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What is Credit for Prior Learning?
Many graduate and professional students arrive at Southern with a wealth of prior knowledge and experience acquired through work experience or professional training that align closely with graduate-level coursework in their area of study.
Select graduate programs at Southern allow matriculated students to demonstrate this prior learning through a portfolio assessment or examination and earn academic credit for this learning acquired outside the traditional classroom.
This option helps recognize real-world expertise while maintaining rigorous academic standards.
Prior learning eligible for graduate level academic credit following portfolio assessment must be:
- Aligned to the equivalent graduate-level course outcomes of a specific credit-bearing course currently taught in the graduate program at Southern.
- Well documented, thoroughly explained, and verifiable through evidence and an explanatory narrative.
- Based on experience that is of sufficient duration to acquire the level and amount of learning required by the graduate program.
For full details, visit the:
Credit for Prior Learning by Portfolio Assessment or Examination
Not all graduate programs at Southern accept credit for prior learning, and such credits can only be applied to a matriculated student’s degree program with the approval of the graduate program coordinator after the assessment has been thoroughly reviewed by faculty.
With approval of the graduate program coordinator, graduate students may apply up to 9 credits earned through prior learning into a program between 30-36 credits, or up to 25% of the total credits for longer programs.
The combination of credit for prior learning and transfer credit cannot exceed this limit. Many graduate programs have more restrictive policies.
Graduate Programs that assess prior learning through portfolio assessment
LIST GOES HERE
Graduate Programs that assess prior learning through an examination process
LIST GOES HERE
How to initiate a portfolio assessment or examination
Step 1:
If your graduate program is listed above, it is advisable to discuss with your advisor and/or graduate coordinator how your work experience/professional training aligns with eligible coursework before initiating the process. Make sure to reflect on the types of evidence/documentation that you could provide as proof of learning.
It is also important to review your financial aid and make sure that you understand if/how it may be impacted.
Note: The CPL fee is not a non-refundable examination fee of $250 will be charged per evaluation, regardless of the outcome. CPL examination fees are not eligible for payment with SCSU scholarship dollars. CPL examination fees are not covered by financial aid.
Step 2:
Complete the following application form which will be reviewed by your graduate program. (LINK)— Is this when the fee is paid?
Step 3:
You will be contacted by the Office of Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development within ___ days with your next steps.
Step 4:
Once you complete your examination or submit your portfolio assessment, it will be reviewed by faculty, which can take up to ____ weeks.
Step 5:
___ will notify you of the results of your assessment and if awarded, the credits will be applied toward your degree. If credit is not awarded, you may submit a second portfolio challenging the same course and pay the assessment fee again. If credit is not recommended for the second portfolio, you cannot resubmit.
Your official transcript will display a grade of “EP” (pass by examination) or “P” (pass for portfolio assessment) for the course requested along with the number of credit hours earned. The course will be transcribed to the term in which the assessment was evaluated.
What does a CPL portfolio assessment usually include?
Your graduate program will specify the expected content and organization of your online portfolio; however, portfolios typically include:
- Cover page and letter of intent
- Resume or CV
- An in-depth learning narrative (Kolb’s model for experiential learning?)
- Supporting documentation may include:
- Verification letters (on letterhead) from employers directly speaking to the learning outcomes
- Professional evaluations, commendations, job descriptions
- Publications, writing samples, grant proposals written, reports
- Recordings
- Licenses or professional certifications granted by state or national agencies, scores on licensing exams
- Evidence of promotion
- Completed workshops, micro-credentials,
- Other supporting evidence
