What
are the admission requirements for Advance?
Can
I meet with someone to learn more?
When can I start?
What
is the add/drop policy for Advance classes?
If I earn my degree through Advance, will
my degree be from Mount Mercy?
How
many credits can I transfer?
How
can I get credit for work/life experience?
Can
I earn credit for my service in the military?
How
much will it cost?
What
if I have already earned a baccalaureate degree?
Q:
What are the admission requirements for Advance?
A: General admission requirements:
- Must
be at least 23 years of age
- Must
have a minimum of three years full-time relevant work experience
- Minimum
cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher on 4.0 scale*
Applicants not meeting the above criteria may qualify for admission
upon consideration by the Mount Mercy College Admission Committee.
*In
accordance with the articulation agreement for Advance, students
who have earned an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree
from Kirkwood Community College are eligible for admission to
Mount Mercy College. Applicants to the RN to BSN Nursing Program
must have a valid RN license from the state of Iowa. [back
to top]
Q:
Can I meet with someone to learn more?
A: If you are looking for a little more than the “general
information,” the best way for us to accurately speak directly
to your experience is for you to first complete the application
process. Once we have admitted you, and the Registrar has reviewed
your transcripts, we will be able to provide you with an accurate
reflection of your transfer work, and also help you to determine
requirements that will still need to be completed for your program
of study by scheduling a time for you to meet with your personal
academic advisor.
[back to top]
Q:
When can I start?
A: You may begin your program of study every five weeks.
To begin the process, please complete the free
online application and have your official transcripts
sent to:
Advance@
Mount Mercy
1330 Elmhurst Drive NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Federal
regulations require that student files contain a certificate of
the highest degree earned. A high school transcript is required
for applicants who have not earned a post-secondary degree. If
you have not earned an associates, or higher degree please submit
a copy of your high school transcript or GED certificate. [back
to top]
Q:
What is the add/drop policy for Advance classes?
A: To drop a course without charge, you must drop prior
to the first day of the block in order to have your registration
deleted without charge. If the course is dropped on or after the
block
start date, but before the first night of class, you
will receive a “W” on your transcript reflecting the
withdrawal, but you will not be charged.
Please send an email to Advance@mtmercy.edu
to request any changes to your Advance schedule.
[back to top]
Q:
If I earn my degree through Advance, will my degree be from Mount
Mercy?
A:
Yes, at the completion of your program of study, you will earn
your degree and become an alumnus of Mount Mercy College. Advance@
Mount Mercy offers you the opportunity to complete your baccalaureate
degree from Mount Mercy, while maintaining the balance of your
personal and professional life outside of the classroom. Though
accelerated in delivery format, the course content and curriculum
is equivalent to the college’s traditional semester length
programs.
[back to top]
Q:
How many credits can I transfer?
A: If you are pursuing your bachelor’s degree via
Advance@ Mount Mercy, you may be eligible to benefit from the
75-hour transfer policy articulated with Kirkwood Community College
which allows students who have earned an associate degree in an
approved business major at Kirkwood to transfer up to an additional
12 hours over the 63 credit hour maximum allowed to transfer from
the two-year to four-year school.
If
you have an associate degree in any other major from Kirkwood,
or an associate degree from a different institution, you may transfer
up to 63 credit hours. If you have previous college coursework
from a four-year institution, but have not yet earned your baccalaureate
degree, you may transfer up to 90 credit hours. [back
to top]
Q:
How can I get credit for work/life experience?
A: To serve the growing number of adult students pursuing
educational/professional goals at Mount Mercy, the college implemented
a program for the assessment of prior experiential learning (APEL)
in the spring of 1981. The program is based on the premise that
what students know is more important than how or where it was
learned. The variety of circumstances in which learning may occur
is considerable -- work experience or training, travel, self-initiated
reading of study of programs, participation in the community,
professional organizations, etc. What must be understood is that
Mount Mercy College will not be assessing the worth of one’s
life.
Persons
cannot simply “cash-in” a miscellaneous sack of experience
for college credit. Coherent, convincing cases must be built in
which students identify specific learning outcomes stemming from
their experience(s), whatever their nature. These learning outcomes,
unlike experience per se, lend themselves to critical, objective
evaluation, and comprise what college and their faculties are
best equipped to judge. In order to be eligible for APEL through
portfolio development and evaluation at Mount Mercy College, students
must meet the following qualifications:
- Must
be at least 25 years of age.
- Must
be officially enrolled in a degree program at Mount Mercy.
- Must
be able to demonstrate that the experiential learning for which
they intend to seek credit is related to their educational goals
at Mount Mercy.
- Must
complete the assessment process, including the credit evaluation,
prior to their final semester.
During
your initial advising appointment, you are encouraged to discuss
your prior experience with your program advisor. If applicable,
you may elect to pursue credit for your prior and/or life experiences
via Mount Mercy’s Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning.
[back to top]
Q:
Can I earn credit for my service in the military?
A: Please be sure to identify your military service in
your initial advising appointment as credit hours may be obtained
for your service. Military education is evaluated upon the receipt
of an AARTS transcript, official transcript from Community College
of the Air Force, or your discharge papers. Each branch has its
own form of documentation -- be sure to contact your respective
branch office to learn more about having your transcripts sent.
It
is important to have your military transcripts reviewed by the
Registrar during your initial review prior to admission. The number
of hours that you are able to pursue through the articulated program
of Advance with Kirkwood Community College may be affected by
the number of hours transferring from your military education
as they are evaluated as two-year hours.
For
more information, please contact the Mount Mercy Registrar’s
Office at 319-363-8213. [back
to top]
Q:
How much
will it cost?
A: The tuition per credit hour for 2007-08 is $382. Therefore,
a three-hour credit course will cost $1,146 plus the cost of textbooks.
[back to top]
Q:
What if I have already earned a baccalaureate degree?
A: If you have earned your baccalaureate degree from
an accredited institution, all general education requirements
and general elective hours are waived. A Mount Mercy College graduate
or a person who holds a baccalaureate degree from another institution
whose accreditation is comparable to that granted to Mount Mercy
may earn a second baccalaureate degree at Mount Mercy College
by fulfilling the following requirements:
Must
be admitted or readmitted to Mount Mercy College and to a major
department other than the major department of the original degree.
Original
degree must be completed and not in progress before the student
begins work toward the second degree.
Must
earn at least 30 consecutive hours at Mount Mercy College beyond
the original degree, with a cumulative grade point average of
2.0 (or higher, if the designated major requires a higher average.)
Must
fulfill all requirements of a major (different than the original
major) as described in the College catalog in effect at the time
of admission or readmission to Mount Mercy College.
Pass/fail
grades in courses used for completion of the second degree are
unacceptable unless the course is designated in the college catalog
solely as a pass/fail course.
As
a second-degree graduate from Mount Mercy College, you will receive
a diploma and may participate in graduation ceremonies. You shall
not be eligible for graduation honors with exceptions granted
by petition through the vice president for academic affairs.
If
you are applying to Advance@ Mount Mercy and you have already
earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution,
you must complete the Second Major/Second Degree Declaration of
Intent Form prior to being reviewed for admission to Advance@
Mount Mercy. [back to top]
