Credit Normally Allowed

All college-level courses (except some religion and theology courses) taken in U.S. regionally accredited two-year colleges and the lower-division of U.S. regionally accredited four-year colleges will be counted toward the degree. Upper-division, graduate, and professional courses from U.S. regionally accredited colleges will only be counted if needed to meet minimum degree requirements.

In determining transfer of a student’s credits, Santa Monica College honors prior course repetition actions taken by other accredited colleges and universities.

Consult a counselor for information regarding credit for coursework taken after leaving SMC. A maximum of six (6) semester units is granted for Cooperative Work Experience/ Internship.

Santa Monica College does not automatically review official incoming transcripts to determine how completed coursework may apply. Students must meet with a counselor to help them determine course applicability toward their specific degree, certificate, or transfer goals. Course credits are not automatically added to the SMC transcript. In most circumstances, credits are recorded to the transcript only after the student petitions for a degree or certificate. Students may submit a petition to Admissions & Records to post credits for successfully completed AP, CLEP, and IB tests. Evaluators will determine eligibility and post credits to the transcripts accordingly.

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Reduction of Credit

Non-Regionally Accredited Colleges and Universities

Under specific circumstances, students may transfer up to fifteen (15) semester units of credit from a non-regionally accredited college or university to Santa Monica College. To initiate the request for credit transfer, students should submit a Use of Non-Accredited Coursework petition to the Admissions Office. Please see Administrative Regulation (AR) 4000 — available online at smc.edu/AR4000StudentServices — for details.

Course Limitations

Basic Skills courses may NOT be applied toward the degree. See the Basic Skills Preparation Courses information above for details.

Students may apply as elective units toward any degree or Certificate of Achievement up to six (6) semester units of Independent Study credit.

Students may apply as elective units toward any degree or Certificate of Achievement up to eight (8) semester units of Cooperative Work Experience/Internship credit.

Foreign Coursework

Students who have satisfactorily completed courses from a foreign nation’s appropriately accredited university may be able to apply the course credits toward a degree at SMC. Students should consult a counselor BEFORE requesting to have credits evaluated, because the time it takes to evaluate a large number of units can delay enrollment. Courses must first be evaluated by an approved credential evaluation agency, and then reviewed by the SMC Admissions Office. Some courses may also require approval by the department chair. Once courses are approved, their credit(s) may be transferred to SMC.

To have foreign coursework credits evaluated, students should visit smc.edu/foreigncoursework and contact one of the approved credential evaluation agencies listed there.

Please note: Foreign coursework will NOT satisfy general education requirements for Area II, Social Science, Group A (American History/Government) or for Area IV, Language and Rationality, Group A (English Composition).

Credit for Prior Learning

Credit for prior learning is college credit awarded for validated college-level skills and knowledge gained outside of a college classroom. Students’ knowledge and skills might be gained through experiences such as:

Military training;
Industry training;
State/federal government training;
Volunteer and civic activities (e.g. Peace Corps);
Apprenticeships, internships, work-experience.

Credit for prior learning may be earned for eligible courses approved by the District for students who satisfactorily pass an authorized placement process. Authorized placement process may include the evaluation of approved external standardized examinations, transcripts, student-created portfolios, and credit by examination. Credit for prior learning may be applied toward a local degree, IGETC, CSU GE, or certificate of achievement.

Credit may be awarded to electives for students who do not require additional general education or program credits to meet their goals. This ensures that the credits help advance students toward certificates or degrees.

Credits acquired through credit for prior learning cannot be counted in determining the 12 semester units of credit in residence required for a degree.