Credit for Prior Learning (Advanced Standing)

Please consult your assigned academic advisor at your home college if you believe you may be eligible for advanced standing credit.

Designated home college administrators will need to complete and submit an advanced standing form to Credit Evaluation on behalf of a student for processing if advanced standing credit is to be awarded.

Students transferring from foreign universities must submit course–by–course credit evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) to UC’s Office of International Admissions, in addition to an official, original transcript from the foreign institution. An excellent example of an affordable NACES member company is SpanTran.

Once received, information will be sent automatically to the home college for possible transfer credit award.

For more information or questions pertaining to international transfer, please consult the UC's Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Students wishing to receive credit for study abroad programs must coordinate and receive prior approval from UC International’s Study Abroad office.

Please reach out to Study Abroad for additional information and processes.

Credit-by-Examination (CbE) allows students to earn college credit by passing a test. These exams may be external (see Test Credits for more information), or internally developed by UC faculty for specific UC courses. To explore current internal CbE options, visit Testing Services' Registration webpage. Before registering, consult your Academic Advisor to ensure CbE aligns with your academic plan.

There are two other ways you can earn credit.

1. Review of certifications, licensure, or other demonstrable competencies gained through prior experience(s)
2. Assessment of student produced, faculty assessed documentation of college-level learning gained through work and other experiences

Please contact your home college to determine policies and procedures pertaining to prior learning assessment credits.

Credit for External Certifications do not require a Credit for Prior Learning Application.

External (non-UC) Certifications should be submitted directly to your program office. Please contact your Academic Advisor regarding External Certifications.

A portfolio is a collection of documents that demonstrates evidence of knowledge gained by the student. This documented evidence of knowledge must be aligned with the learning outcomes of the course for which the student is seeking PLA credit. The following types of documents may be used to demonstrate the student's prior learning: letters from employers clearly stating skills learned from job duties, certificates of completion of workshops or trainings or of industry competencies, lists and documentation (links, screenshots, etc.) of completed projects and/or any other documentation required by the student's program or examples that the student feels demonstrates their knowledge of the course learning objectives. 

• If you work with proprietary software and cannot submit screenshots, please ensure you submit a signed letter from your employer (on letterhead) corroborating your knowledge base.
• Have your advisor check your portfolio before submission to ensure you are ready to submit before uploading your documents.
• For specifics, please see our Portfolio Review Process page.