College Credit for Life & Work Experience
What is ‘prior learning credit’?
We are all about helping you save time and money as you pursue your degree. As part of that commitment, we offer prior learning credit – academic credit earned when you demonstrate learning that you’ve gained outside the traditional college classroom.
This type of credit is sometimes referred to as “credit for life experience,” even though the credit is awarded based on the learning that resulted from the experience – not the experience itself.
Since prior learning credit is non-traditional, evaluation has to be done very carefully to ensure that it meets ºÚÁÏÍø’s standards for quality. The evaluation process for this is called Prior Learning Assessment.
Two Ways to Earn Prior Learning Credit
Prior Learning Essays
- Enroll in the Personal and Professional Assessment course
- Write three essays about life experiences
- Receive elective credits for prior life learning! (up to 5 credits per essay)
- You’ll typically earn between 0.5 to 5 credits per essay, with the average in the 1-3 credits range
Professional Training Submission
- Enroll in the Professional Assessment Course
- Submit professional training items – like first aid training or real estate licensure – for evaluation and possible credit award
- Receive elective credits for prior life learning!
In both instances, you provide documentation of an adult (post-high school) experience, then describe and analyze the learning that occurred.
Average savings for students who earn eight PLA credits through the Personal and Professional Assessment course
Who is eligible for prior learning credit?
Here are details about earning credit and eligibility:
- Students actively enrolled in our Accelereated Online Degree Programs may be awarded a maximum of 30 semester hours of credit through the Prior Learning Assessment process.
- Credits earned through the Prior Learning Assessment process may be used to fill electives. They may not be used to fill general education or major course requirements.
- If you want to receive credit for Prior Learning Essays, you will need to enroll in ASPD 215 Personal and Professional Assessment course (3 credits). This writing-intensive class will teach you how to use the Kolb/Fry model of experiential learning to construct life-learning essays.
- The Personal and Professional Assessment course also teaches how to submit professional training items for evaluation and possible credit award.
- Students who anticipate submitting professional training and/or certification items for evaluation and do not intend to submit personal essays will take ASPD 195 Professional Assessment (1 credit).
Prior learning credit is just one reason the timing could be right to finish your degree. Read 11 Reasons to Consider Returning to College as an Adult to see others.
Debby Lute
Social & Behavioral Studies '19
It was really enriching to match my life experience with what I might have learned in college and get credit for it. You can earn up to 30 credits, which if you do the math, is about $15,000 in savings on your education.
