The type and amount of academic credit awarded depend on several factors, including the college or university transfer policies, your chosen program of study, and when you completed your training.
ACE recommends considering these factors when determining your available credit:
- Transfer Policies: Each educational institution makes its own decisions about accepting transfer credit. Individual colleges and universities determine how much and what type of transfer credit they will accept. Often there is a limit to the number of credits that can be transferred. Be sure to review all transfer credit policies posted online or discuss it with an academic adviser or admissions representative prior to choosing a college or university. Search for key terms such as “transfer credit” or “credit for prior learning.”
- Program of Study: Colleges and universities will compare your previous training and experience directly to the program of study (major) that you have chosen. If your previous training is in food services, for example—and you have chosen business administration as your program of study—alignment may not be easily found and transfer credit may not be awarded. Maximizing your CPL transfer credit may require careful selection of the program of study chosen at a college or university. Each college or university will have a degree map or catalog that describes the requirements to complete a program of study.
- Type of Training: In some fields, such as computer technology, it matters when you acquire the knowledge or take the training. Training completed 10 years ago may no longer be compatible with current college curricula.