Undergraduate Credit for Prior Learning

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) recognizes learning that has taken place outside of college. A student’s prior learning experience may include work, industry-recognized certifications, trainings, apprenticeships, civic volunteer projects, or exams.  In some cases, there is no traditional transcript, and where a record does exist, there may not be an assessment or grade of the level of success in that learning space or experience. The experience or exam may or may not be backed by a verifiable agency. Depending on the judgement of the content area academic program, the evaluation of a prior learning experience, training, or exam may result in one of the following outcomes:

• No credit is awarded.
• No credit is awarded, but a requirement may be fulfilled. Students must still complete minimum credit requirements.
• Credit is awarded and applied as general elective credit.
• Credit is awarded and applied toward an academic program requirement (e.g., a major, minor, or certificate elective or required course).

CPL limits include:

• Credit awarded through CPL is subject to all applicable residency and degree requirements. Programs may impose additional restrictions.
• Degree or credential requirements must be met according to CU Denver rules and policies, including but not limited to upper division minimums and specifically required coursework.
• Not all courses are eligible for portfolio review or challenge assessment. Representatives of academic programs who oversee the courses/subject matter considered for CPL determine which courses may be considered for CPL beyond those required by law.
• Decisions about CPL are made by members of academic programs which offer the course for which the CPL is being sought.
• CPL decisions should be based on demonstrated learning of course content area, not the time invested in any activity, a particular location or sponsor outside of agreed upon MOUs, or other factors external to demonstrated learning.

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), military credit, and course challenges are regulated by Colorado Law. Please consult the CDHE website for more information.

CPL requests may incur processing fees.

Forms of Credit for Prior Learning Recognized by CU Denver

CU Denver recognizes four types of experiences that may be eligible for credit for prior learning. Academic programs determine which types of experiential learning are permitted for individual courses beyond those required by Colorado law.

At the time this page was published, GT Pathways and University Core courses were the only courses for which a course challenge opportunity was required. Future state legislation may affect eligibility or requirements, and CU Denver will follow the relevant state laws at the time the student seeks CPL.

1. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)– A preauthorized agreement with a provider of an experience or training:\

• These agreements can be found at CU Denver Specialized Transfer Agreements. Scroll to the bottom to find the “Workforce and Community Partners” list.
• Students in the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD) seeking to apply credits for a program for which there is an MOU with SEHD will work directly with their advisor on next steps. Teacher Education students who are seeking workforce training or job experience credits should instead complete the School of Education & Human Development form available on their CPL website, along with SEHD policies and processes.
• Credit is awarded when the CU Denver school or college communicates completion of the experience with documentation to the Registrar’s Office, or when the appropriate documentation is submitted through an admissions application in the case of a student who is new to CU Denver.
• The grade will appear as a “T” or transfer, and there will be no effect on CU Denver GPA.

2. Standardized Exams and Experiences:

Standardized local or national exams and experiences. These exams and experiences are communicated by records similar to official transcripts and are completed by the student in partnership with the organization providing the exam or experience. These include but are not limited to:

•  Advanced Placement (AP),*
• International Baccalaureate (IB),**
• Cambridge A-Levels,
• College-Level Examination Program (CLEP),
• DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST),
• Military transcripts, or
• Joint Service Transcripts (JST) describing military occupations.

*Must be taken before matriculating into college.

**Must be enrolled in an IB program to take the IB exam.

3.  Case-by-case portfolio assessment:

A portfolio is a compilation of documents or other evidence that demonstrates college-level learning at the level of “C-” grades or better. Portfolio assessment is used when a student is seeking credit for experience or training 1) that does not appear on their transcript or 2) that has not been previously assessed. Academic programs determine which courses are suitable for portfolio assessment.

• The experience must be verifiable by a third party.  For example, if the request is for work experience, the work supervisor must be able to make a verifiable statement that includes the number of hours, level of work, knowledge, and skills learned.
• The student requests a portfolio assessment by contacting TATeam@ucdenver.edu. Students should include basic information about the experience, knowledge, and skills along with the requested number of CU Denver course credits in the body of the email.

• The Registrar’s Office will contact a school/college representative who will find the appropriate academic program.
• The school/college will connect the student with the academic program’s representative to determine if the course is suitable for portfolio assessment. If it is deemed suitable, the student and the academic program representative will agree upon the required materials and submission guidelines.  Required materials for the portfolio provided by the student and required by the academic program representative may include but are not limited to:

• Timing of the experience (dates) and the number of hours completed,
• Description of the experience with specific skills and knowledge listed,
• Demonstration of related competencies,
• Syllabus,
• Curriculum,
• Written essay(s),
• Exam(s), and
• Assessment mechanisms.

Per Colorado Law, administrative fees for portfolio assessments may not be charged in excess of half the tuition of the course. CPL processing fees will be applied regardless of whether credit is awarded or not.

After the student pays the fee, the portfolio is assessed by the academic program representative who determines if there is sufficient college-level learning at the earned grade level of “C-” or better and determines the number of credits to be awarded. Credit is then awarded once the review process is complete and if a positive determination of learning has been made.
 

4.  Course Challenge:

A course challenge is a request from a student to be given an institutionally devised assessment or standard national exam to assess university-level knowledge and skills related directly to a specific CU Denver GT Pathways or University Core course. If the CU Denver course is not GT Pathways or University Core, a designee from an academic unit in the coursework area being sought for CPL assesses if the course is eligible for a course challenge.

• The course challenge process begins when a student sends a request to the Registrar's Office at TATeam@ucdenver.edu to be provided an exam or other form of assessment for a specific CU Denver course, based on reasonable demonstration of the student’s existing knowledge and/or prior experience in that subject.

• The Registrar’s Office identifies the appropriate school/college representative who will consult with the academic program in the course challenge area to determine if the course is eligible for a course challenge.

• If the course is eligible for challenge, students will be directed to complete existing standardized national examinations if available. If a standardized national examination is not available for the course, an institutionally devised exam, a comprehensive final exam, or an equivalent comprehensive assignment should be administered that would allow assessment of the student's knowledge and proficiency to determine whether the student has achieved a passing standard (equivalent of a "C-" or better).

• The program communicates the outcome with the Registrar’s Office in all cases.  A record is kept of the outcome of the assessment.

If the exam or assignment is passed successfully, the number of credit hours remain the same as the CU Denver course. Credit is applied to the student’s transcript as CPL credit in the transfer credit section. The grade will appear as a “T” or transfer, and there will be no effect on CU Denver GPA.

Administrative fees for course challenges will be assessed regardless of the outcome of the assessment and may not be charged in excess of half the tuition of the course.

Credit for prior learning policy links: CU System-wide Administrative Policy Statement (APS) on Acceptance of Credit for Prior Learning, specifically related to International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and military credit: https://www.cu.edu/ope/aps/8006