42-00 Acquisition of Credit


Course credits may be acquired by instruction as defined by Section 42-20, by examination as defined by Section 42-50, or by transfer from other colleges and universities as defined by Sections 42-80 and 42-90. Accumulation of credits does not automatically fulfill the requirements for a particular baccalaureate or associate degree. Courses and credits applicable to particular degree programs are listed in the appropriate bulletins.

Revised: 6/3/75


42-10 Course Uniformity

Students complete courses that comprise a curriculum as outlined by academic units. The same courses may be offered across the university through various delivery modes and at all locations. Despite possible variation in pedagogical style, course materials, delivery mode, or location, courses offered within Penn State must include a minimum of 80% of the core content and learning objectives described in the most current course proposal as approved by Faculty Senate.

P-11 Authorization to Offer Courses

Initial Legislation: 3/15/16 – Effective Fall 2016
Cross Reference: Curriculum Policy 170-10

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42-20 Credit by Instruction

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42-23 Credit Requirements by Types of Instruction

Course credit by instruction may be achieved by a variety of educational experiences that allow the student to work toward mastery of the course objectives. To be in compliance with the Federal definition of a credit hour used for the purpose of awarding Federal student aid, however, some common minimum requirements that must be established and these should be consistent for all credit earned by instruction regardless of delivery method. With the acknowledged goal of educational excellence, more than the minimum established here may be required for mastery of course objectives.

  1. The course must be in the charge of a qualified member of the University’s instructional staff, and formal evaluation of the student’s achievement must be included in the course.
  2. For the typical student, a total of forty-five (45) hours of work planned and arranged by the University faculty is required to gain 1 credit.

The distribution of time between class activities and outside preparation may vary from course to course and examples of this division of time for sample types of instruction are detailed below. This is intended to include all forms of educational experiences in courses, which may include in- person, electronic, or pre-recorded content delivered through resident, on-line, or hybrid instruction.

Lecture, Discussion, Seminar, or Recitation. A combination of formal and informal instruction may occur and when combined with outside preparation must sum to the minimum of 45 hours of work per credit hour. The typical distribution of time is approximately one-third instruction and two-thirds outside preparation.

Laboratory Courses. The distribution of time may vary from twenty-five (25) to forty-five (45) hours of laboratory instruction per credit with sufficient additional outside preparation.

Undergraduate theses, projects, service learning, individualized instruction, and other forms of educational experience through courses. At least forty-five (45) hours of work are required per credit with varying amounts of individual instruction and may include courses delivered off-campus at locations either domestic or abroad.

Student Teaching and Internships. At least forty-five (45) hours of work are required per credit. Prior written approval of the appropriate University faculty is required for subsequent granting of credit.

Revised: 2/4/75 (as Rule L-2)
Revised: 9/10/13
Revised: 3/15/16 – Effective Fall 2016
Archive
Cross Reference: Curriculum Policy 173-00

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42-27 Class Attendance

Regular class attendance is one of the most important ways that students learn and understand course materials. It is a critical element of student success. Accordingly, it is the policy of the University that class attendance is expected and that students should follow the attendance policy of the instructor, as outlined in the syllabus. A student should attend every scheduled class and should be held responsible for all work covered in the courses taken.

Class attendance is expected regardless of the format of the course and this expectation applies equally to students in face-to-face, online, and hybrid courses. Attendance in online courses goes beyond course login and is based on documentable participation in class activities, such as interacting with the instructor, interacting with enrolled students, completing assignments with specific due dates, and/or participate in online discussions on a regular basis. It is the student’s responsibility to complete work early, or make alternate arrangements with the course instructor, if due dates or required work will be missed because of a University-approved absence as described in this policy.

Instructors should provide, within reason, the opportunity to make up work for students who miss class for regularly scheduled, University-approved curricular and extracurricular activities (such as Martin Luther King Day of Service, field trips, debate trips, choir trips, and athletic contests). In addition, instructors should provide, within reason, the opportunity to make up work for students who miss class for post-graduate, career-related interviews when there is no opportunity for students to re-schedule these opportunities (such as employment and graduate school final interviews.) In both cases, students should inform instructors in advance and discuss the implications of any absence. Missing class, even for a legitimate purpose, may mean that there is work that cannot be made up, hurting the student’s grade in the class. Likewise, students should be prepared to provide documentation for participation in University-approved activities, as well as for career-related interviews, when requested by the instructor.

Instructors should provide, within reason, pedagogical and curricular necessity, the opportunity for a day consisting solely of remote asynchronous instruction on a November election day. This would enable students to participate in local, state or federal governmental elections. Instructors also should provide, within reason, the opportunity to make up work for students who miss synchronous or in-person classes that are unable to accommodate a remote asynchronous format to be held on an election day. Students should make every reasonable effort to inform the instructor prior to the election day of their anticipated absence in advance and make appropriate arrangements to make up work.

Instructors also should provide, within reason, the opportunity to make up work for students who miss classes for other legitimate but unavoidable reasons. Legitimate, unavoidable reasons are those such as illness, injury, military service, family emergency, or religious observance. Again, it should be recognized that not all work can be “made-up” and that absences can affect student performance in a class.

Due to the potential for academic or financial hardship for military members, for those students providing verified orders, a denial of accommodation may be appealed to the Director of Academic Affairs of the campus or the appropriate associate dean of the college (or DUS) in which the student is enrolled. When the student is unable to make arrangements with instructors for unexpected orders requiring a short term absence, or upon denial of an appeal, the Director of Academic Affairs or Associate Dean will notify the Registrar’s Office of the administrative cancellation of the course(s) and 100% of the tuition for the course(s) will be refunded to the student. For orders requiring absences lasting longer than two weeks, students may pursue a military withdrawal directly through the Registrar’s Office.

Instructors can determine when irregular attendance negatively affects a student’s scholastic achievement, and thus grade, in the course, even to the point of failure. If class absence constitutes a danger to the student’s scholastic attainment, the instructor should make this fact known to the student. The student may appeal this decision to the head of the department in which the course is offered.

If an evaluative event will be missed due to an unavoidable absence, the student should contact the instructor as soon as the unavoidable absence is known to discuss ways to make up the work. An instructor might not consider an unavoidable absence legitimate if the student does not contact the instructor before the evaluative event. Students will be held responsible for using only legitimate, unavoidable reasons for requesting a make-up in the event of a missed class or evaluative event. (Conflicts with non-final examinations are covered the Policy 44-35.) Requests for missing class or an evaluative event due to reasons that are based on false claims may be considered violations of the policy on Academic Integrity (Policy 49-20).

Link to Holy Days Calendar
E-11 Class Attendance and Evaluation of Student Performance

Revised: 11/3/60
Revised: 5/7/74 (as K Rules)
Revised: 6/6/78
Revised: 12/5/00
Revised: 3/26/02
Revised: 4/28/15 – Effective Fall 2016 – Archive
Revised: 12/5/17
Revised: 9/15/2020
Revised: 3/28/23

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42-50 Credit by Examination (CRX)

Any academic unit may award undergraduate credit by examination based on prior learning for specific courses offered by that unit. An undergraduate student interested in receiving credit for college-level learning may complete an exam that demonstrates mastery of the course objectives and be awarded credit. Awarding credit by exam will be governed by these guidelines:

  1. The academic unit offering the course determines whether and how it will make Credit by Exam available. Credit may be awarded following an evaluation by individuals with expertise in the subject matter to be evaluated, including an individual faculty member, a team of faculty members, and/or other individuals selected by Penn State faculty.
  2. A grade of “C” or higher must be earned in the examination for such credit to be awarded and to appear on the student’s transcript.
  3. Credit by Exam does not result in a quality grade (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, or C) and is not included in the calculation of the student’s grade point average. Any credits earned in this manner are accepted as fulfilling degree requirements and will appear on the student’s transcript with the notation CRX and without a reported grade in the same manner as those credits acquired through other means such as transfer from other institutions (Senate Policy 42-80), which are accepted at C or better, or Advanced Placement Credit (Senate Policy 42-92).  The credit limitation explained by Senate Policy 49-60 does not include credits awarded by exam.
  4. Credit by Exam will be granted in accordance with Senate Policy 83-80.
  5. Credit by Exam is awarded at the undergraduate level for courses numbered 001-499.
  6. Credit by Exam is available to all enrolled students (Senate Policy 34-20) and those who have accepted an offer of admission.
  7. Credit by Exam shall not be granted for any course previously completed for which a quality letter grade has been assigned unless the course is designated as “repeatable” (Senate Policy 47-80); for any course completed under the audit (Senate Policy 34-68) or satisfactory/unsatisfactory (Senate Policy 49-60) grading schemes; for any credit by transfer (Senate Policy 42-80); or for credit earned by external exam (Senate Policy 42-90); nor can the student then enroll for credit in a course for which credit already has been granted via Credit by Exam.
  8. Credit by Exam shall not be available for any course a student has late dropped.
  9. A non-refundable fee will be assessed to recover the costs of providing the service.

E-2 Credit by Examination

Revised: 12/11/73 (as Rule L-4)
Revised: 2/5/74 (as Rule L-4)
Revised: 4/6/76
Revised: 5/1/84
Revised: 3/17/92
Revised: 2/29/00
Revised: 9/11/07
Revised: 9/9/08
Revised: 3/13/12
Revised: 9/10/13
Revised: 4/23/19

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42-80 Credit by Transfer from Other Institutions

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42-81 Credit by Validation

College-level coursework completed at colleges/universities licensed by state boards of education to award associate degrees or higher, but that are not members of one of the six regional accrediting associations, may be eligible for credit by validation. Credit for courses completed at other institutions and graded the equivalent of an “A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, or C” (2.0 and higher) at Penn State may be obtained through credit by validation when the Undergraduate Admissions Office is unable to determine the transferability of a course through other means. For such courses, the student may request this option be used and must provide the necessary documentation. Awarding credit by validation will be governed by these guidelines:

  1. The Undergraduate Admission Office determines from the official transcript the credits to be validated and lists these credits on the Credit by Validation form.
  2. This form and the supporting documentation are forwarded to the faculty discipline committee(s) for the course(s).
  3. The committee conducts a review, and reports the results to the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
  4. The Undergraduate Admissions Office then records the appropriate entries on the candidate’s record.
  5. Credits are transferred, but quality grades and grade points are not. Grades earned at other colleges and universities are not used in calculating a candidate’s grade-point average while attending Penn State.

Revised: 6/3/75 (as Rule L-6)
Revised: 10/24/95
Revised: 4/23/19

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42-82 Accredited U.S. Institutions

Revisions to this policy were approved at the January 23, 2024 Senate meeting. These revisions are pending implementation procedures. For more information, view the legislation.

Credits may be accepted from colleges and universities that are accredited by any of the six regional accrediting commissions in the United States. College-level coursework completed at colleges/universities licensed by state boards of education to award associate degrees or higher, but that are not members of one of the six regional accrediting associations, may be eligible for credit by validation (Senate Policy 42-81). Awarding transfer credit will be governed by these guidelines.

  1. Course work completed at an accredited college or university may be evaluated for transfer credit if passed with a grade equivalent to A, A-, B+, B, B-, or C (2.0 or higher) at Penn State. Course work completed on a pass-fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis normally cannot be evaluated for transfer credit.
  2. When a candidate has satisfactorily completed, at another accredited institution, course work that is substantially equivalent (at least 80% the same) to a specific course at Penn State, direct equivalent credit is granted in the Penn State course.
  3. When a student has satisfactorily completed, at another accredited institution, course work that is not substantially equivalent to a specific course at Penn State, general credits may be granted in the general field of study covered by that course. General credits may be assigned in cases where it is not possible to assign a Penn State course number because of a difference in the number of credits involved. If appropriate, general credits may be used to fulfill degree requirements in any area. These general credits may be applied to the student’s program of study in accordance with the policies established by the college of enrollment. Credit granted for course work that is equivalent to 400-level courses may be applied only toward completion of requirements for a college or major in accordance with the policies established by that college, but not to General Education as defined in Curriculum Policy 140-00.
  4. Courses at Penn State carry semester hours of credit. Courses evaluated for transfer from colleges and universities with different credit systems, such as quarter hours of credit, units, and course units, are converted to semester hours of credit.
  5. Credits are transferred, but quality grades and grade points are not. Grades earned at other colleges and universities are not used in calculating a student’s grade-point average while attending Penn State.
  6. Transfer credit is granted only to enrolled degree-seeking students or those who have been approved to re-enroll in a degree-seeking program.

E-5 Credit by Transfer From Institutions of Higher Education

Revised: 6/3/75 (as Rule L-6)
Revised: 6/1/76
Revised Editorially:10/6/81
Revised: 4/6/82
Revised: 4/28/15 – Effective Fall 2016 – Archive
Revised: 12/8/15 – Effective Fall 2016 – Archive
Revised: 4/23/19

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42-83 Temporary Extension of Credit Verification from Accredited U.S. Institutions

Senate Policy 42-83* may be temporarily enabled by the University Faculty Senate to supplement Senate Policy 42-82 “Accredited U.S. Institutions” under a situation of special Senate concern. When Senate Policy 42-83 is enacted, the university may allow admission of students with credit verification pending. Verification of credit would be obtained in a reasonable time period as defined under the extraordinary circumstances.  Courses completed with a pass or satisfactory grade on a pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading scale may be accepted for transfer under this enactment if there is some designation of a pass or satisfactory grade being equivalent to a C or better.

* This policy will be maintained for historical record and future reference.

Initial Legislation: 4/28/2020
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42-84 Accredited Institutions Outside the United States

Credits may be accepted from colleges and universities outside the United States when either of the following standards is met: (a) the college or university is accredited by one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States; (b) the college or university is a recognized part of the system of higher education of another country and offers programs of study equivalent to baccalaureate degree programs. Accepted credits must meet the criteria as outlined in Senate Policy 42-82.

E-5 Credit by Transfer From Institutions of Higher Education

Revised: 6/3/75 (as Rule L-6)
Revised: 10/24/95
Revised: 4/23/19

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42-86 Institutions That Are Not Regionally Accredited

Students seeking credit for work taken at a college or university that is not accredited by one of the six regional accrediting associations in the United States but has been licensed by a state board of education to award an associate degree or higher may use the credit by validation method stated in Senate Policy 42-81.

Students seeking credit for work taken at a college or university that is not accredited by one of the six regional accrediting associations in the United States and has not been licensed by a state board of education to award an associate degree or higher may use the credit by examination method (Senate Policy 42-50), a national exam (Senate Policy 42-92), or credit by portfolio assessment (Senate Policy 42-97).

Revised: 6/3/75 (as Rule L-6)
Revised: 6/1/76
Revised: 4/26/88
Revised: 3/17/92
Revised:12/5/95
Revised: 4/23/19

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42-88 Implementation of Policies 42-82, 42-84, 42-86, 42-92, 42-94, 42-96, 42-97, and 42-99

The director of admissions is responsible for making decisions and judgments necessary to implement these policies.

E-12 Course Substitution Process in Relation to Degree Requirements

Revised 4/23/19

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42-90 Other Means of Credit Acquisition

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42-92 Advanced Placement Program of the College Board

A student who does advanced work in a secondary school may take Advanced Placement Examinations, which are based on college-level studies. Penn State cooperates with the College Board in this program.

Credit may be awarded for Advanced Placement Examinations depending upon the grades earned on the examination. For some examinations, the amount of credit awarded varies with an earned grade of three, four, or five. The schedule of credit awarded for Advanced Placement Examinations may be revised annually upon review by the faculty.

Limitations on credits earned through the Advanced Placement Examinations are as follows:

  1. The Student’s academic program determines how credits earned apply to degree requirements.
  2. A student who has earned credit for a particular course through AP examinations may elect to take the same course at Penn State (unless restricted by placement policies of the unit offering the course), but the duplicate credit cannot be used to meet any additional degree requirements. However, the grade earned in the Penn State course will count towards the student’s grade point average.

E-6 National and International Standardized Testing

Revised: 3/17/92
Revised: 4/24/12
Revised: 4/23/19

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42-94 College-Level Examination Program of the College Board

A student, before or after admission to degree candidacy, may participate in the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). Penn State cooperates with the College Board in this program.

Credit may be awarded for the CLEP Examinations depending upon the score earned on the examination. A student who has earned a score equivalent to the fiftieth percentile or higher for performance on the CLEP Examination may receive credit as indicated in the schedule of credits. The schedule of credit awarded for CLEP Examinations may be revised annually upon review by the faculty.

Limitations on credits earned through the CLEP Examinations are as follows:

  1. The student’s academic program determines how credits earned apply to degree requirements.
  2. A student who has earned credit for a particular course through CLEP examinations may elect to take the same course at Penn State (unless restricted by placement policies of the unit offering the course), but the duplicate credit cannot be used to meet any additional degree requirements. However, the grade earned in the Penn State course will count towards the student’s grade point average.
  3. Students must meet residency requirements as outlined in Senate Policy 83-80.

Revised: 3/17/92
Revised: 4/24/12
Revised: 4/23/19

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42-96 International Secondary Schooling and International Baccalaureate Program

A student who has enrolled in foreign secondary schools or in the International Baccalaureate Program and who has taken course work that is equivalent to college-level studies may receive credit for such work if they meet the following criteria:

  1. Foreign Secondary Schooling. A person who does advanced work in a secondary school in another country may receive consideration for transfer credit when the examinations taken are based on college-level studies. Credit may be awarded for advanced work in foreign secondary schools. The number of credits awarded will reflect the introductory sequence in that subject at Penn State. The schedule of credit awarded for examinations may be revised annually upon review by the faculty.
  2. International Baccalaureate. A person who does work based on college-level studies in an International Baccalaureate (IB) program in a secondary school may take the higher level examinations. Credit may be awarded for higher level examinations of the international baccalaureate depending upon the grades earned on the examination. Subjects examined at the higher level with an earned grade of 5 or higher will be considered for transfer credit. The number of credits awarded will reflect the introductory sequence in that subject at Penn State. The schedule of credit awarded for IB Examinations may be revised annually upon review by the faculty.

Limitations on credits earned through advanced-level foreign secondary schooling and the International Baccalaureate examinations are as follows:

  1. The student’s academic program determines how credits earned apply to degree requirements.
  2. A student who has earned credit for a particular course through IB examinations or advanced-level foreign secondary schooling may elect to take the same course at Penn State (unless restricted by placement policies of the unit offering the course), but the duplicate credit cannot be used to meet any additional degree requirements. However, the grade earned in the Penn State course will count towards the student’s grade point average.

Revised: 4/25/95
Revised: 4/24/12
Revised: 4/23/19

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42-97 Credit by Portfolio Assessment

Any academic unit may award undergraduate credit by portfolio assessment based on prior learning for specific courses offered by that unit. An undergraduate student interested in receiving credit for college-level learning may complete a portfolio that demonstrates mastery of the course objectives and be awarded credit. The student’s petition for the award of credit by portfolio assessment must meet the following criteria:

  1. The academic unit offering the course determines whether and how it will make Credit by Portfolio Assessment available. Credit may be awarded following an evaluation by individuals with expertise in the subject matter to be evaluated, including an individual faculty member, a team of faculty members, and/or other individuals selected by Penn State faculty. These individuals will determine if the student’s performance merits that credit be awarded and shown on the student’s transcript.
  2. Credit is granted for college-level learning obtained during work or other experience, not for the experience itself; the student must document the learning.
  3. Credit by Portfolio Assessment does not result in a quality grade (A, A-, etc.) and is not included in the calculation of the student’s grade point average. Credit earned via portfolio assessment is designated on the transcript in the same manner as transfer credit.
  4. Credit by Portfolio Assessment is available to all enrolled students (Senate Policy 34-20) and those who have accepted an offer of admission.
  5. Credit by Portfolio Assessment is awarded at the undergraduate level for courses numbered 001-499.
  6. Credit by Portfolio Assessment shall not be granted for any course previously completed for which a quality letter grade has been assigned unless the course is designated as “repeatable” (Senate Policy 47-80); for any course completed under the audit (Senate Policy 34-68) or satisfactory/unsatisfactory (Senate Policy 49-60) grading schemes; for any credit by transfer (Senate Policy 42-80); or for credit earned by external exam (Senate Policy 42-90); nor can the student then enroll for credit in a course for which credit already has been granted via Credit by Portfolio Assessment.
  7. Credit by Portfolio Assessment will be granted in accordance with Senate Policy 83-80. The credit limitation explained by Senate Policy 49-60 does not include credits awarded by portfolio assessment.
  8. Credit by Portfolio Assessment shall not be available for any course a student has late dropped.
  9. A non-refundable fee will be assessed to recover the costs of providing the service.

E-10 Credit by Portfolio Assessment

Initial Legislation: 2/27/96
Revised: 3/25/97
Revised: 4/23/19

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42-98 Educational Experiences in the Armed Services

  1. Formal Military Service School Courses. A veteran or member of the active armed services or the selected reserves who is a student may be granted credit for educational experiences in the armed services under the following conditions:
    1. Credit may be awarded to a student upon certification by the Department of Defense of the formal military service school courses.
    2. Responsibility for the decision as to academic area of application and quantity of credit to be awarded rests with the faculty in the discipline.
    3. Guidelines for this decision are drawn from the most recent edition of A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services, published by the American Council on Education.
    4. The college with academic authority for the student’s undergraduate program of study determines how credits will apply to the student’s program.
  2. Military Occupational Specialty. A veteran or member of the active armed services or the selected reserves who is a student may be granted credit for occupational specialties held in the armed services under the following conditions:
    1. Credit may be awarded to a student upon certification by the Department of Defense of a Military Occupational Specialty.
    2. Responsibility for the decision as to academic area of application and quantity of credit to be awarded rests with the faculty in the discipline.
    3. Guidelines for this decision are drawn from the most recent edition of A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services, published by the American Council on Education.
    4. The college with academic authority for the student’s undergraduate program of study determines how credits will apply to the student’s program.
  3. Basic Training. Degree-seeking students will be awarded up to three credits of Health and Wellness toward fulfilling the General Education requirements for completion of basic training. If the credit recommendation is greater than three, the additional credits will be transcribed as general to give academic units the flexibility to apply them appropriately.
  4. Defense Activity Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES), DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), and United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI). DANTES succeeded USAFI when USAFI was deactivated in May 1974. DSST exams were available to military and civilian testers in 2006. The USAFI records of veterans or members of the active armed services or the selected reserves who are students will continue to be reviewed, as will the DSST records, provided the candidate achieved at least the minimum score. Students must meet residency requirements as outlined in Senate Policy 83-80.

E-8 Educational Experiences in the Armed Services

Revised: 10/6/81
Revised: 10/6/87
Revised: 3/17/92
Revised: 4/25/95
Revised: 9/14/04
Revised: 12/4/18

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42-99 Educational Credit for Training Programs in Non-collegiate Organizations

A student may be granted credit for educational experiences in non-collegiate organizations under the following conditions:

  1. Credit may be awarded to a student upon certification of successful course completion of the American Council on Education’s Registry of Credit Recommendations.
  2. Responsibility for the decision as to academic area of application and quantity of credit to be awarded rests with the faculty discipline review committees.
  3. Guidelines for this decision are drawn from the most recent edition of the National Guide of Educational Credit for Training Purposes published by the American Council on Education.
  4. The college with academic authority for the student’s undergraduate program of study determines how credits will apply to the student’s program.

E-9 Educational Credit for Training Programs in Non-collegiate Organizations

Revised: 3/17/92
Revised: 4/23/19

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