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Adults are constantly learning, whether in the community college or four-year college classroom, through work experiences, through community work or through professional training programs. The Prior Learning program in the School of Continuing Education at Marist College recognizes that learning takes place in both formal and informal settings.
While many adult students receive a significant number of credits towards their degrees through transferring college credit from other accredited college-level institutions, it is also possible to receive credit through the assessment of Prior Learning. Included in the rubric of Prior Learning are standardized college-level examinations, life work, portfolio review and professional training. For each area of Prior Learning, there is a specific application form and series of documents required in order for a petition to be considered. Students who are not in the Integrative Studies program should meet with their faculty advisors before beginning the Prior Learning Program.
Any questions concerning petitioning for credit for Prior Learning should be directly to Bobbi Kyle, Director of the Integrative Studies Program.
Credit or a waiver may be awarded for learning evaluated by standardized examinations, which are available through a variety of testing agencies. The acceptable grade and credit assignment will be determined by the department chair for each subject area being tested. College credit will be given on a Marist transcript as CBE, credit by examination. Two of the most common standardized tests available to adult students are Excelsior College Examinations (ECE) (formerly Regents College Examinations) and the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).
There are approximately 55 examinations which measure college-level knowledge. They are administered several times a year at various test sites and online. Both objective and essay questions are given to demonstrate knowledge. The following areas are available for testing: Science, Arts & Letters, Business, History and Social Science.
For testing information in New York:
Excelsior College Examinations
Telephone: 888-723-9267
Web Site: www.excelsior.edu
The College Board sponsors the CLEP program with test sites located at various colleges in the area. Two types of tests are offered - general and subject. Marist requires the subject examinations for those students pursuing credit by examination.
Subject exams measure knowledge and achievement covered in specific courses. Areas include: Literature, Foreign Language, Social Science/History, Science/Math and Business.
For test applications and information:
College Board
Box 6600
Princeton, NJ 08541-6601
Telephone: 609-771-7865 or 800-323-7155
Web Site: www.collegeboard.org
Students wishing to receive credit for knowledge documented through standardized testing should have test results sent to the School of Continuing Education, Marist College, North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. Once received, scores will be evaluated based on department recommendations for credit. The student will receive written notice of any credits recommended for posting.
Students may not receive credit for standardized test results if they have already received transfer credit for similar learning at colleges previously attended. For example, if you have received 6 semester credits of transfer credits in Spanish from a community college; you will not receive additional credits for taking the CLEP test in Spanish.
Students will be charged a fee of $25.00 per credit posted. There are additional fees charged by ECE and CLEP for the examinations.
It is recognized that many adults receive training and education through professional and community experiences. Typically, this learning does not appear on college transcripts as it happens on an "informal" level. Students who believe that they can document an area of learning comparable to the learning which takes place in a traditional Marist course are encouraged to petition for Life Work credit. Using the Marist catalog as a guide, students are advised to read through currently approved course description and identify areas where they can claim prior learning credit.
Students wishing to be considered for Life Work credit are required to submit the following documents to the School of Continuing Education, Marist College, North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601.
Once these items are received, a faculty member from the department which offers the Marist-equivalent course will evaluate the Life Work petition. The award of credit will be based on demonstration of learning congruent with the curriculum for that course. If approved, the student will receive academic credit consistent with the number of credits awarded for the completion of the Marist course (typically 3 semester credits). If accepted, the student will be notified in writing of the approval of the Life Work petition. If not accepted, the student will receive a written explanation of the denial and the opportunity to revise the petition. The review process usually takes about 3-6 weeks.
For Life Work credit, students must be able to claim learning equal to a currently approved course offered at Marist College. Some departments have credit limits on life work credits. These include Criminal Justice, Environmental Science and Chemistry. The School of Management (Business, Accounting and Economics) does not accept Life Work. Students may not receive credit for Life Work petitions if they have already received transfer credit for similar learning at colleges previously attended. Life work credit is generally used to fulfill elective credits.
Student will be charged an assessment fee of $100.00 for each credit of Life Work awarded. There will also be a fee of $25.00 per credit posted.
Review Sheet for Portfolio Review
It is recognized that students may be able to demonstrate and document learning which has occurred outside the classroom and which is not directly equivalent to a course in the Marist College curricula. Instead of using the Life Work option, students who identify such areas of learning are encouraged to develop a Portfolio which brings together a narrative demonstration of learning and documentation. The portfolio requires a heavier narrative piece as the learning claimed is not paralleled by current Marist curricula. Portfolio credits are generally used for elective credit only.
Students wishing to be considered for Portfolio Review credit are required to submit the following documents to the School of Continuing Education, Marist College, North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601.
Once the portfolio is received by our offices, it will be evaluated and assessed by a faculty member or expert in the field. A written assessment will be returned to the students with one of three possible results:
The awarding of credit is based on the demonstrating of learning equivalent to the number of credits requested.
Credit is awarded for previous learning, not for engaging in a particular activity. To be judged to be college level, the learning must include a theoretical component and be generalizable beyond the activity within which the learning occurred. It is the student's responsibility to demonstrate learning through the writing of the lengthy narrative. Credit in this area is restricted to the general elective field. Students may not receive credit for Portfolio Review if they have already received transfer credit for similar learning at colleges previously attended. The School of Management (Business, Accounting and Economics) does not accept Portfolio Review for credit. Since portfolio credit does not "map" directly to Marist courses this credit is generally used for elective credit.
Student will be charged an assessment fee of $100.00 for each credit petitioned for in the portfolio (for example, if two 3-credit areas of study are named and two narratives written, the fee will be $600.00). There will also be a fee of $25.00 per credit posted.
Review Sheet for Professional Training
Training programs in professional settings, industry, the police, the armed forces and other institutions offer educational opportunities that may be similar to Marist courses. Credit may be awarded for professional training programs through credit recommendations made by organizations that have evaluated such programs on the bases of college-level learning. The American Council on Education is the largest organization that evaluates non-accredited training programs and can be found at www.acenet.edu.
Students should submit the following to the School of Continuing Education, Marist College, North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.
Once the application packet is received, research will be done through the ACE National Guide. If a credit recommendation is made by ACE, the petition will be forwarded to the Registrar's Office for evaluation and the posting of credits. Upon acceptance, the student will be notified in writing. If the ACE National Guide has not evaluated the program, the student will be advised to petition for either Life Work or Portfolio Review (see above).
Credits for Professional Training are typically limited to the general elective category. In order for credit to be awarded within the Professional Training category, there must be a credit recommendation on file through the American Council on Education (ACE) National Guide and that credit recommendation must be similar in scope and content to credits offered at Marist. If the training program has not been evaluated by ACE, students will need to petition for credit using either the Life Work or Portfolio Review process. Students may not receive credit for Professional Training if they have already received transfer credit for similar learning at colleges previously attended.
There is currently no fee for professional training review and the posting of credits.
