Credit for Prior Learning

For over 50 years, Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) has provided a means for undergraduate students to earn college credit, accelerating their path to degree completion. According to Travers (2012), CPL is the granting of college credit for college-level learning acquired through various experiences, including, but not limited to, workplace training, military training and experience, civic activities, and volunteer service. This process acknowledges that valuable learning can occur in diverse contexts beyond the classroom, making higher education more accessible and efficient. CPL encompasses various assessment methods tailored to different types of prior learning, allowing institutions to award credit for incoming students' existing competencies.

Texas Woman’s University (TWU) recognizes that undergraduate students may acquire college-level knowledge and skills through various experiences outside the traditional classroom setting. At the undergraduate level, TWU awards CPL via credit by examination, military credit, and business, industry, and government certifications and examinations.

Credit by Examination

Credit by Examination is a method of awarding academic credit to students who demonstrate their knowledge, skills, or competencies in a specific subject area through standardized or institutional assessments. This approach allows students to earn credit for what they already know, bypassing the need to take a corresponding course.

Students entering Texas Woman's University may be able to gain University semester credit hours for examinations. Several examinations may earn college semester credit hours with a minimum score requirement. They include:

Contact the Office of Admissions or Academic Testing Services to learn more about Credit by Examination.

Military Credit

Military Credit refers to academic credit awarded to students for learning, skills, and training acquired through military service. This process recognizes the value of military experience and its alignment with academic coursework, allowing service members and veterans to accelerate their progress toward degree completion.

TWU follows the recommendations of the American Council on Education's Military Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experiences in the Armed Services.

Contact the Office of Veteran Education Benefits Services or the Office of Veteran Student Services to learn more about Military Credit.

Business, Industry, and Government Certifications and Examinations

Refers to the process of awarding college-level credit for knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired through professional certifications, industry-standard examinations, and governmental credentials determined to be equivalent to the learning outcomes of specific college courses.

Awarding this type of CPL bridges the gap between academia and industry, recognizing the value of learning outside traditional classrooms (Klein-Collins & Wertheim, 2013). It aligns higher education more closely with workforce needs, improving graduate employability and addressing skills gaps (Travers, 2012).

TWU has developed the Awarding Undergraduate Credit for Prior Learning Business, Industry, Government-Certifications, and Examinations policy that is optional to academic components and establishes the framework for awarding this type of CPL to undergraduate students.

Students seeking CPL must email their academic component administrator (ACA) and submit a formal evaluation request, along with the official TWU Credit for Prior Learning application form and official documentation of the certification or examination.

Below are the academic programs that are currently accepting this type of CPL. This is subject to change.

Name and Issuing Body of the Certification or Examination	TWU Undergraduate Program	TWU Course Equivalencies	Number of Credits Awarded
Private Pilot Certificate-FAA	Bachelors of Science in Aviation Science	AVS 1012, AVS 1021, AVS 1112, AVS 1121	6 SCH

References

Klein-Collins, R., & Wertheim, J. B. (2013). Growing importance of prior learning assessment in the degree-completion toolkit. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2013(140), 51-60. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.20076
Travers, N. L. (2012). What is next after 40 years? Part 1: Prior learning assessment: 1970–2011.The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 60(1), 43-47. https://doi.org/10.1080/07377363.2012.650571

Page last updated 3:41 PM, January 23, 2025