Getting Credit for Your Experience - MSN Encarta

Has the thought of spending the next 3-4 years or more working to increase your education kept you from moving forward? If so, you are not alone; however, if you are an adult with work experience it may only take you 12-18 months to meet your goal of earning a college or university degree!

Getting Credit for Your Experience - MSN Encarta "Continuing Education
Getting Credit for Your Experience
by Christina Inge
More and more colleges are giving students course credit not just for completion of their classes, but also for their life experiences. These schools evaluate the educational value of on-the-job training, work experience, or even reading for fun--and they translate these experiences into credits toward a degree.

"Prior learning gives students like me the opportunity to be awarded with credits that have been acquired through traditional and nontraditional schooling, work, or other life experiences," explains Jorge Maldonado, management analyst, and Webmaster of the Midwest Center for Postsecondary Outreach at Saint Paul College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Maldonado has extensive experience from his current job, improving higher-learning opportunities for the deaf and hard of hearing. His technical expertise earned him eight credits that he could apply toward his master's degree in information technology from Capella University.

How to make your experience countMaldonado started by looking at his career experiences. "I had been working around computers and networks since the early 1990s when I started my own networking consulting company," he explains. He was able to show that he'd acquired knowledge in the computer networking field and also by teaching in a related field at Saint Paul College. These experiences proved valuable in more ways than one. Working with a school adviser, he developed a portfolio in which he showed how these experiences, along with the creation of a national data center he spearheaded in his current job, would fulfill the course goals of two information technology courses.

In effect, Maldonado's work experience gave him a head start toward completing his degree. And he's not alone. Many students are using prior learning to get closer to their degree goals. The key is to find the programs that work for you--and those that recognize the academic value in your experience.
Test outThe single most common way to transform lifelong learning into credits is by taking standardized exams, such as those offered by the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). These exams, administered by the College Board, focus on 35 different subjects, including American history, marketing, and algebra. They are accepted by most colleges in the United States, and can be worth up to 12 undergraduate credits, although each institution's credit-awarding policies vary. At Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska, taking a CLEP is a very popular option. "There are more than 500 [CLEP] tests taken annually [by Bellevue University students]," notes Wendy Shirey, Bellevue's testing center director. The money-saving aspect of "CLEPping" out of courses is a big reason why CLEPs are so popular.

When Diane Dick returned to school after being a stay-at-home mom, she faced a hefty financial challenge: All five of her kids were in college at the same time, and her husband was about to start, too. When she realized there was a way to offset her educational expenses and shorten her studies by almost a year, she went for it. Dick brushed up on her math skills using her son's college textbook, and increased her knowledge of psychology by reading a secondhand text she bought for 25 cents. This creative self-study netted her a total of 16 credits through CLEP exams in college algebra and general psychology.
So how do you make CLEP work for you? "Review the CLEP Official Study Guide to decide which tests best reflect [your] previous learning experiences," advises Shirey, then study accordingly. For more resources, check the College Board's CLEP information page.

Portfolio-based assessmentBesides proving her knowledge on a test, Dick used portfolio-based assessment to translate her life experiences into diploma-friendly credits. Before raising her children, she had written music and plays while managing performances for her local theater group. After working with a prior-learning specialist, Dick prepared a portfolio of her work and presented it for evaluation. "It's critical that you don't just present experience, but evaluate your learning in light of these academic skills," notes Dick. Her experience and learning translated into 18 credits in music theory and theater arts.

The portfolio assessment process varies, but at most schools, you'll need to start by looking for college courses that describe knowledge you already have. Then, begin collecting documentation that proves how much you've learned at work and at home. This can include photocopies of training materials and completed work assignments (ask your employer for permission to share these), letters from your supervisor, and creative projects that you've completed. You'll then need to target specific college courses and explain how your life-experience knowledge is equivalent to the skills and knowledge taught in their formal classes.

Experience in many fields can be validated with a portfolio. If your hobby is drawing, for example, you could include photos of your works, comparing what you learned with the requirements of your college's advanced drawing course. If you're a payroll clerk, you can take your score from the Certified Payroll Professional exam plus a letter from your manager attesting to your skills, and compare them against what's taught in a college-level accounting class.

The prior-learning assessment definitely helped speed Dick to the finish line. "Adult learners are always in a hurry to finish because we have so much else on our plate competing for our attention," says Dick. But there are other bonuses as well, including brushing up on academic skills and developing a better understanding of ways to achieve your ultimate goal. "I learned how I learn--and that helped me to succeed in my other coursework and become a better learner in my life."

Certifications for credit For James Parker, certifications from the workplace proved a different source of prior-learning assessment. When he embarked on a master's degree program in information technology, James already had certifications in advanced computer systems from his careers in the Air Force and the private sector. Through his school's prior-learning credit program, that expertise earned him four credits. "I had already learned this material hands-on," he notes, so it made sense for him to demonstrate how the exams were equivalent to his college coursework. Doing so allowed him to bypass a required course through a fast approval process: He provided his school with the certificate and a transcript of the exam to prove the extent of his knowledge.

Now chief technical officer and head of information technology at MDVIP, a leading medical-services company, James is glad he explored prior-learning credit. "It's the way to go," he notes, especially for those with full-time job and family commitments.

Certifications in plenty of other fields are also credit-worthy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, counseling, and teaching other languages are among the fields with professional certifications that could be translated into academic credits. In fact, some certifications provide substantial amounts of credit. At some institutions, the National Association of Administrative Professionals' Certified Administrative Professional certificate can translate into more than one year's credit.

On-the-job training Those who have learned new disciplines in on-the-job programs may have been earning college credits all along. For instance, the Mortgage Bankers' Association class on Loan Processing equals 1.5 semester hours at one online university. Working with the American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT), some schools have clear determinations on the amount of college credit thousands of popular workforce training courses are worth. Although each school determines if such transfer credit is appropriate, approximately 1,000 schools currently adhere to ACE CREDIT recommendations, notes Nancy Musick, assistant director of ACE's Credit by Examination program. Your school may have also approved some business training programs in addition to those approved by ACE, for even more credit possibilities. For more information, check the ACE National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training."

At Kennedy-Western University you can earn your Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate degree in 12-18 months. Apply your previous education and work experience toward a degree in Business, Engineering, Technology, or Health.