Credit for Prior Learning-Undergraduate

Semester Hour Limits to Credit for Prior Learning

• Associate Degree - limited to fifteen (15) semester hours from any category of prior learning
• Bachelor’s Degree - limited to thirty (30) semester hours from any category of prior learning
  • Credit for Prior Learning must equate to Lakeland University courses
  • Evaluation Protocols of CPL courses are vetted and reviewed by the curricular committee of the appropriate school before adoption as practice.

Advanced Standing Credit - Lakeland University (LU)

• Students transferring with some technical diploma level courses may receive advanced standing semester hours toward cooperative education experience, internships, or practicum course equivalencies.

Approved Certifications

Students may earn Lakeland University (LU) credits for specific undergraduate courses aligned with industry certifications aligned and approved by faculty.

Students requesting CPL via Certification should:

• Submit a CPL request to their program advisor 
  • Submit certification documentation (within the last three years), such as:
    • Certificates of completion
    • Exam reports from employer or third-party training
    • Continuing Education Unit (CEU) certificate or transcript
    • Licenses/Certification documents
• Faculty sends documentation of approved requests to the Office of the Registrar
• Students are notified of CPL award and processing fees
  • Includes a $50 non-refundable administrative fee
  • Credit award = $75 per semester hour earned
• Bursar adds the fees to current bill cycle
  • Fees are not refundable.

Credit and Advanced Placement by Examination

Lakeland accepts College Board Advanced Placement Examination (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) tests as a service to students who wish to earn undergraduate credit awarded as semester hours, for college-level achievement. On most tests, enrolling students who achieve a score of 3 or higher on an AP, a score of 4 or higher on all Higher Level IB exams, and 55 or higher on a CLEP or DANTES exam may earn college credit and exemption from completing the equivalent Lakeland course requirement. Students may not receive AP, IB, CLEP or DANTES credit for any subject area in which they have already taken college coursework. Associate degree students who have completed 42+ semester hours or bachelor’s degree students who have completed 85+ semester hours of college coursework are not eligible for AP, IB, CLEP or DANTES credit. Lakeland allows a maximum of 30 semester hours of credit through equivalency exams towards the completion of an associate or bachelor’s degree.

CLEP tests fall into two categories: (1) General Exams, and (2) Subject Area Exams.

The General Exams in English composition, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences/history function are designed to assess knowledge of fundamental facts, concepts, and basic principles as well as the ability to perceive relationships.

The following specific CLEP exams with required score can satisfy Lakeland University course requirement(s):

Retroactive Credit for World Language Study

Students who complete a Lakeland University world language course above the first-semester level with a grade of “B” or better will also receive credit for all world language courses that are the prerequisite to that course. A student may earn a maximum of 14 semester hours, not including the completed undergraduate course. The course taken to earn retroactive credit must be the student’s first college course in the language.

Note: Lakeland University Credit for Prior Learning policy for World Language is applicable to Undergraduate programs only.

Work Experience

Students requesting Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) through the Work Experience option should:

• Submit a CPL request to their program advisor  
  • The request should include relevant work experience documentation, such as
    • Copies of employee performance appraisals
    • Job Descriptions
    • Resume
    • Other types of documentation can be approved by program faculty

• Faculty sends documentation of approved requests to the advisor working with the student. 
  • Student may earn a maximum of 10 semester hours of EXP 390: Cooperative Education Experience
• Students are notified of CPL award and processing fees
  • Includes a $50 non-refundable administrative fee
  • Credit award = $75 per semester hour earned
• Bursar adds the fees to the current bill cycle and notifies the Registrar’s Office to post credit for prior learning. 
  • Fees are not refundable.