Credit awarded for prior learning is awarded in the following areas: Credit by Examination, Prior Experiential Learning, and Credit for Alternative Learning Experience (CALE). General guidelines for the awarding of credit for prior learning are as follows:
Credit by Examination
The College accepts credit by examination from the following: (1) Advanced Placement (AP), (2) International Baccalaureate (IB), (3) Cambridge International (CI), (4) College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and (5) Course Challenge. A maximum of 45 credits will be awarded for credit by examination. Once students have requested official scores to be sent to the college, they must submit a Transfer of Credit Form to have the scores assessed: (https://spscc.edu/sites/default/files/2023-02/Application_for_Transfer_…). Students wishing to be granted credit by examination must follow the procedures:
1. Advanced Placement (AP) – Students may receive credit for Advanced Placement scores of “3” or higher. Advanced placement grade reports should be requested from the College Board and sent to the Enrollment Services office. AP coursework completed through the high school class will not be accepted for credit without qualifying test scores. Students will be awarded credit for placement scores of “3” or higher and the corresponding courses will be transcribed on the student’s college transcript. Credits granted for general education or major requirements will be specified by the college; otherwise, elective credit will be granted. Students will be notified once the credit has been awarded.
2. Cambridge International (CI) - SPSCC will grant a minimum elective credit for each Cambridge International (CI) Examination for an A-level exam with a passing grade or above for approved examinations. Credit will be awarded on the basis of official CI Examination results, not transcript notation. Score reports should be requested from Cambridge International and sent to the Enrollment Services office. Credits granted for general education or major requirements will be specified by the college; otherwise, elective credit will be granted. Students will be notified once the credit has been awarded. Duplicate credit for the same subject taken on different exams will not be granted.
3. International Baccalaureate (IB) - SPSCC will grant a minimum elective credit for an IB Higher Level exam score of 4 or higher. Credit will be awarded on the basis of official IB results, not transcript notation. Credits granted for general education or major requirements will be specified by the receiving institution’s IB credit policies; otherwise, elective credit will be granted. Score reports should be requested from International Baccalaureate and sent to the Enrollment Services office.
4. College Level Examination Program (CLEP/DANTES) – Examinations are accepted if
students score above the ACE recommended score (normally 50). The distribution of credits must be no more than 10 credits in each of the following areas: English, natural sciences, mathematics, humanities and social sciences/history.
Test scores in the General Examination are not equated with specific course descriptions in the college catalog. Students with English scores above the 50 are not exempt from ENGL& 101 or 102 requirements. CLEP English scores and credits can be applied toward communications or humanities credit with the exception of ENGL& 101 and 102. Acceptable test scores and credits granted can be applied to the General Education List requirements. Students may receive credit in areas in which they have not already earned 10 credits. Students who have earned college course credit prior to taking the General Examination may earn credit in each of the five examination areas to the extent that the total course credits and examination credits do not exceed 10 in any general area. Students are responsible for forwarding CLEP exam records directly from the College Board to the Enrollment Services Office.
5. Course Challenge – Students may receive credit for a course by satisfactorily completing
a challenge examination. The purpose of a course challenge is to demonstrate a student has the same knowledge and skills as those students who enroll in, and successfully complete, the course. A student should have previous training, private study, work experience, or other bona fide qualifications indicating the student has knowledge or abilities equivalent to course completers. Students must initiate the challenge by completing a Course Challenge or Prior Experiential Learning Assessment Request form and submit to the appropriate instructional division for consideration of the request by the 10th day of the quarter. The student will be notified by the instructional department regarding the challenge request. Instructional divisions reserve the right to deny challenges for specific courses. If approved for the challenge, students must register for the course and pay full tuition and fees. An exam is administered and graded, with the grade recorded at the end of the quarter. The student cannot concurrently participate in the class the same quarter the challenge is requested. Instructional departments reserve the right to deny challenges for specific courses.
Prior Experiential Learning
Prior Experiential Learning – includes the skills, knowledge, and attitudes gained through non-formal (mainly work based) and informal (life experiences) means. Prior experiential learning is assessed through portfolio developmental and review. Academic credits awarded for this category must not exceed 25% percent of the credits needed for a degree. Students requesting Credit for Prior Experiential Learning must contact the instructional division to formally request an assessment and or evaluation of portfolio documents or artifacts by completing a Course Challenge or Prior Experiential Learning Assessment Request form and submitting to the appropriate instructional department for consideration of the request by the 10th day of the quarter. Instructional department staff will arrange for the appropriate review and assessment and will notify the student as appropriate. Instructional department reserve the right to deny request for specific courses. If approved for the assessment, students must enroll in the course and pay full tuition and fees.
Credit for Alternative Learning Experience (CALE)
Awarded through documented third-party training, industry certifications or occupational crosswalks. The training must be formal and documented. Transfer of military credit is done through the Joint Services Transcript (JST) and based on the recommendation of the American Council on Education (ACE). Students receiving College credit for military service through their JST or based on their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) must still earn credits consistent with the College residency policy in order to be granted a degree or certificate. No more than 25% of credits used for a degree can come from CALE. Students are charged a $25 application fee and $10 per credit for CALE (fee waived for military transcripts).