College Credit for Work Experience and Military Training
Did you know that at Colorado Technical University, you could earn college credit for work experience? CTU understands that it’s possible to have acquired knowledge and know-how relevant to your desired degree program even if you’ve never attended college before. That’s why—if you’ve received formal training or certification from a non-accredited institution or company—you could earn college course equivalency credit that counts toward completing your CTU degree program. This is called Professional Training/Certification Credit (PTCC), and it may be granted for civilian work and military experience.1
Requirements for Earning Credit for Work Experience
A number of training and certification programs align with the American Council on Education’s (ACE) recognition and credit recommendations. If you’ve participated in any of these programs and your experience meets Colorado Technical University’s college course equivalency requirements, you could be awarded academic credit. The following may be evaluated for advanced standing credit:
- Work experience
- Military experience
- Training with officially documented clock hours
- Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
- Other certified company training2
To earn such college credit for work experience, military experience, or training, your prior professional training and/or certification must relate specifically to a course within your CTU degree program, just as it would if you were seeking life experience credits for experiential learning. Additionally, students seeking advanced standing credit may be required to submit a learning narrative as part of the PTCC evaluation process.
More About Military Education Credits
Colorado Technical University is proud to offer military education benefits to active duty, reserve, and former military members. Not only do we offer a reduced military tuition rate for active duty military personnel and their eligible spouses, but as a college that accepts “military credits,” we also provide those who have served with the opportunity to transfer their military education into college credit—this can lead to additional savings on out-of-pocket costs and potentially decrease time to graduation.1 Like other types of work or life experience credit, any credits awarded for military training and experience must directly relate to a specific course in order to qualify for college course equivalency credit.
- Experiential Learning Portfolios (ELPs): If you’re looking for a college that gives credit for life experience, you’ve come to the right place. Working with a CTU Prior Learning Assessment Evaluator to create a successful Experiential Learning Portfolio is a great way to earn college credit for your life experience—doing so provides an opportunity to properly document and demonstrate how your personal experience aligns with a particular course within your CTU degree program.1
- CTU Fast Track™: CTU Fast Track™ exams enable students to demonstrate prior learning, regardless of whether it was acquired inside or outside of a traditional learning environment. These exams are designed to test your knowledge of key course objectives, making it possible to “test out” of a given course while earning college credits that can be applied toward your degree program.*
- Standardized Assessments: Standardized tests provide another avenue for demonstrating your knowledge to earn advanced standing credit. The Advanced Placement (AP) exam, College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam, and DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST) are among the more common standardized assessments that give students the opportunity to demonstrate their subject area knowledge to earn course credit.1
- Transfer-in Credits: At CTU, both undergraduate and graduate students may be able to transfer-in up to 75 percent of the credits earned at another accredited post-secondary institution, which could help save time and money.1 If you find yourself wondering, “Do my credits transfer?” then it may be time to contact the CTU Prior Learning Assessment team. They will be able to evaluate the on-campus/online college courses you’ve already taken for transfer credit eligibility and make a determination as to which, if any, of those past college classes will end up transferring. Official transcripts and other formal documentation are required before evaluation of college course transfer credit can occur. Check out CTU’s Transfer Credit Guide and the University Catalog for more detailed information.
Are You Ready to Take the Next Step?
If so, our team is here to help. If you’d like more information about our degree programs or earning college credit for work experience, or if you’d like to start the application process, reach out to us today.
1 Transfer credit is evaluated on an individual basis. Not all credits are eligible to transfer. See the University Catalog for transfer credit policies.
2 This list is not exhaustive. A CTU Prior Learning Assessment evaluator can help determine whether you qualify. Other documented clock hour, CEU or other units, and/or other documented training may be evaluated for advanced standing credit awards based on PTCC criteria and guidelines.
*The ability to reduce time in school and/or reduce tuition towards the full cost of a degree program depends on the number of CTU Fast Track™ exams successfully passed. Fast Track program credits are non-transferable. Not all programs are eligible for possible 30% reduction in time and money. Courses eligible are subject to change. Students should not rely on potential Fast Track savings or eligibility when making an enrollment decision.