Where Can I Find Out How to Transfer Credits for Work Experience to Earn a Degree?

Transferring College Credits

Transferring credits into your degree program is a great way to save time and money that you will have to invest towards your degree. But did you know you can earn college credit for work experience at many accredited schools?

Prospective students should exhaust all of their options when it comes to transferring credits so that they can give themselves a head start toward finishing their degree online. Here are some details on how to transfer life and work experience credits.

What Life Experiences Qualify for College Credits?

The American Council on Education (ACE) established its College Credit Recommendation Service in 1974 to help identify life experiences that may qualify prospective students for college credits.

Relevant life experiences that may qualify for college credit include:

• Formal training from an institution that is not a traditional college or university.
• Workplace experience within the field of your intended academic area.
• Professional licenses and credentials, such as being a certified computer programmer, secretary, or public accountant.
• Military training and experience.

College Credit Transfer Policies

Schools are increasingly acknowledging that experiential learning can enhance academic studies. Every school’s credit transfer policy is different, so prospective students should contact an admissions counselor at the school where they are applying to see if they might be eligible to transfer credits.

To get you started on your search, check out our list of online colleges that accept credits for work experience.

Some of the common ways to prove that your experiential knowledge translates to equivalent academic credits are:

• Passing a College Level Exam Program (CLEP), the results of which are accepted by more than 2,900 accredited colleges. There are five general subject exams and 33 single-subject exams available, which cost $80 each, which is much less than most college courses.
• Passing a DSST test, which is a subject exam tailored to students with military experience, for whom testing fees are waived, and organized by the United States Department of Defense.
• Excelsior College Credit by Exam is for New York State’s Excelsior adult education and distance learning programs.
• Academic Portfolios can be used to show knowledge and experience that cannot be shown in a standardized test. Applicable artwork, business plans, published articles, and other documents can be presented to earn college credit.

Who Can Get College Credits for Life Experiences?

Work experience credits are generally awarded to adult students who are going back to school to earn their degree, so many schools that accept work experience credits are online colleges that are designed for students who work full time or have other responsibilities.

The goal of these online college programs is to make it easy for non-traditional students to attain the academic qualifications they need to attain their dream job or promotion.