Student Veteran Association - Female Veterans with equipment

Military Academic Credit Review Board (MAC-RB)

At Commonwealth University, we value your military experience and want to save you time and effort by applying it to your degree.

Military and Veteran students may be closer to completing a college degree than they think through our MAC-RB program, which provides college credit for previous military experience!

This individualized process is innovative, even path-breaking. It exists nowhere else in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Only a handful of colleges and universities nationwide are doing anything so service intensive and academically grounded to support military students and veterans.

MAC-RB Program

  • The MAC-RB (Military Academic Credit Review Board), is a team of faculty, staff, and students committed to serving those who have served — or who are currently serving — in U.S. armed forces. This team conducts a focused, analytical review of all occupations, trainings and deployments an individual military student experienced over the course of their career in the armed forces and then provides CU credit equivalencies.
  • The MAC-RB will be responsible for ensuring military service and experience is acknowledged as appropriate academic credit on an individualized basis, and in a manner that is most advantageous to the student’s educational and career aspirations.
  • The MAC-RB, and its procedures were developed by Bob Heckrote, supervisor of the Office of Military and Veterans Resources, and William V. Hudon, professor of History, after administrative approval through a 2016-17 Strategic Enrollment Management initiative.
  • All current and former military members are welcomed and encouraged to undergo MAC-RB review.
  • Service members who are actively enrolled at CU will have priority over those who are not yet students.
  • Individuals who would like their materials reviewed prior to becoming CU students will receive an unofficial, preliminary review.
  • The MAC-RB process is not just for long-term, active duty military members. This process helps current, junior military members as well. Initially, the MAC-RB will be reviewing eligible students in order of academic credit seniority.
  • Board members understand military students hope for recognition of their military experience in the form of numerous transfer equivalencies. But whether their individual training and occupational specialization in the armed forces result in many transferred credits or not, all students undergoing the review will understand the rationale on which decisions are made through individualized explanation.
  • By commencing and implementing MAC-RB review, CU wishes to deliver an unmistakable message to U.S. military personnel: their unique experiences are recognized and valued.

Send an email to stvets@commonwealthu.edu stating you would like to participate in the MAC-RB review process. We will put you on a roster, and then we will contact you as we process the current students.

You will need to gather necessary documents to provide evidence of service.

  • DD-214 – Required (Member 4)
  • JST / CCAF – Required (we can help you request these)
  • Possibly additional military documentation showing what you have done in the military
  • Possibly a personal narrative detailing your military career
    • A prompt for the personal narrative will be provided at the time of consultation.

The MAC-RB process requires review of a military student’s evidence packets and personal interviews with the MAC-RB executive committee. The Office of Military and Veterans Resources will serve as a liaison to guide you through the necessary steps of the MAC-RB process. Coordination with the Office of Military and Veterans Resources, MAC-RB executive committee, and yourself will be essential in efficiently completing the process.

Illustration of Mountain
Military Helicopter on Quad at CU-Bloomsburg

What can the MAC-RB do for You?

MAC-RB program enables Air Force vet to graduate ahead of schedule.

Two soldiers pose in front of helicopter

Academic Credit for Military Training

Learn more about this Husky's journey to the top.

Student Veteran in Uniform - Black and White Image

Well, if you figured it on a scale of one-to-ten, the positive difference MAC-RB made for me was a twelve. It was the best thing that happened to help me complete the degree. I gained 19 credits through the MAC-RB. I had already done a lot of general education requirements in community college courses, so these nineteen credit hours were a big help.

Ian Whelan, '2019
BA in Russian/Eastern European Studies
Student Veteran in Uniform - Black and White Image

MAC-RB Contact