Your experience may be worth more than you think. Wayne State College offers opportunities to earn college credit for learning gained through work experience, military service, certifications, examinations, and other experiences.
Whether you're returning to college, completing a degree, or looking for ways to make the most of what you've already learned, Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) may help you save time and reduce the number of courses needed to reach your educational goals.
What is credit for prior learning?
Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) recognizes college-level knowledge and skills gained outside the traditional classroom. Depending on how and where you learned, credit may be awarded through a portfolio, examination, military training, certification, or other approved method.
Credit for prior learning portfolio
Wayne State College is among the colleges that give credit for work experience through a Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) portfolio process. Eligible students can document college-level learning gained through professional work, military service, volunteer work, certifications, independent study, and other experiences.
Students complete a 1-credit online CPL course that provides guidance in aligning prior learning with the outcomes of specific WSC courses.
Potential benefits
- Earn up to 18 college credits
- Save more than $7,500 in tuition and fees
- Reduce time to graduation by six months or more
Who is eligible and how does it work?
Students must be degree-seeking, in good academic standing, enrolled in at least one WSC course, at least 24 years old, and have five years of full-time work experience or its equivalent.
Through the online CPL course, students document college-level learning gained through their experience and demonstrate how it meets the learning outcomes of a specific WSC undergraduate course. The appropriate academic unit reviews the portfolio and determines whether credit will be awarded.
Credit is awarded for learning gained through experience—not for the experience itself. Students may not request CPL credit for a course they have previously attempted.
CPL portfolio credit policies
- Students may earn a maximum of 18 credit hours through portfolio review.
- Submission of a portfolio does not guarantee credit.
- Credit is recorded as S/NC (Satisfactory/No Credit).
- CPL credit does not count toward the 30 hours of graded coursework that must be earned at WSC but may count toward the 40 hours of upper-level coursework.
- No tuition or transcription fees are assessed for credits awarded through the portfolio process.
- Students planning to transfer CPL credit should check with the receiving institution to determine whether it will be accepted.
Questions about the CPL portfolio?
Wondering whether your work experience, military training, certifications, or other prior learning may qualify for credit?
Dani Eskens
Degree Completion Navigator
[email protected]
402-375-7267
Other ways to earn credit for prior learning
Wayne State offers additional ways to receive credit for previous learning, coursework, training, or examinations.
Credit by exam
Earn college credit by demonstrating college-level knowledge through an approved exam.
- Advanced Placement (AP) - Students who earn qualifying AP exam scores may receive credit for corresponding college courses.
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP) - CLEP exams also allow students to earn college credit by passing an exam rather than completing coursework.
- DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) - Current and former military service members may earn college credit through approved DSST examinations.
- Institutional challenge exams - Currently enrolled students may challenge select courses and earn credit by passing an institutional exam.
Credit for military experience
Current and former service members may receive college credit for qualifying military education and training. Learn more about credit for prior military experience.
Credit from other colleges and universities
Apply eligible coursework completed at other colleges and universities toward your Wayne State degree.
- College and university coursework - view our transfer credit policies.
- Dual credit - College credits earned while in high school may apply toward your Wayne State degree. Learn more about dual credit.
International baccalaureate (IB)
Students who completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme may receive college credit based on qualifying coursework and examination results. Acceptance of specific credits is determined in consultation with appropriate academic departments. Contact the Records and Registration Office for more information.
