5,6,7 8 MATH 150 , MATH 151  
Mathematics - Applications and Interpretation Higher 5,6,7 8 MATH 150 , MATH 151  
  SL 5,6,7 4 MATH 150  
Mathematical Studies SL 5,6,7 3 MATH elective (MATH)
Music Performance SL 5,6,7 3 MUSC 100  
Philosophy Higher 6,7 3 PHIL 100  
Physics Higher 6,7 8 PHYS 121 , PHYS 122  
Psychology Higher/ SL 6,7 4 PSYC 100  
Social and Cultural Anthropology SL 6,7 3 ANTH lower-level elective
Spanish A Higher 6,7 6 SPAN 301 SPAN 302  
    5  6  SPAN 301 SPAN 202  
  SL 6,7 6 SPAN 301 SPAN 302  
    5  3  SPAN 301  
Spanish B Higher 6,7 7 SPAN 202 SPAN 301  
    5  4 SPAN 202  
  SL 6,7 4 SPAN 202  
Theatre SL 6,7 3 THTR lower-level elective; equivalency determined by the Theatre Department
Visual Arts Higher/SL 4,5,6,7 3 ART lower-level elective
World Religion Higher 5,6,7 3 RLST lower-level elective

SL = Standard Level

UMBC Administered Departmental Exam 

Students who have completed 12 or more credits and are in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or higher) at UMBC may request consideration for competency-based education credit through a UMBC Administered Departmental Exam. UMBC Administered Departmental Exams are subject to availability as determined by the appropriate academic department. Credit earned through a UMBC Administered Departmental Exam is applicable toward the 120 academic credits required for graduation, the General Education Requirements as well as the 30 credit minimum resident requirement. Credit(s) awarded through a UMBC Administered Departmental Exam shall not be used for purposes of a course repeat. The P/F grading option is permissible within regulations applying to P/F courses at UMBC and grades will be calculated accordingly.

To request consideration for a UMBC Administered Departmental Exam, students must submit a Request Form to the Registrar’s Office.