Spalding University offers two options for prior learning assessment (PLA): credit by examination and credit by portfolio. Through PLA, a student is provided the opportunity to demonstrate whether his or her prior learning experience is eligible for the awarding of equivalent academic credit.

Credit by Examination: Prior learning credit may be awarded by examination through either:

• DSST/Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support
• College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The purpose of credit by examination is for a student to demonstrate that he or she has acquired university-level knowledge and skills through self-education, on-the-job-training, professional experience and independent learning. Any interested student should meet with his or her advisor to discuss the possibility of taking a test in order to earn equivalent academic credit that may be applied toward the completion of a degree. The student's advisor will help the student decide whether to proceed further and, if appropriate, refer the student to one of the local testing centers.

Spalding University accepts institutional credit by exam. Students may attempt credit by exam for many courses offered at Spalding. A list of CLEP/DSST exams and the corresponding Spalding course equivalent can be found of the Spalding University Academic Resource Center website under Advising Tools.

All credit earned through CLEP (College Level Examination Program) and DSST (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support) exams will be recorded as transfer credit. A student can earn a maximum of 30 credit hours with CLEP or DSST tests.

Credit by Portfolio: A student may earn a maximum of 30 credit hours through the creation of a portfolio in cooperation with the Council for Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL) and LearningCounts.org. The purpose of portfolio development is for a student to demonstrate that he or she has acquired university-level knowledge and skills through self-education, on-the-job-training, professional experience and independent learning. Once completed, the student’s portfolio will be evaluated by a trained CAEL evaluator in order to determine the number of equivalent credit hours that should be awarded. Interested students should meet with his or her academic advisor to discuss the possibility of earning credit by portfolio. The academic advisor will help the student decide whether to proceed further and, if appropriate, refer the student to an advisor from Council for Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL). Next steps for the student include:

• Enrolling in the LearningCounts.org course, CAEL-100. This six-week course prepares a student to create his or her portfolio for evaluation. Students who successfully complete CAEL-100 may earn three hours of credit that may be transferred to Spalding University as elective credit. The course fee for CAEL-100 is $500, payable to LearningCounts.org. This $500 fee is not covered by Spalding financial aid resources.
• Creating his or her portfolio and requesting an evaluation. Portfolios are evaluated by trained CAEL evaluators. CAEL will evaluate portfolios for credit and transcribe credit on a National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) of the Board of Regents of The University of the State of New York transcript. The portfolio fee is $250, payable to LearningCounts.org. The $250 fee is not covered by Spalding financial aid resources.
• Requesting that an official NCCRS transcript be submitted to Spalding University.

All credits earned through portfolio development and assessment will be recorded as transfer credits. A student may earn up to a maximum of 30 credit hours through portfolio development.

Further information on:

Credit by Examination: CLEP
Credit by Examination: DSST

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