Policy Statement - 87-04 Credit by Examination and Substitution or Waiver of Course Requirement
Subject: CREDIT BY EXAMINATION AND SUBSTITUTION OR WAIVER OF COURSE REQUIREMENT
Unit Credit by Examination
California State University, Long Beach grants credit to those students who pass examinations that have been approved for credit system-wide. These are: the CSU English Equivalency Examination; the College Level Entrance Program (C.L.E.P.) general examination in Mathematics; the C.L.E.P. Subject Examinations in College Algebra-Trigonometry, in Calculus and Analytic Geometry, in Statistics, in General Chemistry, and in German; the College Entrance Examination Board (C.E.E.B.) Advanced Placement examinations; and the American Chemical Society Cooperative Examination.
Students may also challenge some courses by taking examinations developed at the campus. Credit shall be awarded to those who pass them successfully. Credits earned in this manner will be recorded as "CR" (credit) on the student's transcript and will be counted toward the total number of units required for the degree although they will not be included in calculation of the grade point average. Credit by examination may not be used to fulfill the minimum residence requirement.
Students must be enrolled in the University and in the course for which they wish to receive credit by examination. Enrollment is by permission of the department and is only available during the academic semester in which the course is being offered. Students must secure a signed and dated approval form from the department PRIOR to enrolling in the course. students must provide the instructor with a copy of the signed and dated approval form at the first class meeting. The instructor will ensure that the examination is conducted, scored, and the results reported prior to the end of the third week of classes. Students who pass the examination will receive a grade of "CR." Students who do not pass the examination have two options:
1) continue in the course as a regular student; or
2) withdraw from the course.
The University sets no maximum on the number of credits a student may receive by examination. However, not all courses are available for credit by examination. Information about courses for which credit by examination is not permitted is available in the Department Office, in the School Office, and the Office of Admissions and Records. A student may NOT receive credit by examination:
a. for an activity course,
b. for any course which is a prerequisite to one for which credit has been received, (see department for possibility of course waiver),
c. to remove a grade of "F," "U," "NC,"
d. to satisfy the courses required for a major in a master's degree.
e. for any course in which the content or methodology is such that an examination does not appropriately measure competence.
Application forms to apply for credit by examination are available in the Office of Admissions and Records. Procedures and criteria for requesting unit credit by examination in a given course are available in the appropriate department office.
Substitution of Courses
Students who believe that a course they have taken (or intend to take) may be appropriate to their program and that this course could substitute for a specified course requirement may request a substitution of courses on a form available in the department office. Course substitutions are normally limited to cases where the required course cannot be offered or where the student has taken a similar but not identical course elsewhere.
Waiver of Course Requirement
In addition, students who believe that previous training has sufficiently prepared them in a certain area may request a waiver of a specific course requirement (subject credit only). Requests for waiver of course requirements can be made on an application form available in the department office. The student will be required to justify the request in a way acceptable to the department. A waiver of specific course requirements does not reduce the total number of credits required for the major or the degree degree.
EFFECTIVE: Fall 1987
