Upper School

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 Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) 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.

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.

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).

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

Yes. If a student decides to pursue dual credit, there will be a $285 fee per course (the cost will be billed through McDonogh's Business Office). There is also a small processing fee that must be paid directly to the college for the transcripts.

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, however, through McDonogh.

Students who pursue dual credit must pay $285 per course, and this fee is non-refundable. There is no withdrawal option; students can choose not to request the college transcript, meaning they'll just take the regular McDonogh course without receiving college credit.

Only courses approved by McDonogh and NDMU are eligible for dual credit status. Typically, these are advanced courses offered in the eleventh and twelfth grades.

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.

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.

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, or to begin graduate work. We encourage our graduates to take advantage of their full undergraduate experience.

At this time, McDonogh's only official partner is NDMU. We anticipate adding other partners 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.

As part of our agreement with NDMU, students are only allowed to take three dual credit courses per year.

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.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Director of LifeReady Kevin Costa.