Credit for Prior Learning

Credit for prior learning is undergraduate credit awarded to enrolled students who successfully demonstrate that they have attained knowledge and skills through prior educational and and/or work experience, military training, industry training, state/federal government training, apprenticeships, internships, work-based learning, industry-based experiential learning, or other life experience. Through the credit for prior learning evaluation processes outlined below, students are offered the opportunity to earn college credit in specific courses for knowledge and expertise gained through these non-traditional means.

Student receiving this credit will be awarded a grade of “P” in the course for which they have requested credit. No quality points are earned, and such credit is not calculated in the student’s grade point average. Prior learning credits are identified on the student’s transcript as credit granted through prior learning. When such credit is awarded, the student’s transcript will indicate the method (e.g., examination, portfolio, military) by which the credit was granted.

Students requesting credit for prior learning must first determine that they meet the College’s eligibility requirements. They should first consult with their academic advisor to determine eligibility and then follow the appropriate procedure for the method by which they will request credit for prior learning.

Specific procedures and eligibility requirements have been established for requesting prior-learning credit for each of the following prior learning assessment instruments. Students should refer to Nunez policy# 1.018 (Awarding Credit for Prior Learning), which can be found in the Nunez Policies Clearinghouse. The policy describes all available options for receiving prior-learning credit and their associated criteria and procedures. In addition to following these procedures, students must also submit a “Credit for Prior Learning Application” form, which can be found on the Registrar’s website.

Students are offered a variety of pathways by which they may receive college credit based on prior learning. The means used for assessing knowledge and skills attained through educational or work experience and for awarding credit for prior learning include the following:

COLLEGE BOARD ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) PROGRAM

College Board Advanced Placement Examinations, which are taken prior to the student’s high school graduation and before admission to Nunez may be used to award credit for a variety of introductory or general-education courses in a student’s first semester of enrollment at Nunez. Students should review the College Board Advanced Placement Examination Matrix on the Registrar’s website for a list of available courses for which they may request credit. Students who have achieved satisfactory scores of 3 or higher on these exams can earn credit for the courses listed on the matrix.

COLLEGE-LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM (CLEP)

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams, which measure mastery of college-level, introductory course content, may be used to award credit for a variety of introductory or general-education courses, provided students achieve a qualifying test score.

Students should review the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) Score Matrix on the Registrar’s website for a list of available courses for which they may request credit. Students who have achieved satisfactory scores of 50 or higher on these exams can earn credit for the courses listed on the matrix.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT BY ACT

First-semester freshmen, transfer students, and dual enrollment students who submit American College Testing (ACT) scores of an acceptable level to Nunez Community College may request advance placement credit in English and mathematics courses without actually completing those courses.

English

  • A student who has an ACT English subscore of 29 or higher may receive Advanced Placement credit (grade of P) in ENGL 1010 if they successfully complete ENGL 1020 (English Composition II) with a grade of C or better.

Mathematics

  • A student who has an ACT Math subscore of 19-26 will be placed in MATH 1300 (College Algebra).
  • A student who has an ACT Math subscore of 27 or higher may receive advanced placement credit (grade of P) in Math 1300 (College Algebra) if they successfully complete Math 1400 (College Trigonometry) with a grade of C or better.
  • A student with transfer credit in a mathematics course higher than pre-calculus algebra may be awarded bypass credit for MATH 1300 (College Algebra) if approved by the Program Chair of Math and Science or their designee from the math faculty.

LIFE EXPERIENCE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (LEAP)

In accordance with recent trends recognizing non-traditional learning experiences, Nunez Community College offers students the opportunity to gain course credit through the Life Experience Assessment Program (LEAP). College credit may be awarded for knowledge gained through reading and private study but primarily through validated work experience. The central principle in the LEAP program is that what a student knows is more important than how the knowledge was gained.

Through a portfolio assessment and/or skills demonstration, Nunez Community College gives students the opportunity to prove what they know, or what they can do, that is comparable to the Student Learning Outcomes of the courses in which they have requested LEAP credit.

To request a LEAP assessment, students should first refer to Nunez policy# 1.018 (Awarding Credit for Prior Learning) in the Nunez Policies Clearinghouse. They should also consult with Program Chair who oversees the subject area in which the student is requesting LEAP credit. The Chair will determine if the student’s prior training, learning, and/or work experience possibly warrant credit via LEAP. The Chair will also determine the possible course(s) for which LEAP credit may be attempted. Only the Program Chair has the discretion to decide which courses qualify for LEAP credit.

Once a student is given approval to apply for LEAP credit, they must pay a non-refundable fee of $8.00 per credit hour prior to the submission of the LEAP portfolio. Military veterans, active military personnel, and their spouses and dependents are exempt from this fee.

Once the fee is paid, a student will submit a portfolio that demonstrates that their prior professional experience (including military service) has allowed for the development of skills and learning comparable to the Student Learning Outcomes of the course in which the student has requested LEAP credit, and the portfolio should prove that the student has acquired those competencies deemed necessary for specific course content. The portfolio must include a written narrative of the student’s experiences, which describes the source(s) of prior learning and explains how this experience(s) has contributed to the student’s professional, technical, and/or intellectual competency in the subject matter of the course for which the student is requesting LEAP credit.     

The portfolio will also include any of the following additional documents as requested:

  • A résumé detailing prior professional experience relevant to the student learning outcomes of which the student is attempting to prove competency.
  • Licensures, certifications, or awards that attest to a student’s proficiency in the subject matter of the course for which the student is requesting LEAP credit.
  • Letters of recommendations or testimonies from current and/or former colleagues that attest to acquired competencies.
  • Drawings, diagrams, artwork, etc. that demonstrate relevant knowledge or technical skill.
  • Documentation of specialized workplace/professional training.
  • Documentation of high school co-op professional experience/training.
  • Proof of prior coursework from a vocational/technical education program (including a validation of course content, contact hours, and evidence of completion and/or grades, if applicable).
  • Proof of prior non-credit coursework (including a validation of course content, contact hours, and evidence of completion and/or grades, if applicable).
  • Any other documentation required by the review committee that demonstrates competency for awarding LEAP credit.

When the course for which the student is requesting LEAP credit requires hands-on skills building and the application of certain physical skills, the student may be require to perform a demonstration of acquired skills, which is to be administered and assessed by a faculty member who teaches the course for which the student is requesting LEAP credit. The skills demonstration must be performed on the same day the student submits their portfolio for review.

INDUSTRY-BASED CERTIFICATIONS (IBCs)

Students who are currently enrolled and have previously successfully completed industry-based certifications (IBCs) may be eligible for course credit.  Nunez Community College considers the training and assessment required to obtain certain IBCs as being equivalent to certain courses that students may take for credit.

Students should review the Industry-Based Credentials Crosswalk on the Registrar’s website for a list of available courses for which they may request credit. Students who have earned any of the IBCs listed on the crosswalk may receive credit for the courses listed there.  

While students are eligible to receive full credit for a course via Industry-Based Certifications, in some cases and programs, Nunez reserves the right to request and assess supplementary assessment materials to establish course equivalencies. Only IBCs that are current and in good standing will be considered valid credentials for the awarding of credit.

CREDIT BY EXAMINATION

A student who believes they are qualified to earn college credit for prior educational or professional experience, non-credit coursework, or prior training may request credit by examination. This course credit is awarded to a student who can display the same competencies and meet the same student learning outcomes as those students taking a traditional course.
A student who wishes to apply for credit by examination must receive the approval of the Program Chair who oversees the program in which the course is offered. The Chair will determine whether the student’s prior learning and/or professional experience warrant consideration for credit by exam. In consultation with those faculty members who teach the course for which a student is requesting credit by exam, the Program Chair will determine which courses qualify for credit via credit by exam, as well as whether such an exam can be created and effectively administered. Only the Program Chair has the discretion to decide which courses qualify.

Once a student is given approval to apply for a credit exam, they must pay a non-refundable fee of $8.00 per credit hour prior to taking the exam. Students who apply for Credit by Exam for non-credit coursework previously and successfully completed through Nunez Community College will be exempt from this charge as will military veterans, active military personnel, and their spouses and dependents.

MILITARY CREDITS

Students who have earned credit through courses taken while in the armed services may apply for acceptance of these credits, which are articulated by the American Council on Education (ACE). The Dean of Instruction, the Dean of Nursing and Allied Health, or designee will determine which credits earned through military training are applicable towards graduation. These hours count as part of the total hours of non-traditional credits applicable toward a degree, diploma, or certificate.

Students must be able to provide a Department of Defense (DD) Form 295 and DD Form 214 (where applicable) to apply for Military Training and Experience Credit. Nunez may award credit for military experiences based on the ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. A student may receive college credit if the training parallels the student learning outcomes of a Nunez course for which the student desires credit and the credit meets a program requirement or is used as elective credit. Military credits are not counted as hours attempted; they count only as hours earned.

Upon request, individuals who have successfully completed Basic Training may be awarded three (3) credit hours in kinesiology as indicated in the ACE Guide. Official documentation of military training is required.

Students should contact the Dean of Instruction or the Dean of Nursing and Allied Health to discuss the applicability of military credit to fulfill degree or certificate requirements.

NON-TRADITIONAL CREDITS FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS

The College may accept prior-learning credits that have been awarded by other regionally accredited institutions. These credits have the same limitations in their use in meeting graduation requirements as do credit for prior learning for which a student is eligible. Credit for prior learning will be awarded through the same process as that of awarding transfer credit.