Credit for Prior Learning
Students may be eligible to earn credit for prior learning, which refers to the evaluation and assessment of a student's life learning through employment, training, and experiences outside an academic environment from which skills that comprise terminal objectives are mastered to an acceptable degree of proficiency for college credit, certification, or advanced standing toward further education or training.
Students who have demonstrated a learned competency through his or her life experiences will have the opportunity to compile a portfolio demonstrating said competency, successfully complete an IVCC Proficiency Exam within the content area, and/or provide evidence of suitable and appropriate industry certification, licensure, or registry, review of said portfolio, credentials, or exam results by a content expert.
Note that acceptance of credit for prior learning varies among transfer institutions. Credit for prior learning experiences does not count toward residency requirement for a degree or certificate at IVCC except for credits by proficiency examination. Fifteen hours toward a degree or 25% of the required credits for a certificate must be completed at the college prior to awarding credit for prior learning for degree or certificate seeking students.
• Portfolio Evaluation
Students may be eligible to earn credit for prior learning through the development of a portfolio to demonstrate learned competency resulting from life learning through evaluation of work experience, technical/vocational training, work-based training, continuing education units (CEUs), or other appropriate professional development. Students who have successfully completed state and/or national certification, licensing or registry examinations, and/or submit a transcript from the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) may also request course credit. The credit requested must be applied in the program in which the student is currently enrolled. The portfolio will be evaluated by an appropriate faculty member/program coordinator and an academic dean to determine whether outcomes for the course have been met. Recommendations for the granting of credit will be based upon the results of the faculty/dean review and communicated to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
• Proficiency Examinations