Undergraduate Catalog

Prior Learning Credit

Students who have acquired college-level knowledge through employment, volunteer work, non-college based training programs or other means may be awarded college credit in several ways. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College accepts the credit recommendations of the American Council on Education for military training programs (including credit for physical education) and for business and professional training (e.g. programs or examinations of the American Bankers Association, American Management Association, International Association of Administrative Professionals, etc.) if the credits apply to a student’s program at the College. (See: acenet.edu/credit for the National Guide Online).

For other college-level learning, students may apply for college credit through a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Awards are made on the basis of faculty evaluation of student applications. A maximum of 30 credit hours may be earned through PLA. Details may be obtained from academic advisors or from the Woods Online office. Application materials for PLA must be submitted for evaluation before the student has earned 100 semester hours of credit completed towards the bachelor’s degree, or 45 semester hours completed towards the associate degree.

Not all colleges accept prior learning credit or credit by examination. If a student enrolled at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College earns such credits but does not complete a degree here, it is possible that some of these credits will not transfer elsewhere, depending on the policies of the receiving institution.