Acceleration Mechanisms
The purpose of this Board Rule is to establish Board policy regarding acceleration mechanisms for program completion.
The College shall provide various opportunities for high school and/or college students to accelerate their postsecondary education in accordance with Florida Statutes and Florida Administrative Code.
The College shall provide students with the following acceleration mechanisms for program completion:
- Dual Enrollment - High school students from Pasco or Hernando County public schools and students from nonpublic schools, including home schools that have certified their curriculum meets State of Florida standards, may become eligible for dual enrollment if their school has a formal articulation agreement with PHSC. These students may be dually enrolled at the College upon submission of the PHSC Application for Admission: Dual Enrollment Form, together with the permission of their high school principal, or designee Credit earned will apply toward high school graduation as well as for college credit.
- Collegiate High School - The PHSC Collegiate High School program allows eligible Pasco and Hernando public high school students in eleventh and twelfth grades to enroll in college credit courses to pursue an associate level degree as a full time college student at PHSC while still in high school. These students are eligible to successfully earn their high school diploma while completing 30 or more credit hours towards an associate in arts or associate in science degree, and if they choose, earn CAPE industry certifications. Credit earned will apply toward high school graduation as well as for college credit.
- Early Admission - PHSC’s early college admission program allows students nearing high school graduation to attend PHSC to earn credit toward their high school graduation. Early Admission students will be enrolled exclusively at PHSC and must enroll into a minimum of 12 college credits at PHSC each semester. Credit earned will apply toward high school graduation as well as for college credit. These students are considered to be dually enrolled.
- Transient Students - College students who wish to earn college credit at another institution and have the earned college credit apply toward a degree, certificate, or diploma offered by the College are considered to be a transient student. The process for obtaining approval to become a transient student is available at https://www.floridashines.org. College students who wish to become transient students must secure approval in advance from the College’s Vice President of Academic Affairs and Faculty Development/College Provost. Prior approval is required to ensure that college credit earned by a College student at another institution will be applied toward a degree, certificate, or program offered by the College.
- Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Program - Students may be awarded up to 30 credit hours of college credit based upon the transfer of Advanced International Certificate of Education (Cambridge AICE-British AS-Level and A-Level) Program credit, provided that the award of credit is consistent with the minimum score established by the Florida Department of Education’s Articulation Coordinating Committee. The College will award credit but not assign grades or quality points to courses associated with the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Program.
- College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Program - Students may be awarded up to 45 credit hours of college credit based upon the successful completion of one or more of the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Program examinations. Minimum qualifying scores and college course equivalents shall be established by the Florida Department of Education’s Articulation Coordinating Committee. The College will award credit but not assign grades or quality points to courses associated with the College Board Advanced Placement Program.
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP) - Students may be awarded up to 45 credit hours of college credit based upon the successful completion of the College Level Examination (CLEP) examinations. Minimum passing scale scores and college course equivalents shall be established by the Florida Department of Education’s Articulation Coordinating Committee. The College will award credit but not assign grades or quality points to courses associated with the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).
- Credit-by-Examination Tests - Students who are competent in a course approved for credit-by-examination may receive credit for the course by passing a comprehensive Credit-By-Examination Test administered by the College. The College will award credit but not assign grades or quality points to courses associated with the institution’s Credit-By Examination Tests policy and procedures. District Board of Trustees Rule 6Hx19-3.17, Credit-By-Examination Tests, contains additional information regarding the Board’s policy for this type of acceleration mechanism.
- DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) - Students may be awarded up to 45 credit hours of college credit based upon passing scores on the DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), in accordance with credit-by-examination course equivalents and the maximum credit guaranteed for transfer as determined by the Florida Department of Education’s Articulation Coordinating Committee. The College will award credit but not assign grades or quality points to courses associated with the DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST).
- UEXCEL (Excelsior College) Examinations (Formerly Known as Regents College Examinations - Students may be awarded up to 45 credit hours of college credit based upon passing grades on UExcel (Excelsior College) Examinations. Credit will be awarded in accordance with credit-by-examination equivalents and the maximum credit guaranteed for transfer as determined by the Florida Department of Education’s Articulation Coordinating Committee. The College will award credit but not assign grades or quality points to courses associated with the UExcel (Excelsior College) Examinations.
- Experiential Credit - Students may be awarded college credit for experiential learning associated with minimum training requirements for employment. The College shall establish agreements with various entities and non-traditional sources of experiential learning. The College will identify these entities and non-traditional sources of experiential learning, courses equivalents, and the maximum credit guaranteed in its Catalog/Student Handbook. The College will utilize sources such as the American Council on Education’s (ACE) guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experience in the Armed Services to evaluate experiences and determine suitable postsecondary credit. Recommendations in this guide are advisory in nature and are not binding upon the College. After admission to a degree or certificate program has been finalized, a student may initiate the request for experiential credit by providing appropriate documentation. Experiential credit will be awarded only for those courses that are currently offered by the College and that can be used to meet specific program requirements
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program - Students may be awarded up to 45 credit hours of college credit based upon the successful completion of International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program examinations In accordance with credit-by-examination course equivalents and the maximum credit guaranteed for transfer as determined by the Florida Department of Education’s Articulation Coordinating Committee. The College will award credit but not assign grades or quality points to courses associated with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program
- Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) - DLIFLC is a multi-service school for active and reserve components, foreign military students, and civilian personnel working in the federal government and various law enforcement agencies
In order to obtain a degree, certificate, or diploma from the College, students must earn at least 25 percent of the hours required for the degree, certificate or diploma through instruction offered by the College.
The President shall establish procedures to implement the College’s acceleration mechanisms for program completion.