Placement

Placement Testing Requirements for Mathematics and English

First-time Stevenson University students will need to complete one or more Stevenson University placement tests prior to registration.

Mathematics Placement – All incoming freshman students are required to take the Accuplacer® mathematics placement test prior to registering for classes.

English Placement - The Sentence Skills and Reading Comprehension Accuplacer® exams are required prior to registration for all students with one or more of the following:

• SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score below 550
• ACT combined English and Reading subject test score below 44.

Placement Testing Exemptions for Mathematics and English

Incoming students who meet any one of the following conditions are not required to complete the mathematics placement test: 

1. Took a mathematics Accuplacer® placement test at another institution within a year of acceptance to Stevenson University. 
2. Completed a foundational mathematics college course at another college/university equivalent to or higher than Stevenson's developmental MATH 005# course and earned a grade of "C" or better, or completed a college credit-bearing mathematics course at another college/university equivalent to or higher than Stevenson's MATH 135 course and earned a grade of "D" or better. Students who quality for this exemption and plan to major in medical laboratory sciences or have an intended major in the School of the Sciences should still consider completing the mathematics placement test to see if they can qualify for MATH 147 or MATH 220. 
3. Received an Advanced Placement score report of a 4 or 5 on the AP Statistics exam (exempts students unless their intended major is medical laboratory science or within the School of the Sciences), a 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus AB exams (exempts all students regardless of intended major.) 

Incoming students who meet any one of the following conditions are not required to complete the English placement test: 

1. Achieved a score of 550 or above on the SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing section. 
2. Achieved a score of a 44 or above combined on the ACT English and Reading subject tests. 
3. Took an English Accuplacer® placement test at another institution within a year of acceptance to Stevenson University.
4. Completed a credit-bearing English course or an equivalent college-level composition course at another college/university with a grade of "C" or better.
5. Received an Advanced Placement score report of a 4 or 5 on the English Language or the English Literature exam. Students may also be considered exempt from mathematics and/or English placement testing requirements based on the IB diploma programme. Stevenson University recognizes the IB diploma programmer and will grade credit for scores of 5 or higher in the HL courses only. No credit is given for courses taken at the subsidiary level or for courses that duplicate others taken for Advanced Placement credit. Students with questions about IB credit should contact the Registrar's Office for further assistance.

Placement Information in Developmental Courses

Developmental courses in the areas of mathematics and English (MATH 005# and ENG 006#) are designed to improve skills in these content areas. Placement in and successful completion of developmental courses are required of students who do not demonstrate proficiency in the basic skill areas on the SAT, ACT, or the Stevenson placement tests. Students who are placed into developmental courses are required to complete them during their first year at Stevenson. These courses do not receive college credit, are not calculated in a student's GPA nor do they count toward the calculation of dean's list, but they do count toward enrollment status for financial aid and full-time student status.

Placement Testing for Transfer Students

Transfer students are subject to the same mathematics and English placement testing requirements as first-time Stevenson University students unless they qualify for any one of the aforementioned mathematics or English testing exemptions previously outlined in this section. Placement tests (if needed) must be taken prior to registration.  Questions about placement testing may be directed to the Director of the Academic Link at 443-352-4123.

Placement in Foreign Language Courses

Stevenson University offers elementary and intermediate level courses in French and Spanish. First-semester foreign language classes (101) are not open to native speakers or students with two or more years of high school study. Placement is required for second-semester classes (102) and intermediate levels (201 and 202). Incoming freshmen who have scored 500+ on the appropriate SAT subject test or who have completed three or more years of high school language within two years will be placed in an intermediate-level class. Placement can also be determined by scores on the Advanced Placement test, by International Baccalaureate achievement levels, or by a test or interview with an instructor. Full-time students interested in languages other than French and Spanish are eligible to participate in the Baltimore Student Exchange Program (BSEP) at area colleges and universities. Additional information about BSEP can be found in the Courses at Another Institution section under "Academic Information" in this catalog. Specific questions regarding foreign language placement should be directed to the chair of the English department.