Transfer Credit

Current Students

Official Transcripts: Current University of Maine at Machias students who have taken a course or courses at another institution should have that institution send an official transcript to the Office of Student Records, 116 O’Brien Avenue, Machias ME 04654.

Repeated Courses: When a student completes the exact equivalent of a UMM course at another institution with an acceptable grade, the effect of the original grade on the student’s GPA will be cancelled. However, the grade the student earned at the other institution will not replace the original grade in the calculation of the GPA, in accordance with standard transfer credit policy. More information on the Repeat Policy can be under the Grades and Grading section of the catalog.
Courses within the University of Maine System:

Students who take courses from any other University of Maine System institution will have any credit earned with a grade of C- or better automatically applied as transfer credit to their academic record at the institution where they are matriculated.
Students should complete an Domestic Study Away form to ensure that the transfer credit will apply toward completion of their degree. Students who are applying for financial aid must complete a Domestic Study Away form available on the Office of Student Records website: https://machias.edu/registrar/wp-content/uploads/sites/93/2020/09/UMM-Domestic-Away-Form-1.pdf
Courses taken at other UMS institutions will be identified 35 days after the last day of finals. It will be the responsibility of the student to notify the Office of Student Records if subsequent grade changes require the original credit to be reevaluated.

Non-Degree Students

Transfer credit evaluations are not performed for non-degree students.

Transfer Students

Official Transcripts: Applicants must arrange for official college transcripts to be forwarded from previously attended colleges and universities to Application Processing, University of Maine System, P.O. Box 412, Bangor, ME 04402-0412. Veterans must submit a CCAF transcript, Joint Services transcript or Form DD295.
Credits and Grades: Academic work must be completed with grades of “C-” or better at regionally accredited institutions of higher education to be accepted towards meeting the requirements of a University of Maine at Machias associate or baccalaureate degree. Some courses may not transfer because a particular course is not applicable to any UMM program of study (with the exception of courses within the University of Maine System) or is not normally associated with a bachelor’s degree. Grades and grade point averages do not transfer. Credit will not be awarded for other institutionally based exams. The Office of Student Records maintains a transfer equivalency database of courses that are offered at some institutions that are transferable to the UMM.

Students with coursework from non-regionally accredited schools may inquire into the possibility of validating some or all of their learning through testing and/or approved university credit for prior learning processes. Students interested in this option should contact the Office of Student Records for more information

Pass/Fail Courses: Courses taken as a pass/fail must be proven to be equivalent to a C- or higher. Pass/fail courses can only be used as a general elective.

*A Special Exception was approved by the UMS Board of Trustees to accept grades under the Pass/Fail grading category for general education requirements for the Spring 2020 term and Academic Years 2020/2021 and 2021/2022. This includes Pass and Low Pass Grades which may or may not be defined.

Residency Requirement: Refer to the Degree/Graduation Requirements section of the catalog.
Time Limitations of Course Work: Some subject areas have changed dramatically over time. Courses over ten years old will be subject to additional review to determine if they are in fields where there have been significant changes making the material outdated. Those courses that are determined to be missing important new material will be excluded from transfer.
Core Education Courses: All students are also required to pass English 101 or an approved equivalent with a grade of C or better, and to complete the University of Maine at Machias core education requirements. Note: Students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution are exempt from the general education requirements except specific courses required by the major (i.e. writing in the major and capstone). Transferred courses that have direct UMM equivalents fulfill the same core education categories as their UMM counterparts, except for “writing intensive” courses. Students who wish to may request approval of transferred courses for meeting the writing intensive requirement by contacting the Division Chair that houses the student’s major. Transferred courses that do not have exact UMM equivalents, but are accepted for elective credit, may meet core education requirements. The determination will be made by the Office of Student Records. If the course title and description are insufficient to make the determination, the Office of Student Records will request further materials from the student.
Substitutions/Waivers: Exceptions to equivalencies (different equivalents, waivers of curricular requirements based on transfer credit, or assessment of student learning outcomes, or limitations on transfer credit applied to degree requirements) may be allowed and recorded at the division level, but will not appear on the official evaluation or University of Maine at Machias transcript.
Credit from International Institutions: The University of Maine at Machias accepts credit from international institutions, both for international students and for domestic students participating in study abroad programs. Academic transcripts submitted to the Office of International Programs, at the University of Maine, for evaluation must be certified original documents. Documents in a language other than English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. The Office of International Programs may request that a student completes an external credential evaluation through an accredited agency in order for UMM to accept the transfer credits. UMM awards credit to students who have earned the International Baccalaureate diploma, A-levels and other international tests. Contact the Office of International Programs in 240 Estabrooke Hall (207) 581-3437, international@maine.edu for information or visit https://umaine.edu/international/transfer_credit/
Prior Learning Credit/Internal Credit by Examination: Matriculated students may be awarded credit for prior learning for subjects comparable or equivalent to University of Maine at Machias courses. Reviews of prior learning portfolios are scheduled as required by the Office of Student Records. The process is outlined on the Office of Student Records website at https://machias.edu/registrar/home/records/portfolio-assessment/, and the student can contact the Office of Student Records with any questions. Prior learning is evaluated and credit is awarded through a portfolio review or an exam. The university will assess a $50 per credit hour fee that will be charged to the student’s account through the Bursar’s Office.
External Credit by Examination: CLEP (see College Level Examination Program Table chart) and AP exams (see Advanced Placement Credit Table chart) are accepted for credit as national examinations (for University policy regarding these exams, see the Admission section of this catalog). For students seeking English credit: The Arts and Letters Division assesses a $50 review fee for its evaluation of CLEP essays. Students who have already taken an exam must request an official score report to be sent directly from The College Board to the Office of Student Records. External credit exams may not be substituted for certain courses in the academic major. The number of credits students may earn through these exams varies.
Military Credit: Students should submit a copy of their CCAF or Joint Services transcript to be evaluated. Credit for military work will be evaluated based on recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) and will correspond to subject areas offered at the University of Maine at Machias. Only courses recommended at the upper or lower baccalaureate level will be considered for transfer credit. A maximum of 15 credits will be allowed as military transfer credit (not including prior experiential learning and credit for standardized tests) and the courses will count as elective credit only unless an exception is made. The process for an exception is as follows: the student should contact his or her division chair who will forward the material to the Vice President of Academic Affairs (via the Office of Student Records) who will make the appropriate decision. Credit for military experience: credit for learning due to duties or a position in the military is considered prior learning and will be considered in the same way as other prior experiential learning. See subsection “Prior Learning Credit” in this section.
Evaluation: An official evaluation of transfer credit will be completed after admission to the University and will be available in the student’s MaineStreet Student Center or in the Office of Student Records. This evaluation will show course equivalencies, free electives and if a course meets a core education requirement. How this information fits into the student’s degree program is up to the discretion of the division that houses the major. Students that do not agree with an evaluation of their courses may submit a syllabus used for the course to the Office of Student Records. The syllabus should be attached to a statement in writing defining which course or courses they feel were evaluated inaccurately. The Office of Student Records will review the appeal with a representative from the appropriate division and can be sent to ummreg@maine.edu.