Undergraduate Credit for Prior Learning Policy

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) provides students the opportunity to earn academic credit in recognition of college-level learning that has taken place through professional experience or expertise acquired outside of a college or university classroom setting. Northern Illinois University’s CPL policy is designed to ensure its practices meet high academic standards and are responsive to all types of learners.

General Policies

Oversight

Academic departments have general oversight for determining awards of credit for prior learning for courses which are normally offered by that department.

Decisions about awarding non-course-specific CPL in a subject area are made by the academic department responsible for that subject area. For interdisciplinary or interdepartmental courses, the respective coordinating committees or departments are responsible for making these decisions.

Departments or academic coordinating committees responsible for granting CPL are tasked with identifying and/or preparing suitable assessment instruments. When traditional examinations are inadequate or inappropriate for CPL decisions, alternative methods such as oral examinations, interview evaluations, creative works, and performances may be used to grant credit. These departments or academic units will determine the minimum criteria for awarding credit, the number of credit hours, and the method of recording the credit on permanent academic records, except as otherwise prescribed by this policy.

Eligibility

All undergraduate NIU students who are currently in good academic standing are eligible to participate in CPL as it relates to their degree program requirements.

Enrollment Residence Requirement

Credits awarded through CPL will not be counted toward the enrollment residence requirement of at least 30 of the final 60 credit hours for a degree being earned in coursework offered by NIU.

Credit Validation

CPL awarded for NIU courses must align with existing NIU curriculum using the course description and student learning outcomes for guidance. At least 70% of learning outcomes for a given course must match the learning outcomes validated through CPL.

Credit by Examination

Credit for External Examinations

Scores from nationally recognized external examinations (Advanced Placement, CLEP, IB, etc.) may be submitted at any time by enrolled NIU students or students admitted to NIU.

Credit granted on the basis of external examinations is reported by the Office of Testing Services as authorized by the appropriate credit offering units. As such, external test scores submitted to NIU for credit consideration are to be directed to the Office of Testing Services.

The University will uphold a centralized policy for awarding credit for external examinations (such as Advanced Placement, CLEP, IB) which specifies courses for which credit will be granted and the required cutoff scores. This policy will be managed by the Office of Testing Services, in consultation with the relevant academic departments and with the oversight of the Baccalaureate Council.

Credit for NIU Proficiency Examinations

Credit may be granted based on proficiency examinations developed by NIU academic departments. Credit granted based on NIU-developed or sponsored proficiency examinations will be reported to the Office of Registration and Records by the academic department or coordinating committee responsible for the proficiency examination. Academic departments or coordinating committees may, at their discretion and by mutual agreement, arrange for exams to be delivered and reported through the Office of Testing Services.

Credit by Examination Fees

All testing, score transmittal, and proctoring fees for external examinations (AP, CLEP, STAMP, etc.) are the responsibility of the examinee. No additional fee will be assessed for evaluating score reports from external examinations to determine the type and amount of credit to be awarded, nor for recording on examinees' permanent records credit awarded based on these scores.

A fee may be assessed for the administration and processing of results of proficiency examinations developed by the university. No additional fee will be assessed for recording on examinees’ permanent records credit awarded based on these examinations.

Recording and Reporting Credits Earned by Examination

All examination credit earned will be reported to the Office of Registration and Records. Credit for examinations is reported as credit hours earned with no attendant letter grade. No record of examinations attempted and failed should be sent to the Office of Registration and Records.

It is the responsibility of the Office of Registration and Records to record on students' official records all authorized examination credit earned using the symbol "CR".

Credit by Examination Program Coordination

Responsibility for coordination and interpretation of the Credit by Examination program, including both internal and external examinations, resides with the Office of Testing Services.

Credit by Credential Evaluation

Credit for Military Education

Students with military experience will be awarded academic credit based on the approved credit recommendations listed in the American Council on Education (ACE) Military Guide. Credit awards will be made for training and occupations that are directly applicable to the student’s degree program.

Credit for Prior Learning for Students with Professional Licensure

Some academic departments may award credit for a specific course or group of courses to students who possess a valid professional license or equivalent credential issued by a recognized professional licensure or accrediting body, provided the student meets all academic progress requirements determined by the department prior to the award of credit. The award of this credit may be delayed until the student nears completion of their academic program.

Credit by Prior Learning Portfolio Assessment (PLA)

Students may receive credit through experiential learning portfolios evaluated by NIU faculty belonging to the academic department(s) with oversight of the course(s) being considered for prior learning credit. Students may be required to enroll in a portfolio development course prior to submitting portfolios for evaluation.

Application of Credits

Credits awarded through prior learning assessment may be used to satisfy General Education or major requirements based on the awarded equivalent courses.

Prior learning credits will be designated on the academic transcript by the equivalent course number, course title, and number of credits awarded. A GPA-neutral grade of “CR” will be recorded for credits earned via PLA.

Number of Credits

Students may earn up to thirty (30) credits toward their degree program requirements through Prior Learning Portfolio Assessment.

Transferability

Course credit awarded by NIU through prior learning assessment may not be transferrable to other colleges and universities. Students should refer to the PLA and transfer policies of the institution to which they may wish to transfer credits. NIU does not accept transfer PLA credits awarded by another college or university.

Fees for Portfolio Assessment

Undergraduate students seeking credit for prior learning via an individual experiential learning portfolio may be assessed a nonrefundable portfolio evaluation service fee for each portfolio submission. The fee is not dependent on the number of credits awarded, and no guarantees are made regarding the award of credits when the fee is paid. There is no fee for transcription of course credits awarded through PLA.

Approved by Undergraduate Coordinating Committee, November 11, 1991 
Editorial Modification, February 6, 2004
Revision approved by the Baccalaureate Council, September 8, 2016