How Your Experience Can Become College Credit

How Your Experience Can Become College Credit at National American University

If you have substantial professional or life experiences, National American University (NAU) provides pathways for you to receive college credit for eligible prior learning, which could reduce the time and cost to earn your degree.

What is Prior Learning Credit?

NAU awards Prior Learning Credit for documented knowledge and skills you’ve gained outside the traditional college classroom, including credit awarded for:

• Experiential learning from professional and work experiences
• Non-transcripted military training
• Evaluated corporate training certificates
• Performance on national examinations (CLEP, DSST)

Experiential Learning and the Portfolio Evaluation Process

To receive Prior Learning Credit for experiential learning from professional and work experiences, you should submit a portfolio that demonstrates how your experience aligns with the ?learning outcomes of a specific NAU course. A completed portfolio should include:

• Autobiography summarizing relevant experiences
• NAU Master Syllabus demonstrating clear alignment between your documented learning and specific course objectives
• Supporting Documentation, including evidence such as professional certifications, completed projects, or official evaluations from employers

An NAU Student Services Advisor is available to answer questions and assist you in preparing your portfolio. Once submitted, your portfolio is evaluated by qualified NAU faculty to determine if Prior Learning Credit should be awarded.

Portfolio Evaluation Fees

NAU’s Prior Learning Credit Policy allows students with eligible prior learning to receive college credit at a significantly lower cost than the cost of a course.

• A $100 non-refundable portfolio processing fee per portfolio.
• An additional $50 per credit hour fee (refundable if credit is not approved)

Prior Learning Credit Limits Vary by Degree Level

The number of Prior Learning Credits that may be applied toward your degree varies by degree level.

• Undergraduate Degree students may apply up to 50% of required credits.
• Master’s Degree students may apply up to 30% of required credits.
• Doctorate Degree students may apply up to 20% of required credits (This limit includes combined transferred and prior learning credits, which together cannot exceed 20%).

Note: 365体育官网 and regulatory requirements may further limit the application of Prior Learning Credits.

Hypothetical Example: Meet Alex, a Healthcare Professional

Alex has 12 years of healthcare management experience and wants to pursue a bachelor’s degree at NAU. Recognizing that his career experience closely aligns with some required coursework, Alex compiles a portfolio including documented work experience, professional certificates, and training records.

He submits a portfolio for each course with the processing fee and the credit hour fee. Qualified faculty then review each portfolio and determine whether his experiences match the learning outcomes for specific NAU courses.

Based on this evaluation, Alex could potentially receive Prior Learning Credit that would apply to his coursework and reduce the time and cost to earn his degree.

Other Ways to Earn Prior Learning Credit at NAU

In addition to portfolio evaluation for experiential learning, NAU offers Prior Learning Credit for:

• Corporate Training Certificates evaluated in alignment with guidelines by the American Council on 365体育官网 (ACE)
• Non-365体育官网ed Military Training (365体育官网ed military courses are treated the same as courses transferred from a higher education institution.)
• National Testing, including accepted standardized exams such as CLEP and DSST with minimum scores

Additional information about Prior Learning Credit is available in the NAU Catalog and by contacting your Student Services Advisor.

Next Steps in the Portfolio Evaluation Process

?If you believe your professional, volunteer, or life experiences could qualify for Prior Learning Credit, contact your NAU Student Services Advisor for guidance and assistance in submitting your portfolio, including obtaining appropriate course syllabi, portfolio guidelines, and fee information.

Other Important Information

The award of Prior Learning Credit for experiential learning is contingent upon review of the student’s portfolio and determination by qualified faculty evaluators. Submission of a portfolio does not guarantee credit approval. Prior Learning Credits are not graded and therefore do not affect your grade point average (GPA). Prior learning credits are generally non-transferable, do not satisfy residency requirements, and are subject to established credit limits per degree program.