Prior Learning Assessment

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) refers to a unique opportunity for the student to earn college credit for learning experiences that have taken place in the work environment, volunteer setting, and/or other events that have significantly improved the student's knowledge and skills. The college recognizes that learning takes place throughout life and that college level learning is not limited to the institutions of higher education or to classroom settings.

All elements of prior learning assessment will follow the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) standards and will be considered under the following categories.

Examination

Credit may be awarded for learning demonstrated by examination for subjects appropriate to the curricula of NBC programs. The Academic Council has approved the granting of credit based upon national standardized examination programs, namely, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), the Advanced Placement program (AP), or the DSST or Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) exams.

ACE/Military

Credit may be awarded for professional or military education and training programs for subjects appropriate to the curricula of NBC programs. Evaluation will be based on the recommendations of the American Council of Education (ACE) Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services or an official transcript of the various armed forces (i.e., AARTS, SMART, College of the Air Force, and the Coast Guard Institute). This credit would include military experience and training through the work place.

Portfolio

Academic Work: Credit may be awarded for college-level studies validated by evaluation of a Student Academic Portfolio, which is comprised of all the course materials and work a student has completed in conjunction with a course. Such a portfolio is typically used to substantiate the transferability of work completed at a District Training Center or non-accredited institutions. For credit to be awarded through a Student Academic Portfolio, a student should present his/her portfolio for evaluation at the time of his/her application to the college. Credit may be awarded after one trimester of successful enrollment at Nazarene Bible College.
Experiential Learning: Experiential learning refers to college level learning that occurs outside of formal educational institutions and processes. An example of experiential learning would be on-the-job training. Students may petition to receive credit for such learning by submitting an Experiential Learning Portfolio. In this process, students will meet with the portfolio advisor to identify areas of significant experiential learning and to match this learning to a college level course from an accredited institution. Then, in the portfolio, students will describe how their experience has met the learning outcomes of the course, and they will provide specific articles of evidence as proof of their learning. A rigorous evaluation of the portfolio will be completed by a content specialist to determine if the learning outcomes of the course have been met.

The following governs transfer and Prior Learning Assessment credit:

A minimum of 10 semester hours must be earned through an accredited college classroom experience.
A maximum of 30 semester hours may be earned through a recognized testing service.
For non-military personnel, a maximum of 30 semester hours may be earned through ACE.
Active service members may transfer in up to 75% of the semester hours required in their degree program using military transcripted credit.
A maximum of 72 semester hours may be posted from a student's academic portfolio completed at a District Training Center (see Alliance section). Credit may be awarded after one trimester of successful enrollment at Nazarene Bible College.
A maximum of 16 semester hours may be earned through the experiential learning portfolio submission.

A fee is required for posting examination, military, and portfolio credit on the college transcript except in the case where an official military transcript is provided. See the Financial Information section for amounts. For more information, contact the registrar's office.

For More Information

Please contact the Office of Admissions for additional information about earning college credit for prior learning experiences.

Phone: (719) 884-5060
Email: Email