Prior Learning Assessment for Academic Credit

Our students come to us with a vast array of work experience and training, and we recognize that not all learning has resulted from traditional classroom attendance. Our Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) program provides students with the opportunity to earn credit for learning outside the confines of a traditional classroom.

The PLA portfolio program might be right for a student if they have developed college- or graduate-level knowledge, skills, and abilities, and are able to demonstrate that these skills meet the learning objectives of an academic course. This prior learning may be a result of: 

• Work experience
• Formal corporate or military training
• Business ownership
• Volunteer work
• Civic leadership
• Hobbies
• Independent study

Benefits of Prior Learning Assessment

A study by the Lumina Foundation revealed that students who participate in PLA programs are more likely to persist and graduate. PLA provides many benefits to students because it may:

• Lessen time required to complete a degree and helps lower tuition costs.
• Eliminate redundancies associated with reviewing material students have already mastered.
• Allow students to demonstrate learning for which there is no standardized exam.
• Be ideal if students perform better on written assignments than tests.

Students can learn more about the program and if they might be a good candidate at: https://www.apus.edu/prior-learning-assessment