Earning Credit for What You Already Know
A maximum of 30 credits will be accepted through all combined options of testing. Credit by examination will only be awarded within the first 60 credits of matriculation at time of admission and credit evaluation. The last 30 and at least half of the student’s major credits must be taken at Caldwell University.
AP: Caldwell University offers advanced placement and/or credits to students who qualify by earning scores of 3 or higher on the Advanced Placement (AP) tests administered by the College Board.
CLEP: The university recognizes CLEP credit for both general and subject tests which evaluate achievement at the college level in areas of the liberal arts education. Caldwell University also accepts DANTES, TECEP, ACT-PEP, NY Foreign Language Proficiency Exam, and selected other standardized examination scores. Credit awarded toward the major field of study is dependent upon departmental approval. CLEP credits are not accepted for duplicated course work.
PLA: Prior Learning Assessment is a method whereby learning gained through an individual’s life experience is considered as credit toward a college degree program. Individuals can apply for PLA credit through the portfolio method. This method requires the student to document their life experiences and demonstrate their similarity to learning gained through formal college level education. Caldwell University follows The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) guidelines in the award of credit.
A candidate for the PLA program must be an adult student, matriculated with at least 12 earned Caldwell University credits, and they must meet with the PLA advisor. A Student may earn a maximum of 18 credits towards a degree through the PLA process. Only 6 of these credits may satisfy major requirements. PLA credits may also be used to satisfy electives or core requirements. All PLA credits must be completed prior to the last semester before graduation and the recommendation to award PLA credits must be received by the Registrar prior to the beginning of the last semester before a student’s anticipated graduation.