Dual Credit Program - Upper School - McDonogh School
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Upper School

Dual Credit Program

About the Program

McDonogh offers dual credit courses during the junior and senior years, enabling students to earn both Upper School and college credit simultaneously through approved classes taught by McDonogh faculty on our campus.

Enrolling in Courses

Approved dual credit courses are listed in the Upper School Course Description Guide annually. The guide is updated and announced each spring for the following academic year. To enroll, students must complete both the standard McDonogh course registration process and fill out the Dual Credit Signup Form.

Registration is open throughout the summer (specific dates vary yearly). After the registration deadline, a binding agreement will be sent in late summer or early fall to families, finalizing course choices and indicating program fees.

Receiving Credit

Once students successfully attend and complete a dual credit-eligible course at McDonogh, they can request college transcripts directly from the partner institution (a small fee applies).

Available Courses

The following courses are approved for dual credit at McDonogh School for the 2026–2027 school year.

We are partnering with Washington College, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU), and St. Mary's College of Maryland. The course list below indicates the college transcript that will be earned by completing the corresponding McDonogh School course, along with the number of college credit hours each course carries.

Note that, in some instances, the same transcripts are assigned to different McDonogh courses and levels. These university courses were determined to have enough breadth to map to more than one McDonogh course. For example, NDMU's PHY 101 General Physics I is the transcript earned in both Advanced Physics and Advanced Physics C.

Students and families, please note:

  • It is important to track the transcripts being earned so that you do not duplicate a transcript.
  • As part of our agreement with Washington College and NDMU, students are only allowed to take three dual credit courses per year from each institution.

Approved Dual Credit Courses: 2026–2027

Updated October 1, 2026

COLLEGE 
PARTNER		 COLLEGE 
COURSE		 CREDIT
HOURS		 MCDONOGH SCHOOL
EQUIVALENT COURSE
Washington College ENG 101 4 Advanced English III
NDMU ENG 103: Writing Well 3 Advanced English IV
St. Mary's College of Maryland ART 233: Topics in Art 4 Senior Art Capstone
Washington College MAT 111: Differential Calculus 4 Advanced Calculus
NDMU MAT 212: Calculus II 4 Advanced Calculus Accelerated
NDMU MAT 315: Differential Equations 3 Advanced Differential Equations and Advanced Integration
Washington College MAT 194 4 Advanced Power Series, Polar, and Parametric Equations (Semester Only)
Washington College MAT 109: Statistical Inference and Data Analysis 4 Advanced Statistics
NDMU MAT 243: Linear Algebra 3 Advanced Linear Algebra (Semester Only)
NDMU BIO 115: Environmental Science 4 Advanced Science Seminar: Environmental Science
NDMU BIO 110: Exploring Concepts in Biology 4 Advanced Biology
NDMU CHM 110: General Chemistry I 4 Advanced Chemistry
NDMU PHY 101: General Physics I 4 Advanced Physics
NDMU PHY 101: General Physics I 4 Advanced Physics C
NDMU BIO 201: Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 Advanced Science Seminar: Anatomy and Physiology
NDMU BIO 239: Genetics 4 Advanced Science Seminar: Genetics and Biotechnology
St. Mary's College of Maryland NEUR 110 4 Advanced Neuroscience
NDMU HIS 217: United States History Since 1865 3 Advanced United States History
NDMU POL 102: Introduction to American Politics 3 Advanced Government
NDMU ART 141: Global Art History, 1400–Present 3 Advanced Art History
NDMU ECO 211: Introduction to Macroeconomics 3 Advanced Macroeconomics
NDMU LFR 103: Intermediate French 3 Advanced French V
NDMU LLT 102: Beginning Latin II 3 Advanced Latin IV
NDMU LLT 103: Intermediate Latin 3 Advanced Latin V
NDMU LSP 103: Intermediate Spanish 3 Advanced Spanish V
NDMU CST 321: Java Programming 3 Advanced Algorithms and Data Structures
NDMU CST 171: Programming Concepts 4 Advanced Computing Systems Design

What Will Transfer?

Before entering into a dual enrollment partnership, McDonogh reviews each partner college's courses for transfer eligibility. While most courses will transfer, each college decides for itself how transfer credits apply. It's always advisable to check transferability before you rely on a credit.

Instructions: Checking Whether Your Dual Credit Courses Will Transfer

Before You Start

Gather this information for each dual credit course:

  • The name of the college where you earned the credit (i.e., your "sending institution")
  • The course prefix and number (e.g., ENG 101)
  • The course title
  • The number of credits

Use the Following Tools (Ideally, in This Order)

  1. Your destination college's own transfer-credit database is the most authoritative. Most colleges post a "transfer credit equivalency" search tool on their registrar or admissions website. Search online for: "[your college name] transfer credit equivalency." Enter the college where you earned your dual credit as the sending institution and look up your course.
  2. Transferology: A free national tool. Create an account, enter the dual credit courses you've taken, and add the colleges you're considering. It will show you how those courses are likely to match at each participating school. This is the best general-purpose tool when you're comparing several colleges at once.
  3. ARTSYS: Use this if you're attending a public college or university in Maryland. It maps how courses transfer among Maryland institutions.

Please Note

These tools show likely or estimated equivalencies. The final decision always rests with the receiving college, and it's usually made after you enroll and submit your official transcript from the college where you earned the credit.

When in doubt, email the receiving college's transfer credit office or registrar directly with your course number, title, and syllabus, and ask them to confirm in writing. In many cases, you can appeal a decision if the college at first refuses the transfer credit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is dual credit?

Our dual credit program allows McDonogh students — taking courses designed and taught by McDonogh teachers on our campus — to earn credit at McDonogh and through Washington College, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU), or St. Mary's College of Maryland. simultaneously.

These credits, in many cases, will transfer to most colleges and universities that accept transfer credits from other institutions. It is important, however, to check the websites of the colleges in which you are interested to learn about what transfer credits they do and don't accept. Colleges and universities have individual transfer policies, and McDonogh cannot guarantee that all credits will be accepted.

Why are we doing this?

Dual credit programming allows students greater flexibility when attending college since, in some cases, required general education courses are often satisfied by credits transferred upon enrollment.

When is the deadline to register?

Students register for dual credit classes through McDonogh as part of the annual course selection process. They will also have until two weeks after the class has started to elect dual credit status (specific deadline dates will be announced yearly).

What if a course offers dual credit status, but I don't want to pursue dual credit?

Dual credit is optional. A student can take the McDonogh course as normal without registering for dual credit.

Does it cost me anything to do this?

Yes. If a student decides to pursue dual credit, there will be a $325 fee per course for NDMU and Washington College courses. For the Art Capstone course, issued through St. Mary's College of Maryland, the cost is $400.

Students will be billed through McDonogh's Business Office. There is also a small processing fee that must be paid directly by you to the college for the transcripts.

Do I have to fill out a college application for any of the partner colleges?

Students do not have to fill out an application, but enrolled students and their parents will have to fill out a few short online forms as part of registration. Students will sign up for dual credit courses through McDonogh, however.

Can I withdraw from dual credit if I decide I don't want it?

Students who pursue dual credit must pay $325 per course, or $400 for the Art Capstone course, and this fee is non-refundable.

There is no withdrawal option. Students can choose not to request the college transcript, meaning they'll take the regular McDonogh course without receiving college credit.

Are all Upper School courses eligible for dual credit recognition?

Only courses approved by McDonogh, Washington College, NDMU, and St. Mary's College of Maryland are eligible for dual credit status. Typically, these are advanced courses offered in the eleventh and twelfth grade years, though students in lower grades may qualify.

Isn't this just like sending AP scores to colleges?

Dual credit is different! While colleges accept some AP scores to fulfill certain coursework requirements, these same colleges tend to accept most or all transfer credits from an accredited college or university.

In some instances, certain colleges may not accept transfer credit; please consult with your college counselor to make an informed decision about whether pursuing dual credit makes sense.

Why isn't it just like AP?

Dual credit isn't a curriculum with third-party exams. It's a benefit for qualified students who are taking college-level courses at McDonogh.

Does McDonogh feel that students should fast-track their college years? Is that why the School is doing this?

McDonogh believes that the typical four years of undergraduate study are critical in a young person's intellectual and civic development. Transferable credits, however, may allow students greater flexibility while in college:

  • To double major.
  • To travel.
  • To get field experience.
  • To begin graduate work.

We encourage our graduates to take advantage of their full undergraduate experience.

Can I take courses at other colleges for dual credit at McDonogh?

At this time, McDonogh's only official partners are Washington College, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU), and St. Mary's College of Maryland. We anticipate adding other partners in the future.

Will more courses be available for dual credit status in the future?

We anticipate expanding the number of courses available for dual credit in the future and will provide updates as the program develops.

Is there a maximum number of courses that can be taken per school year?

As part of our agreement with Washington College and NDMU, students are only allowed to take three dual credit courses per year from each institution. At this time, only one course will be issued by St. Mary's. That means, you could take two from Washington College, three from NDMU, and one from St. Mary's, giving you a total of six dual credit courses!

How will the selection process work for getting into courses that are part of the dual credit program?

General course registration at McDonogh is the same; students must qualify for the course in which they wish to enroll. If that course is designated as dual credit, then students can choose if they want to pursue that option.

What if I have a question about the program?

If you have any questions about the program, please contact the Senior Director of Mission Integration and Partnerships, Kevin Costa, at kcosta@mcdonogh.org.