Monday, November 24, 2014

College Credits for Work Experience? Learn the Facts


You may be closer to getting your bachelor’s degree than you thought.  There are several circumstances where an individual may qualify to receive college credit toward an undergraduate degree based on their life or work experiences.

So how does it work?  Universities realize that many adult students bring a multitude of talents and abilities to their college studies so it only seems fair that they receive recognition for some of that experience.  At Governors State we could not agree more.   In fact our Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program, designed for traditional and non-traditional students, awards college credit toward an undergraduate degree for qualified individuals.

Of course there is a process that students must follow but we will give you a few examples of how it works.  Any individual who has been in the military in the last decade will most likely have earned ACE (American Council on Education) military credits that can be applied toward an undergraduate degree.  Even boot camp or basic training may be worth several elective college credits.  

Another way that adults can be awarded college credits is by taking a competency exam such as the CLEP (College Level Examination Program©). The CLEP program offers 33 single-subject college exams and five general exams.  The single–subject exams cover the same material that would typically be found in a comparable college course.  

For some people it may be more appropriate to write an essay on the experiences that provided the learning opportunities, and then add examples of artwork, certificates, licenses, business plans, articles, software, and videos that back it up. For these individuals, they submit a Prior Learning Portfolio for College Credit that is used to demonstrate college level learning from life experiences.     

Please contact a GSU advisor to learn more information about our Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program that is designed with adult students in mind.  Our courses are conveniently offered in a variety of formats including online and media-based. 

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We encourage you to explore our many degree, certificate and individual course offerings listed on our website.  Also be sure to take a look at the courses offered through the GSU Naperville Education Center.  For adult learners wanting to pursue a bachelor’s of arts degree, we offer one of the most adaptable "build your own" adult education programs.

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