Advanced Standing

Advanced Placement (CEEB)

Rockford University grants placement and/or credit for College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Advanced Placement examinations. The CEEB grading scale is as follows:

5—extremely well-qualified

4—well qualified

3—qualified

2—possibly qualified

1—no recommendation

Students who receive a score of 3, 4 or 5 will be granted Rockford University credit. The number and type of credits awarded are determined by individual departments. No credit is given for a score of 1 or 2.

Credits awarded and exemption from classes in specific disciplines based on Advanced Placement examinations is indicated in the chart below. Transfer Elective Credit (TREL) counts toward the total credits needed to graduate from Rockford University, but it will only be counted as credit in a specific department with the department chair's approval. Students interested in changing TREL credit should consult first with their academic advisor.

*In the chart below, this * indicates courses that will not count toward the major or minor and instead require another course of equal credit. Consult with department chairs for final determination.

Students who earn sufficient credits (30) through Advanced Placement exams will be granted sophomore standing.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

CLEP exams may be used to demonstrate an understanding of the content and experience equivalent to the first year of college (general examinations) or specific courses (subject examinations). For a score of 500 or higher on a general examination, students will be granted six semester hours of credit at the 100-level. Four of these hours can be applied to the appropriate distribution requirement. For a score of 50 or higher on a subject examination, students will receive equivalent course credit of three or four semester hours. Students may earn no more than 30 semester hours with the general examination, and no more than 64 hours through a combination of the general and subject exams. The essay sections of CLEP exams are mandatory, with exceptions permitted for transfer students who received CLEP credit at another accredited school. CLEP credit will be treated the same as transfer credit, and the same requirement regarding major hours and 300-400 level courses applies to students receiving CLEP credit.

Rockford University will use subject exams at the 40th percentile as an alternative method of validating first-year student and sophomore-level transfer credit from unaccredited schools.

College Credit for High School Students: The Early Scholars Program

Students who have completed their sophomore year in high school may be eligible to register for college-level courses at the University. Please note that the intent of this program is to supplement a student’s high school curriculum, not replace it. Furthermore, acceptance into the Early Scholars Program is not full admission to the undergraduate program at Rockford University, and all standard admission criteria must be followed for that type of admission. Students interested in the Early Scholars Program should complete a Rockford University Admission Application, submit high school transcripts and standardized test scores (ACT/SAT), and present two letters of recommendation from their high school principal, guidance counselor or teacher. After review of the application credentials, admission to the program may be authorized by the chief admission officer for undergraduate admission.

Credit by Examination

Following approval by the appropriate department chair, students may petition the Registrar to take examinations for exemption or credit in any course except the senior seminar. Credit by examination forms are available in the Office of Student Administrative Services (SAS). The University will charge a fee of $20 per exam or course, as appropriate. If credit is to be granted, students will be assessed the current per credit tuition charge.

Peace Corps Volunteers

Rockford University grants 15 hours of academic credit for successful completion of the training program and a satisfactory tour of duty in the Peace Corps. These students may petition the chair of the Languages, Philosophy, Religion and Cultures department to have the foreign language requirement waived for the Bachelor of Arts degree.

Placement Policies for Entering Students

University admission examinations (SAT or ACT) or department placement examinations are used to determine the level of courses in which students should be placed. These examinations are given to ensure that students are placed in courses for which they have the appropriate background.

Placement Policy in Reading

Prior to and during orientation, entering freshmen and entering transfer students who either are bringing in less than 12 credit hours of accepted college-level coursework or who are being admitted conditionally without appropriate college admission test scores are required to take a reading examination at the Rockford University Center for Learning Strategies (CLS). Students who score at or above the 32nd percentile have met the reading requirement for graduation. Those whose score is below the 32nd percentile must enroll in CLS 040 - Reading Skills, during their first semester at Rockford University and must complete the course successfully to be eligible for graduation.

Students whose test scores place them in CLS 040, and students enrolled in CLS 039 - Reading Skills for the International Student, may not enroll in the First-Year Student Seminar during their first term at the University, even if they pass the reading exam after the semester has begun.

Transfer students who are non-native speakers of English shall be exempt from taking the Michigan Test for reading placement if they meet one of the following conditions:

• Earn a score of 53 or better on the TOEFL Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Section or a score of 45 out of 60 on the similar section of the Michigan Test.
• Study for at least one academic year at a school in which the language of instruction is English and earn a GPA of 3.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale).

Students who do not take the reading exam or who do not enroll in the reading course if it is required, may not enroll in more than 12 credit hours and may not take independent study or tutorial courses until the reading deficiency has been eliminated. Students who are enrolled in the reading course are limited to a semester course load of 16 hours (including the CLS 040 or CLS 039).

Students who have completed a bachelor’s degree at another accredited college and who want to pursue a second bachelor’s degree at Rockford University shall be exempt from the reading exam required of all new students.

Placement Policy in Mathematics

Placement by SAT Math scores, ACT Math scores, or Rockford University Math Placement Exam is required prior to enrolling in all math courses at Rockford University. All incoming students who present SAT or ACT scores with their application will be placed in the appropriate level. The Math Placement Exam will be administered free of charge to all other matriculated students. The requirement will be waived only for those students who have satisfactorily completed a college course deemed by the Chair of the Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics (MCSP) department to be equivalent to MATH 230, Calculus with Analytic Geometry I.

Any student feeling that she/he was placed incorrectly is encouraged to take the Math Placement Exam or discuss the matter with the Chair of MCSP.

According to their scores on the SAT, ACT or the Math Placement Exam, students are placed in math courses as follows:

Placement Policy in Foreign Languages

Students with prior experience in French, German, Greek, Latin or Spanish must take the placement exam before continuing their studies. This ensures that students are placed in the proper class level.

Students seeking a B.A. must achieve intermediate proficiency in a foreign language. This can be achieved by completing twelve credits of language at RU if the student starts at the 101 level. If a student's test scores indicate he or she is between the beginner and intermediate level, he or she must work toward completing an intermediate class at RU (such as SPAN 204 or SPAN 205, FREN 203, LATN 204 or GRK 204). A student who scores above the intermediate level on the test may be exempted from the requirement but is strongly encouraged to take a language course at an advanced level.

Native speakers of a foreign language who have completed their secondary education in a school where that language is the primary language of instruction are exempt from the foreign language requirement.