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Credit for Prior Learning
Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) enables students to earn credit for college-level learning they may have acquired outside of a traditional academic environment. CPL can be earned in a number of ways, including through Standardized Exams, Military Coursework, Departmental Challenge Exams, Credential Reviews, Academic Portfolio Assessment, or other Coursework Experience.
Student Eligibility:
Matriculated students who are enrolled in a degree-seeking program may be awarded CPL for learning which is deemed comparable or equivalent to University of Maine (UMaine) courses, and is applicable toward their degree progress. Departments conduct reviews of prior learning at their discretion. Students should contact their Associate Dean’s (AD’s) Office with questions related to CPL requests or eligibility.
Award of Credit and Transcription:
- CPL will be awarded based upon assessment of documented college-level learning, which demonstrates achievement (at a grade level of C- or better) of learning outcomes for specific courses, discipline areas, or general electives in accordance with institutional and departmental policies.
- Students may not receive credit for the same course or learning experience twice.
- Students will be notified via a message in their Mainestreet Student Center when credits are awarded for CPL.
- CPL will be listed as transfer credit on the transcript, but will not be calculated into the grade point average (GPA) and do not carry quality points.
- Credits earned through departmental challenge exams will count towards UMaine residency requirements.
The following are methods by which CPL may be assessed:
Standardized Exams
Students should request to have official score reports sent directly to the Office of Student Records (OSR) to be processed.
Advancement Placement (AP) Exams: UMaine awards credit for most AP exams which are successfully completed with an earned score of 3 or higher.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP):
CLEP exams are administered at UMaine through College Success Programs (located in Alumni Hall). In addition to the exam fee which is paid directly to CLEP, College Success Programs also assesses a $30 fee which must be paid in cash on the day of the exam. An additional $50 fee will be assessed by the English Department for evaluation of essays related to the CLEP Analyzing and Interpreting Literature exam. A minimum score of 50 or higher is required to qualify for credit at UMaine.
DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST):
DSST exams are competency based exams which are open to all learners and can be taken to earn college credit for knowledge acquired outside of a traditional classroom. A minimum score of 400 or higher is required to qualify for credit at UMaine. Students should register online through the DSST exam website, choose a testing site, and specify the institution to receive the exam score(s).
International Baccalaureate (IB-Higher Level):
UMaine awards credit for approved IB exams which are successfully completed at the Higher Level, with an earned score of 5 or higher (exams taken at the Standard Level are not eligible for credit).
IB exam and score report ordering information can be found at: www.ibo.org
Seal of Biliteracy:
The Seal of Biliteracy recognizes students who have achieved proficiency in English and at least one other language. UMaine awards credit to students who have earned the Seal of Biliteracy endorsement (proof of the language a student has been certified proficient in will be required). There are a number of foreign language testing services which may be used to demonstrate proficiency, however, scores must align with the Intermediate-Mid Proficiency level of the ACTFL Proficiency Scale in order to receive Seal of Biliteracy certification. Students who are evaluated at the Advanced-Low or higher proficiency level on the ACTFL OPI or OPIc proficiency tests will receive an additional three credit hours of elective credit at the 300 level.
Military Credit
Students should submit a copy of their Joint Services Transcript (JST) to OSR to be evaluated (transcripts can be ordered at jst.doded.mil/jst/). Credit for military work will be evaluated based on recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) and will correspond to subject areas offered at UMaine.
Credit for Military Coursework: Only courses recommended at the upper or lower baccalaureate level will be evaluated for credit (vocational and graduate level courses do not qualify). A maximum of 15 credits will be awarded for military coursework, which will be applied as elective credit only, unless an exception is approved. Students seeking an exception should contact their Associate Dean’s Office to make a request. The Associate Dean’s Office will work with the appropriate department(s) to determine if an exception should be granted; supporting documentation may be required for review.
Credit for Other Military Experience & Training: Prior Learning related to training and other experiences in the military will be considered for CPL in the same way as other prior experiential learning. This type of experiential learning may be evaluated via CLEP/DSST exams or an Academic Portfolio Assessment (up to a maximum of 30 credits is allowed via Academic Portfolio Assessment). Students who have relevant experiences which relate to their program of study should contact their Associate Dean’s Office for more information.
Departmental Challenge Exams
Select departments at UMaine, including the English Department and the Department of Modern Languages and Classics, evaluate prior learning through competency-based exams. These exams are comprehensive assessments (either written, verbal, or demonstrative), which evaluate whether or not a student has met the learning outcomes of a particular course. Students must attain a specific score to earn credit.
Credits earned through departmental challenge exams will count towards university residency requirements. Interested students should contact the appropriate department for more information about available exams and any applicable fees.
Credential Review
Students may be eligible to earn up to a maximum of 15 credits for certain certifications, licenses, micro-credentials/digital badges, registered apprenticeships or other credentials which originate from organizations outside of a higher education setting, when there is an appropriate subject matter expert to review the learning and it is deemed applicable toward a student’s degree progress.
Any type of Credential Review will require valid proof of learning, such as the license or certificate awarded, course materials, or other information. Micro-credentials or digital badges earned through any for-credit courses, for which the student already has earned credit at UMaine, will not earn additional credit through the CPL process. Please be aware that submitting credential documentation does not guarantee that credits will be awarded.
Interested students should contact their AD’s Office to verify that the credential earned is able to be evaluated and is applicable toward their degree progress.
Academic Portfolio Assessment
Matriculated students who are enrolled in a degree-seeking program and have prior learning experiences which did not result in a formal exam score, transcript or other credential, may request an Academic Portfolio Assessment for learning which is applicable toward their degree progress (up to a maximum of 30 credits).
An academic portfolio is a student-prepared document which outlines, in depth, learning experiences gained outside the college classroom, and demonstrates how those experiences align with college-level learning. The goal of the Portfolio is not simply to list experiences or knowledge gained, but to examine learning experiences in essay form with supporting, verifiable documentation. Students should be able to prove to a subject matter expert that they possess the claimed learning and should articulate the relationship between their prior learning and the learning outcomes of one or more UMaine courses, while discussing the theory and skills acquired through their knowledge and experience.
Students should contact their AD’s Office to verify that their prior learning experience is applicable toward their degree progress and able to be evaluated as the UMaine course for which credit is being sought. Departments conduct academic portfolio assessments at their own discretion. Students may request an academic portfolio assessment by submitting an Academic Portfolio Assessment Request Form. A portfolio assessment fee for $50 per credit hour requested will be charged to the student’s account. This fee is non-refundable and is not dependent upon the outcome of the portfolio assessment. If credit is approved, the Office of Student Records will apply the approved credit to the student’s academic record and they will be notified via a message in MaineStreet. If credit is not approved, students will be notified by their Associate Dean’s office.
Other Coursework Experience
Certain coursework which does not qualify for regular undergraduate transfer credit may be eligible for CPL, when the coursework is deemed comparable or equivalent to one or more UMaine course offerings, and is applicable toward a student’s degree progress.
This may include graduate or post-baccalaureate level courses, courses completed at an institution whose accreditation is not recognized by CHEA or the USDE, professional development courses, or other coursework for which an alternative evaluation method does not exist. Students who are seeking credit for this type of coursework should contact their AD’s Office.
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