Special Credit
In addition to advanced standing by transfer work, students admitted to the University may obtain advanced placement by any of several types of nontraditional credit.
Limitations on Nontraditional Credit:
CLEP, Correspondence Credit, IEP, Military Service, Special Examinations, Competency Based Programs, Regents Exam or TEAS Exam (Nursing majors only).
The maximum undergraduate credit that may be earned by these means is 60 semester hours. The limit for special or nontraditional credit is 24 hours for any one of these categories. Normally, nontraditional credit will not apply toward the last 24 hours of residency; however, students who have completed 24 hours of traditional course work at UTC and have not yet attempted the last 24 hours may petition to apply a maximum of 12 hours of these types of credit toward the last 24 hours.
Except for credit by special examination (undergraduate), credit earned by these nontraditional means is elective. Exceptions to this principle may be made only with the written approval of the respective departments, indicating specifically the amount and type of credit to be applied to a major degree program.
Advanced Placement
The University participates in the advanced placement program of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). Applicants who have taken the advanced placement examinations may submit the results to the Undergraduate Admissions Office for consideration.
The University may grant credit and advanced placement in the subject of the examinations to those entering students who earn scores of three, four, or five. (Some departments may exercise their option to require a minimum score of four.) Such students may then begin their college study at the level for which their advanced preparation has qualified them. Examinations with grades of three or two will be referred to the appropriate department, which will determine whether credit or advanced placement can be granted.
Credit earned through advanced placement will be entered on the student’s academic record at the University but will not be computed in the grade point average. A maximum of 24 semester hours may be earned in advanced placement credit.
College Level Examination Program
UTC recognizes and accepts credit derived from several of the subject area examinations of the College Level Examination Program of CEEB. The CLEP subject examinations measure achievement in a number of specific undergraduate courses. A report of test scores should be sent directly to the Undergraduate Admissions Office for consideration. Individual academic departments set standards for the acceptance of CLEP credits. Therefore, the required percentile grade for credit at UTC varies. Some departments accept no credit via CLEP.
Students will be allowed 15 elective hours for successfully passing CLEP general examinations. They may earn three hours of elective credit by successfully passing the CLEP general examination in English composition with a score of 530-610. Students may earn three hours of elective credit per exam by passing CLEP general examinations in mathematics, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and history with a score of 421-500. These credits will not satisfy UTC general education requirements, however.
Credit earned will be entered on the student’s academic record but will not be computed in the grade point average.
Cooperative Education Program
The Cooperative Education Program provides students with an opportunity to: (1) explore career goals while working with skilled and knowledgeable professionals, (2) enhance employment opportunities at graduation by providing career-related work experience, (3) help defray college expenses, and (4) gain college credit (in some departments). Co-op students work with such diverse and innovative companies as Alco Chemical, Decosimo CPA, Evergreen Financial Services, Microsoft, TVA, Dupont, NASA, Shaw Industries, and General Electric, as well as a number of local firms who have developed Co-op Education programs.
Cooperative Education is an optional educational program that combines a student’s academic study and paid major-related work experience. The UTC Office of Cooperative Education offers three basic modes of student participation: (1) alternating Co-op, (2) parallel Co-op, and (3) the internship. The two Co-op plans offer students the opportunity to work multi-semesters. Students choosing the alternating plan alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of full-time work. The parallel plan allows students to attend classes while working with local employers for up to 25 hours a week. The Co-op Office also works with students to help find full-time or part-time semester paid internships.
To be eligible, students must (1) be enrolled at UTC, (2) have completed freshman course requirements in their major, and (3) have a cumulative GPA of 2.50 (2.75 for business majors). After placement, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA, complete all assigned work periods, and register for a non-credit class that certifies them as a UTC co-op student. The program is offered to students in all UTC curricula. For more information, contact the Co-op Office, 326 University Center, (423) 425-4735, or check out our website: www.utc.edu/coopeduc.
Correspondence and Extension Credit
Up to one-fourth of the hours (excluding physical education) required for an undergraduate degree may be earned by correspondence or by correspondence and extension combined. The same limitations apply to hours in the major. All such courses must meet degree requirements at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Correspondence and extension courses may not be taken within the last 24 hours of degree credit work unless advanced approval has been granted by the Petitions Committee, although with prior approval by the Department Head of the student’s major department, one (1) course completed at other University of Tennessee campus may be counted as part of the last 24 semester hours.
