Incoming Transfer Students

Transfer Credit FAQ

• What is an official transcript?

  An official transcript is a transcript that we receive from your previous institution in a sealed envelope.  You may have it sent directly from your previous institution or you may hand-deliver it to the FCC Welcome & Registration Center, as long as it has not been opened.  Once an official transcript has been opened by you, it becomes unofficial.  Faxed, emailed, or internet copies are considered unofficial and cannot be used for evaluation purposes.  However, unofficial transcripts may be used to waive English/Math placement tests or other pre-requisites if the courses are determined to be equivalent to FCC courses.

• How do I request an official transcript from my previous college?

  This varies from college to college, but more than likely you will need to contact the Registrar’s office at your previous institution and they can provide you with information on how to request it.

• I went to a college/university in another country.  What do I need to do?

  Please see our page on Transfer from Foreign Institutions for more information.

• How long will it take for my evaluation to be completed?

  Once we receive your transcript in the Welcome & Registration Center, it typically takes 2 weeks for a transfer evaluation to be completed.  However, at peak times in the registration cycle, this turnaround time may change.  During the weeks right before and after a new term begins, it can take as long as 3-4 weeks to complete your evaluation. Other factors affect turnaround time, too.  If we require more information on a course or a department is reviewing course content, evaluations may be delayed.

• How will I know when my evaluation is complete?

  When we have completed your evaluation, we send an email to your MyFCC email account.  Once you receive that email, you can sign into your PeopleSoft  account to view your Transfer Credit Report.  Instructions on how to view your Transfer Credit Report will be included in the notification email.

• I am looking at my Transfer Credit Report.  Why didn’t you transfer in everything?

  We evaluate your transcript based upon the major you have declared at FCC.  If you need them, we typically transfer in up to 45 applicable General Education credits.  For students transferring from any University System of Maryland (USM) college, all applicable general education coursework with a grade of “D” or above will be accepted in transfer.  For non-general education coursework from a USM college, grades of “D” will be accepted only if the calculated GPA for the block of non-general education transfer courses is 2.0 or higher.  However, in programs of study that require a “C” or better for all coursework, a “D” will not transfer. For students transferring from outside the University System of Maryland (USM), grades of “D” will be accepted only if the cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher. If you already have a degree and have declared the program of Courses of Interest at FCC, we only transfer in equivalent courses to waive pre-requisites, like English Composition, a General Education math course, or BI101 or CH101.  You can always change your major and we will re-evaluate your transcript(s) based upon your new major.

• Why didn’t you transfer in my English/Math/Science courses? 

  It is possible that the courses you took are considered developmental or are just not equivalent to FCC’s courses and we cannot transfer them.  In the case of Maryland community colleges, if you completed the highest level of developmental coursework for English or math, we may exempt you from placement testing.   If you still have concerns about our evaluation, please call 301-846-2595 and we will be happy to set up a time to talk about your evaluation.

• I went to another college and they accepted all of my credits.

  Transfer credit policies differ by institution and state.  FCC abides by MHEC guidelines and our institutional policies when evaluating transfer credit.  Those policies can be found in FCC's academic catalog.

• You didn’t post transfer credit from all of the colleges I attended.  Why?

  We evaluate transcripts as they are received, so sometimes this means we have not received all of the transcripts you have requested.  When your other transcripts arrive and have been evaluated, we will send another notification to your MyFCC email account.  If all of your transcripts have arrived and we haven’t awarded transfer credit from a particular college, it could be those courses weren’t needed for your major.  If you think we were in error with our evaluation of a particular transcript, please contact us at 301-846-2595.

• How do I change my major? 

  We recommend meeting with an advisor to discuss changing your major.  Once you have explored all of the implications of changing your major, you can submit a Change of Major form to the Welcome & Registration Center.  Make sure you check on the form that you have previously sent transcripts.

• I am an FCC student, but I want to take a course at another institution.  What should I do to make sure FCC will accept the course in transfer?

  Before you register for a course at another institution, you should print out the Permission to Enroll form, fill it out completely, and submit it to the Welcome & Registration Center.  At that time, the Assistant Registrar for Transfer Evaluation will review your request.  Typically, a grade of “C” or better is needed to ensure the credit(s) will be accepted.

• I’m transferring to another college before I receive my degree from FCC.  If I take courses there, can I transfer them back to FCC to complete my degree?

  It’s possible!  Please contact the Associate Registrar for Transfer Evaluation at 301-846-2656 for more information.

• I took a course at another institution that I also earned credit for at FCC.  Can I still transfer it in?

  No.  Transfer credit cannot be awarded for a course if credit has already been earned at FCC.

• The grade I got at another institution is better than the one I got at FCC for the same course.  Can I transfer it in and improve my GPA?

  No.  Transfer credit cannot be awarded for a course if credit has already been earned at FCC and only courses taken at FCC are calculated in your GPA.  However, the higher grade may be used in point calculations for Allied Health programs with competitive entry standards.

• I failed a course at FCC, but passed it at another institution.  If I transfer it in, will my GPA improve?

  No.  Only courses taken at FCC are calculated in your GPA.  However, it may count toward your graduation requirements.

• There are only a couple of weeks before the semester starts and I haven’t submitted official transcripts to FCC.  I want to register for classes.  What can I do?

  If you haven’t already done, so you should apply to FCC.  After you have applied, request your official transcripts from any institutions you’ve intended and have them sent to FCC: Frederick Community College Attn: Asst Registrar for Transfer Evaluation 7932 Opossumtown Pike Frederick, MD 21702 You should contact the Counseling & Advising Office at 301-846-2471 to see about meeting with an advisor.  You should bring your unofficial transcripts/grade reports/standardized test scores with you to your meeting with the advisor, as this will help them determine if you meet pre-requisites for registration.