Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) allows students to earn college credit based on college-level skills and knowledge gained outside of the college classroom. Some examples of how students may demonstrate CPL are by external examinations, industry or military certifications, and/or student crafted portfolios. Students may receive CPL in place of a comparable course or graduation requirement.
For clarification on the processes, eligibility, methods of approval, and course options, please review the details on this website and within our College Catalog.
CPL can help you save time and money on your educational path. Students can now get credit for a course instead of just waiving a prerequisite. There is no cost in applying for CPL.
Students may demonstrate proficiency in a course eligible for Credit for Prior Learning and receive college credit through one of the following methods listed below:
- Achievement of a satisfactory score on an Advanced Placement (AP) examination.
- Achievement of a satisfactory score on the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).
- Achievement of a satisfactory score on a high-level International Baccalaureate (IB) examination.
- Evaluation of military service Joint Service Transcripts (JST)
- Satisfactory completion of an institutional examination, known as Credit by Examination
- Evaluation of student-created portfolios through experience (consists of knowledge and skills obtained through experiences such as military training, industry training, government training, internships, apprenticeships, work-based learning, other industry-based experiential learning or certification, validated volunteer and civic activities, and/or other courses).
Credits acquired by the above methods shall not be counted in determining the 12 semester units of credit in residence required for an Associate degree. Except for the college residency requirement, there is no maximum cap for units earned through Credit for Prior Learning. Noncredit students who are submitting a transcript evaluation request must be registered for credit level coursework or have an approved education plan on file for a credit level major. Students should consult with a counselor regarding the transferability of credit earned through prior learning.
- The student must be in good standing at the college
- The student must have previously earned credit or noncredit from the District or be currently registered in the District
- The course is listed in the current College Catalog
- The student is not currently enrolled in the course to be challenged
- The student must have an education plan on file. Student education plans are created with our counseling faculty – please schedule an appointment to discuss CPL and update your educational plan.
- Credit by Examination: The student is registered in the District and not currently enrolled in nor received credit for a more advanced course in the same subject
Courses Eligible for Credit by Examination
It is recommended that you meet with a counselor to review the course details before pursuing credit by examination. In discussing this further with a counselor, it is important to ensure that you are comfortable/prepared to be assessed on the specific course’s objectives. To better understand what is taught in our courses and what objectives each course aims to meet, please review the Course Outline of Record (COR) on our curriculum management database.
Requests made will be sent to the department chair for review. The department chair will follow up on the request and coordinate the credit by exam opportunity with you. It is important to note that the results of the exam will be added to your transcript, regardless of the grade earned. Students are only allowed to pursue credit by examination once per course.
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| ADMJ 001 | Introduction to Administration of Justice |
| ADMJ 002 | Concepts of Criminal Law |
| ADMJ 003 | Principles & Procedures of the Justice |
| ADMJ 004 | Legal Aspects of Evidence |
| ADMJ 005 | Criminal Investigation |
| ADMJ 008 | Juvenile Procedures |
| ADMJ 012 | Mental Health and Crisis Management in the Criminal Justice System |
| ADMJ 014 | Alcohol, Narcotics and Drug Abuse |
| ADMJ 015 | Sexual Assault Investigation |
| ADMJ 017 | Introduction to Homeland Security |
| ADMJ 021 | Community Relations |
| ADMJ 023 | Police Report Writing |
| ADMJ 026 | Organized Crime |
| ADMJ 032 | Motorcycle, Prison, and Street Gangs |
| ADMJ 033 | Introduction to Probation and Parole |
| ADMJ 041 | Introduction to Forensics |
| ADMJ 100G | Introduction to Corrections |
| ANTH 001 | Introduction to Physical Anthropology |
| ANTH 002 | Introduction to Archaeology |
| ANTH 003 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology |
| ANTH 003H | Honors Introduction to Cultural Anthropology |
| ANTH 004 | Intro to Linguistic Anthropology |
| ANTH 055 | Anthropology of Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion |
| CHEM 030A | Fundamentals of Chemistry |
| CHEM 030A | Fundamentals of Chemistry |
| CIST 004A | Computer Programming I (C++ Language) |
| CIST 004A1 | Computer Programming I (Java) |
| COMM 020 | Argumentation and Debate |
| ECON 001A | Principles of Macroeconomics |
| ECON 001AH | Honors Principles of Macroeconomics |
| ECON 001B | Principles of Microeconomics |
| ECON 001BH | Honors Principles of Microeconomics |
| HTCH 001 | Introduction to Health Care |
| HTCH 002 | Medical Information Processing |
| HTCH 002 | Medical Information Processing |
| HTCH 004 | Structure and Function of the Human Body |
| HTCH 004 | Structure and Function of the Human Body |
| HTCH 005 | Basic Medical Terminology |
| HTCH 006 | Advanced Medical Terminology |
| HTCH 041 | Medical Office Business Procedures |
| HTCH 041 | Medical Office Business Procedures |
| HTCH 043 | Basic Medical Accounting and Record |
| HTCH 043 | Basic Medical Accounting and Record |
| HTCH 044 | Electronic Medical Records |
| HTCH 044 | Electronic Medical Records |
| INTD 005 | Introduction to Interior Design |
| INTD 036 | History of Interior Design |
| INTD 065 | Introduction to Computer- Aided Interior Design |
| INTD 065 | Introduction to Computer- Aided Interior Design |
| INTD 066 | Advanced Computer Aided Design |
| INTD 066 | Advanced Computer Aided Design |
| MATH 000D | Trigonometry |
| MATH 001 | Pre-Calculus Algebra |
| MATH 002 | Pre-Calculus Algebra and Trigonometry |
| MUSC 005 | Fundamentals of Music |
| MUSC 069A | Songwriting, Level 1 |
We recommend that you meet with a counselor to discuss your external experiences to better determine if they may be eligible for CPL. In discussing this further with a counselor, it is important to ensure that your experience aligns with the specific course’s objectives. To better understand what is taught in our courses and what objectives each course aims to meet, please review the Course Outline of Record (COR) on our curriculum management database: https://westvalley.elumenapp.com/public/
- Meet with a counselor to discuss parameters and create an educational plan
- Complete the Credit for Prior Learning Request Form
If you have not received a response about your request in over 1 week, please contact our counseling team at %20askcounselingFREEWEST_VALLEY