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Credit for Prior Learning

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)

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 .

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 001Introduction to Administration of Justice
ADMJ 002Concepts of Criminal Law
ADMJ 003Principles & Procedures of the Justice
ADMJ 004Legal Aspects of Evidence
ADMJ 005Criminal Investigation
ADMJ 008Juvenile Procedures
ADMJ 012Mental Health and Crisis Management in the Criminal Justice System
ADMJ 014Alcohol, Narcotics and Drug Abuse
ADMJ 015Sexual Assault Investigation
ADMJ 017Introduction to Homeland Security
ADMJ 021Community Relations
ADMJ 023Police Report Writing
ADMJ 026Organized Crime
ADMJ 032Motorcycle, Prison, and Street Gangs
ADMJ 033Introduction to Probation and Parole
ADMJ 041Introduction to Forensics
ADMJ 100GIntroduction to Corrections
ANTH 001Introduction to Physical Anthropology
ANTH 002Introduction to Archaeology
ANTH 003Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 003HHonors Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 004Intro to Linguistic Anthropology
ANTH 055Anthropology of Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion
CHEM 030AFundamentals of Chemistry
CHEM 030AFundamentals of Chemistry
CIST 004AComputer Programming I (C++ Language)
CIST 004A1Computer Programming I (Java)
COMM 020Argumentation and Debate
ECON 001APrinciples of Macroeconomics
ECON 001AHHonors Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON 001BPrinciples of Microeconomics
ECON 001BHHonors Principles of Microeconomics
HTCH 001Introduction to Health Care
HTCH 002Medical Information Processing
HTCH 002Medical Information Processing
HTCH 004Structure and Function of the Human Body
HTCH 004Structure and Function of the Human Body
HTCH 005Basic Medical Terminology
HTCH 006Advanced Medical Terminology
HTCH 041Medical Office Business Procedures
HTCH 041Medical Office Business Procedures
HTCH 043Basic Medical Accounting and Record
HTCH 043Basic Medical Accounting and Record
HTCH 044Electronic Medical Records
HTCH 044Electronic Medical Records
INTD 005Introduction to Interior Design
INTD 036History of Interior Design
INTD 065Introduction to Computer- Aided Interior Design
INTD 065Introduction to Computer- Aided Interior Design
INTD 066Advanced Computer Aided Design
INTD 066Advanced Computer Aided Design
MATH 000DTrigonometry
MATH 001Pre-Calculus Algebra
MATH 002Pre-Calculus Algebra and Trigonometry
MUSC 005Fundamentals of Music
MUSC 069ASongwriting, 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:

  1. Meet with a counselor to discuss parameters and create an educational plan
  2. 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