Transferring to Harford

General Transfer Policy

Transfer credit is reviewed by the Transcript Evaluator in the Registration & Records Office. The evaluator takes into consideration the institution, its accreditation status, course descriptions, credit earned, the grade received, and applicability to the student's declared program of study at Harford Community College when determining the transferability of courses.

All transcripts received by Registration & Records are the property of the College and cannot be released to the student; they will not be duplicated, returned to the applicant, or forwarded to any other college, university, individual, or agency.

The College's transfer credit policy complies with Maryland COMAR 13B.02.02.16.

Harford may award transfer credit from regionally accredited institutions and from institutions that are candidates for regional accreditation. Course work completed at degree-granting and non-degree- granting higher education institutions that are not regionally accredited but hold national or specialized accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation may be considered for transfer credit on a case-by-case basis.

Harford adheres to the general education and transfer policies of the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). All applicable general education courses earned from a Maryland public institution are acceptable for credit with an earned grade of D or higher. Courses for non-general education credit applicable to the student's program will be transferred in as long as the calculated cumulative grade point average of the block of courses is 2.0 or higher. Please note that some Harford Community College programs of study require a grade of C or better in some courses. These are noted in the Programs of Instruction section of the college catalog. Courses designated as General Education at non-MHEC institutions will be designated as General Education at HCC; however, a course cannot be accepted for General Education credit if less than three semester credit hours.

Non-traditional credit applicable to the student's declared program of study may be awarded for up to a maximum of (45) credit hours and may include: credit by exam (e.g., AP, CLEP, IB), military training, Harford Community College articulated credit agreements (e.g., Harford County Public Schools, Harford County Sheriffs Academy, Aberdeen Proving Ground). professional training from programs accredited by the American Council on Education.

 

Credit by Exam

Students at Harford Community College can earn as many as 45 credits by examinations or combination of examinations and other non-traditional credits towards the degree requirements.

AP, CLEP, IBO, DSST, and Excelsior College

Exam credit may be earned through nationally normed testing programs including AP, CLEP, IBO, DSST, and Excelsior College for courses offered at Harford Community College. Exams are reviewed by the appropriate Harford faculty and the minimum scores and course equivalencies approved. Students must meet the minimum score required at the time of submission to Registration & Records. In addition, Harford students may earn division exam credit for the satisfactory completion (70%) of tests developed by faculty members for some College courses.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate

Advanced Placement (AP), a College Board program, and International Baccalaureate (IBO) exams are available annually to qualifying high school students. Complete list of accepted AP and IBO exams and scores can be found at the following CBET Table. Official score reports must be sent directly to Registration & Records to receive credit for qualifying scores.

CLEP and DSST

CLEP and DSST computer-based exams are available to both current Harford Community College students and non-Harford Community College students. The College abides by the American Council on Education (ACE) score recommendations. The Test Center is an approved test site for these exams. For the complete list of College accepted CLEP and DSST exams and testing requirements, contact the Test Center.

Division Exams

Division exams are available to current Harford Community College students. The Test Center is the test site for these exams. For the complete list of HCC approved Division exams and testing requirements, contact the Test Center.

The Excelsior College exam for Abnormal Psychology

The Excelsior College exam for Abnormal Psychology is accepted by Harford Community College. No other Excelsior College exams are currently accepted. Neither the Test Center nor the Pearoson VUE Test Center on campus administer the Excelsior exams.

Exam credit is posted to the student's transcript upon successful completion of any 3-credit course taken in attendance at Harford Community College.

 

Reverse Transfer

Students who earned 15 or more credits at Harford Community College and  transferred to a four-year institution prior to completing an associate degree may reverse transfer the credits earned at a four-year institution in order to complete their associate degree. This process makes it possible for students to earn an associate degree as they continue to work toward completing a Bachelor's degree.

Reverse Transfer 

Official transcripts from the transfer school(s) must be sent directly to Harford Community College. They can be sent electronically to transcripts@harford.edu or by mail to Harford Community College  |  attn: Transcript Evaluator  |  401 Thomas Run Road, Bel Air, MD 21015. 

Once official transcripts have been evaluated by Harford Community College (typically three weeks), you will receive an email via your OwlMail account.  At this point you should contact Advising, Career and Transfer Services to discuss reverse transfer and determine if requirements have been met to earn an associate degree.

 

Transcript Evaluation

To have transcripts from another institution evaluated for transfer to Harford Community College you must:
• Apply to Harford Community College   
• Declare a Program of Study   
• Submit official transcripts from all previously attended undergraduate institutions

NOTE: Students who have earned an associate or Bachelor's degree will not be evaluated for General Studies.

 

Transcript Frequently Asked Questions

What is considered an official transcript?

A transcript is considered official only if it is received by Harford Community College in the issuing institution's sealed envelope within one year of the print date or it is sent electronically by the issuing institution. It can be hand-delivered as long as the envelope is unopened. Each institution you have attended will have their own process for requesting that the transcripts be sent to Harford. Contact them directly with questions.

Is there a point when my official transcript is out of date?

Yes. College policy states that an official transcript must have been printed by the issuing institution and/or submitted to Harford Community College within 12 months. If it has been longer, you must request a new one.

Where should my official transcripts be mailed?

Official transcripts mailed directly from the issuing institution should be sent to:
Harford Community College  |  attn: Registration & Records  |  401 Thomas Run Rd, Bel Air, MD 21015

Do you accept electronic transcripts?

Electronic transcripts can be received by Harford through the USM Electronic Transcript System if your previous institution is a registered participant. If your previous college uses other secure electronic transcript reporting systems such as Parchment, ScriptSafe or Docufide, transcripts may be received at transcripts@harford.edu.

Do you need transcripts from all the schools I attended?

Yes, in order for credit from another institution to be evaluated by Harford, you must submit all prior undergraduate transcripts. Harford Community College cannot accept transfer credit for coursework evaluated by another institution. 

Can I earn transfer credit from schools outside the United States?

Yes, however, these documents must be evaluated and translated by a credential evaluation service. Harford Community College does not evaluate documents issued directly from an out-of-county school.  Harford requires a course-by-course evaluation and accepts official transcript evaluations from any NACES approved agency or AACRAO. 

Is there a point when my previous coursework is considered too old?

No. Previously completed coursework does not expire. However, you may be required to submit course descriptions and/or syllabi that were in effect at the time you completed the work at your previous institution. You will be notified by the Transcript Evaluator if this is required.

How long does it take for a transcript evaluation?

For active Harford Community College students with a declared program of study, transcript evaluations are typically completed within three weeks of receipt. Some courses may require a Dean's review and may take longer. You will be notified of a completed evaluation via your OwlMail account. Transcripts are evaluated as they are received so you may receive multiple notifications if you have sent more than one transcript and they were received on different dates.

Will you accept all of my previously earned credits?
Harford's transfer credit policy is to accept only courses that directly apply to your declared program of study. Transfer credit may be granted for a maximum of 45 semester credits. A minimum of fifteen credits must be completed at Harford in order to graduate with an associate degree. Certificate seeking students are required to complete twenty-five percent of the certificate requirements at Harford.

Will I need to submit course descriptions/syllabi from my other college?
In order for your transcripts to be evaluated, the Transcript Evaluator may require you to submit copies of course and/or general education requirements from the appropriate catalog. Final decisions regarding transfer credit are made by the appropriate Academic Dean.

Does my previous GPA transfer?
Transfer credit is not calculated into your Harford Community College GPA. If you are applying to the Nursing program your transfer grades will be used for computing an overall nursing GPA for nursing admissions purposes only.

Do you require a minimum grade for transfer courses to be accepted?
All applicable general education courses earned from a Maryland public institution are acceptable for credit with an earned grade of D or higher. Courses for non-general education credit applicable to the student's program will be transferred in as long as the calculated cumulative grade point average of the block of courses is 2.0 or higher.

NOTE: Certain programs of study require a grade of C or better in some courses. These are noted in the Programs of Study section of the Academic Catalog. If you have repeated a course multiple times, the most recent course, regardless of the grade, is the only one reviewed. 

Do you accept credit earned at a college on the quarter system?
Harford Community College will convert courses taken at institutions that operate on a quarter system to semester credit if the credit is transferable. Quarter hours are multiplied by 2/3 (0.667) to equal semester term credit hours. General Education courses must convert to a minimum of 3 semester credits to be transferable.

Do you accept developmental or transitional courses?
No. Harford Community College does not accept developmental or transitional courses. When you meet with an academic advisor you may provide them with proof of completion for these courses but they will only be used for placement purposes.

Do you accept non-traditional credit (i.e. AP, CLEP, IB, DANTES, ACE)?
Yes. Official score reports must be sent to Registration & Records. A maximum combination of 45 non-traditional credits may be awarded upon completion of a 3-credit course at Harford. Credit is awarded based upon your declared program of study. Transferring credits to Harford Community College from Non-Maryland Colleges, grades of “D” will be accepted only if the cumulative grade point average from that institution is 2.0 or higher.  However, even with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher, Harford will not accept a "D" if any course within a program of study requires a “C” or higher.

Do you accept military credit?
Yes. For more information visit Military Transcripts.

Do you accept course work completed at the Master's level?
No. Harford Community College is an undergraduate institution and as such, cannot accept any coursework completed in a program leading to a Master's degree.

How do I register for classes at Harford Community College if my transfer evaluation hasn't been completed?
Meet with an academic advisor. They can use unofficial copies of your previous coursework to help you create a schedule and determine whether or not you are exempt from academic skills assessment testing. You should not register for any program or General Education courses for which you think you may receive transfer credit. Once your official transcript evaluation is complete you should review it with your advisor to determine if changes need to be made.

Can I transfer a diversity course taken at my previous college?
The College recognizes diversity courses completed at other institutions as long as they also satisfy a Behavioral/Social Science, Arts/Humanities, Interdisciplinary or Emerging Issues general education requirement at the issuing institution.

Do you accept nursing courses that were completed at another college?
No. Harford Community College does not accept nursing transfer credits. Contact Nursing directly with questions.

I received transfer credit for an equivalent Harford Community College course then retook it at Harford Community College. What happens?
Once you receive transfer credit and then repeat the same course at Harford for credit, the transfer course and credits will automatically be excluded from your transfer record and the Harford Community College course will be included in your cumulative GPA.

I am a current Harford Community College student. Can I take a course at another school?
If you plan to take a course at another college after enrolling at Harford, have the course reviewed in advance by an academic advisor. This ensures that the course will meet your requirements at Harford Community College. Transfer credit will not be issued if you have already passed the equivalent course at Harford.

I took a class at Harford and then repeated it at another school. Can I transfer the new grade?
If you failed a course at Harford Community College and then earned credit for it at another institution you may transfer the credit to satisfy Harford requirements. In such cases, the F grade from Harford will remain on your permanent record but the F will no longer affect your cumulative GPA. Students must submit an official transcript to the Registration and Records Office.

I'm interested in the nursing program. Now what?
The nursing program is a selective admission program and has unique requirements. Refer to the nursing program section of this website for more information and schedule an appointment to meet with an academic advisor.

I thought my transcripts were sent months ago but I haven't heard anything?
Give us a call 443.412.2309. We'll be happy to check.

I changed my program of study. Will you re-evaluate my transcripts?
Yes. As soon as you submit a Change in Academic Intent form you should also submit a Request for Transcript Re-Evaluation form. Both are available through OwlNet. Re-evaluation requests may take up to three weeks to review and you will be notified through OwlMail once complete. Schedule a meeting with your academic advisor to review any changes or acceptance of additional credit.

I received my evaluation of transfer credit. Now what should I do?
Transfer students are strongly encouraged to meet with an academic advisor prior to registering for credit courses. The advisor will review your accepted transfer courses and help you create a plan for completing your program of study at Harford Community College.