Retroactive Credits
If you have successfully completed certain advanced classes in high school, and enroll and earn college credit, you may be eligible to receive retroactive credit for the preceding courses. This can help you save time and money as you work towards your degree.
Eligibility for Retroactive Credit
To qualify for retroactive credit, you must be a degree-seeking student at UW-Green Bay. High school students in UW-Green Bay language courses may also qualify. Retroactive credits count toward your UW-Green Bay degree, but it’s up to other colleges to decide if they’ll accept them if you transfer. Retroactive credit is only awarded for specific courses and won’t count toward general elective credits or replace courses that are already on your transcript. These credits won’t affect your GPA and don’t count toward honors or residency requirements.
How Retroactive Credit Works
At UW-Green Bay, you can earn college credits for advanced preparation in Calculus, Music Keyboard Musicianship or World Languages (like French, German and Spanish).
French, German, Spanish or other World Languages
If you’ve studied a language in high school and enroll in a course beyond the beginner level (101), you can earn up to 14 credits for the lower-level courses you skipped. To qualify, you must get at least a “B” in the course. If you earn a “C,” you may still receive half-credit for the skipped courses.
For example, if you took two years of high school Spanish and enroll in SPANISH 202, earning a “B” or higher would give you 11 credits for SPANISH 101, 102 and 201. If you earn a “C”, you’d receive 5.5 credits for the earlier courses.
| French, German or Spanish 202 Prerequisite Courses | Credits for B or Better | Credits for BC or C |
|---|---|---|
| French, German or Spanish 101 | 4 crs. | 2 crs. |
| French, German or Spanish 102 | 4 crs. | 2 crs. |
| French, German or Spanish 201 | 3 crs. | 1.5 crs. |
| Total Retroactive Credits | 11 crs. | 5.5 crs |
To decide which course to start with:
- Count one year of high school language as roughly equal to one semester of college.
- We recommend taking the World Language Placement Test.
- Talk to a language advisor, especially if you are a heritage speaker or haven’t studied the language for more than two years.
Math 203 Calculus & Geometry II
Students coming with a background in Calculus can be placed in MATH 203 Calculus and Geometry II and may receive retroactive credit for MATH 202: Calculus and Geometry I. If a student receives a grade of “C” or better, then retroactive credit can be awarded for MATH 202 Calculus and Geometry. Credits for calculus at UW-Green Bay may also be awarded for satisfactory performance on an AP exam. For example, you can't earn retroactive credits for MATH 202 if you already earned equivalent credits for this course through the Advanced Placement (AP) program.
Retroactive credit for MATH 202 is not awarded to students who transfer to UW-Green Bay and have completed coursework deemed to be equivalent to MATH 203. If the student completes Math 209 or 305 at UW-Green Bay, they may submit an approved Retroactive Credit Form to the Registrar’s Office to be awarded credit for MATH 202 only.
Music Keyboard Musicianship
If you’re skilled in piano, you can earn retroactive credit for earlier courses by successfully completing advanced Keyboard Musicianship classes at UW-Green Bay. Since fall 2012, students successfully completing MUS APP 21 Keyboard Musicianship II, MUS APP 31 Keyboard Musicianship III or MUS APP 41 Keyboard Musicianship IV may be eligible to receive retroactive credit for preceding courses in this sequence.
In order to receive retroactive credit for one or more Keyboard Musicianship courses a student is required to earn a grade of “BC” or better; courses taken on a Pass/No Credit basis will not be eligible for retroactive credit. Retroactive credit will be given in Keyboard Musicianship for all the courses in the sequence preceding the one in which the student has enrolled, to a maximum of 3 credits.
To determine eligibility for retroactive credit students must consult with a member of the Music faculty who will advise them regarding which Keyboard Musicianship course they should take. If a student meets the criteria above, the instructor must complete the Retroactive Credit Form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office. The appropriate courses and corresponding credits will then be recorded on the student’s transcript.
Below is a chart depicting how retroactive credit would be awarded.
| Course Successfully Completed | Credits Earned | Retroactive Course Equivalent | Credits Received |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUS APP 21 Keyboard Musicianship II | 1 | MUS APP 11 Keyboard Musicianship I | 1 |
| MUS APP 31 Keyboard Musicianship III | 1 | MUS APP 11 & 21 Keyboard Musicianship I & II | 2 |
| MUS APP 41 Keyboard Musicianship IV | 1 | MUS APP 11, 21 & 31 Keyboard Musicianship I, II & III | 3 |
Transfer students who have completed coursework deemed to be equivalent to any of the classes listed above must meet with a member of the Music faculty to determine if they are eligible for retroactive credit.
Have Questions?
For questions about earning retroactive credits, contact Pam Gilson at testing@uwgb.edu or 920-465-2221.