Where do you want your Euclid experience to take you?

Adult students often bring a great deal of knowledge with them when they decide to get a college degree. Through prior learning assessment, college admission offices may award credit to students for their past life experiences as well as past formal education.

Prior Learning Assessment

Prior learning assessment is a method that colleges and universities use to evaluate the knowledge a student has gained through life experience. Prior learning assessment enables college instructors to evaluate life experiences as potentially equivalent to courses taught at the college level. There are three common ways in which prior learning can be assessed: through prior learning portfolios, standardized tests, and departmental credit.

Before choosing any of the following options, students should check with Euclid admissions to see how many credits the dean might accept.

• Credits for IT (and professional certifications)
• Credits for workplace / corporate training
• Credits for life experience
• Credits for standardized testing
• Credits for challenge examinations

Prior Learning Portfolio

A prior learning portfolio is a written record presented by the student requesting college credit for learning outside the classroom. Credit is given only for college-level learning, and the portfolio must be well documented and organized. The following elements are required:

• Identification and definition of specific prior learning for which college credit is being requested.
  
• An essay or narrative explaining how this prior learning related to the student's desired degree program, from what experiences it was gained and how it fits into his overall education and career plans.
  
• Documentation that the student has actually acquired the learning he is claiming.
  
• A credit request listing exactly how much credit the student expects in each subject area. Some colleges offer guidelines or courses to assist students who are preparing a prior learning portfolio. Some classes are required as part of preparing a prior learning portfolio.

Acknowledgement of sources: Significant portions of the information provided in this sub-section was taken from the Indiana College Network.

Please that Euclid will not grant credits or advance standing beyond the measure accepted as standard by accredited institutions. Degrees are never granted on the basis of prior learning alone.