Academic Advising Center

Credit for Prior Learning is a process that allows a student to receive course credit for equivalent life experience. In order to receive credit, the student puts together a portfolio of documentation that defines and quantifies the life or work experience and describes how it is equivalent to the requested course. The portfolio needs be reviewed by a committee of faculty members who are familiar with the course(s) that credit is requested for. For each course that the student seeks credit for, he/she should include:

1. Rationalization - an explanation of why the student feels that the specific life experience is equivalent to this particular course, how it equates to what would be learned in the classroom, and a brief description of the experience.

1. Supporting documenation - this inlcudes letters of reference, certificates, resumes, photographs, job descriptions, postion evaluations, tapes or anything else that demonstrates the experience.

The portfolio should also include an unofficial transcript and a degree checklist, to show how the student will use the credits towards his/her degree.

The documentation may provide sufficient information to award credit. When additional assessment is needed, it can be in the form of an observation, product assessment, interview, written examination, or a performance test. When there is sufficient evidence accumulated to award credit, an Evaluation Report (PDF 7K) must be filled out and submitted along with the portfolio to the Academic Advising Center.

For more details on evaluating Credit for Prior Learning, see the Evaluator's Handbook. (PDF 44K)