Earn college credit for what you already know to fly further, faster.
Your life experience has taught you something. As a parent, employee, community volunteer, or military veteran, you know how to lead, motivate, manage, communicate, and connect. At Ball State, we believe that adult learners bring valuable personal, professional, and educational experiences to the classroom, and we award credit for knowledge already mastered through prior learning experiences.
What is Credit for Prior Learning?
According to the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), Credit for prior learning, or CPL, is a term for various methods that colleges, universities, and other education or training providers use to evaluate learning that has occurred outside of the traditional academic environment. It is also sometimes called prior learning assessment (PLA). It is used to grant college credit, certification, or advanced standing toward further education or training.
Review Ball State’s official Credit for Prior Learning policy listed in the Undergraduate Catalog. This policy recognizes and values the diversity of students’ learning experiences and provides guidance to students seeking to obtain college credit(s) for prior experiential learning or non-credit training programs that are equivalent to college coursework.
Ways to Accelerate Your Journey
Military Credit
Have you taken college-level courses while in military service? You may be eligible to receive credit at Ball State if your official military reports of educational achievement indicate attainment of college-level equivalency. Your Joint Service Transcript (JST) is an official academic record that contains college credit recommendations.
Students should submit their Joint Service Transcript (JST) to admissions@bsu.edu for review and processing at the time of admission.
Ball State awards credit according to the guidelines of the Office of Educational Credit (OEC) of the American Council on Education.
Credit by Exam
Once you’re enrolled at Ball State, you can receive credit if you earn satisfactory scores on the subject exams of the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). These exams can be completed at Ball State Testing Center, or find a test center that’s convenient for you. Fees will apply.
Credit will not be granted for a CLEP exam if you have been or are currently enrolled for credit or audit in an accredited university course that covers the exam’s subject. You also cannot repeat a subject exam within three months.
Credit by Department
You may take an academic department’s exam for a course before you enroll or while you’re attending Ball State. Credit will be granted if your score meets departmental standards, but it cannot be awarded if you have been or are currently enrolled in that course for credit or audit. You may not repeat a departmental exam for credit for one year. Fees may apply. Some Foundations, Tier 1, and Tier 2 courses in Ball State’s University Core Curriculum are available for credit by exam.
Credit by Portfolio
Earn college credit for prior work and life experiences that do not fit into another category of recognized credit, such as a certification or exam credit, by highlighting skills with “evidence,” or a portfolio of work.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO SUBMIT A PORTFOLIO FOR EVALUATION?
Enroll and complete the free course which provides details on how to complete the portfolio. A student success coach will assist you through the process. Typically, students will provide an updated résumé and evidence of prior learning from certifications, badges, sample work products, multimedia projects, published articles, essays, blogs, etc. Please note that a submitted portfolio may not result in an award of credit. Portfolios are evaluated for alignment with competencies learned in a for-credit course by the faculty member or expert most familiar with the course content and approved by the Division of Department Chair. Students seeking portfolio review pay $150.
Ball State Faculty will evaluate portfolios and verify competencies using an evaluation rubric to ensure a rigorous level of mastery of the subject matter.
Credit by Credential
Lifetime Learning offers industry-recognized certifications and articulation badges. When you are ready, your completed credential could be the start of a degree. Credit equivalency for Lifetime Learning credentials is determined before you start your course through a curriculum mapping process with one of Ball State’s seven colleges, so you can rest assured your non-credit course counts towards credit if it is a Lifetime Learning “articulation badge,” or “same-as-credit” credential. Articulation badges feature the name of the for-credit course for ease in recognition, like the CompTIA A+ certification example below. Once completed, certified non-credit students who decided to join Ball State for an undergraduate degree earn three credits with the College of Communication, Information and Media (CCIM).
For a complete list of current articulation badges, visit our Credly badging platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find the official Ball State Credit for Prior Learning Policy?
The Undergraduate CPL policy can be found here.
The Graduate CPL policy can be found here.
What is the residence credit requirement?
Any course offered for credit by Ball State University is designated as residence or campus credit. Credit by departmental authorization is not considered to be residence credit. However, credit earned through various testing plans is considered residence credit.
Bachelor's Degrees —For students pursuing a baccalaureate degree, at least 30 of the last 40 credits must be residence credits. Read more here.
Is there a course to learn about portfolio review?
Yes, it is a free course. Sign up for the course here.
Does using Credit for Prior Learning cost anything?
Some aspects may have a cost such as the CLEP test and some departmental exams. The portfolio review costs $150 per review.
What is the appeal process for the portfolio review?
There is no guarantee that a submitted portfolio will result in an award of credit. Appeals may occur when the institution denies the student credit for their claim. To be eligible for an appeal, the student must demonstrate that one the following criteria applies. Read more in the UG CPL Policy.
- The standard assessment process was not followed.
- Feedback from the portfolio assessor was not sufficient.
- The student demonstrates evidence of bias in the review process.
How long will it take to earn CPL?
It depends on which CPL method(s) you plan to use. For a challenge exam, consider the amount of time you need for study and preparation and the time to schedule the examination. For the development of a portfolio and the review process, students usually take about a semester. The CPL advisor will work with you closely to help you understand the process.
What about transfer of credits from another institution?
Refer to the transfer office.
Who do I contact if I have questions about CPL?
You can fill out this form, and a CPL advisor will contact you directly. Or you can reach out to Lifetime Learning by Ball State at lifetimelearning@bsu.edu.