Credit for Prior Learning
Jackson College may award non-traditional credit for prior experiential learning. Credit may be awarded for:
- work completed at non-degree awarding agencies and institutions,
- for certifications/licensures, corporate, professional, or military training programs; or
- one of the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Apprenticeship or Training programs.
The evaluation of experiential learning which occurred prior to or outside a formal academic institution is designed to enable a student to enrich or accelerate his/her program of study. Credit is awarded through examination, skills demonstration, evaluation of certifications or licensures, submission of a portfolio, or another form of assessment. College credit is not awarded based on work experience alone, but for the achievement of an advanced level of knowledge and/or skill. Credit for prior learning is designed to grant credit at JC and may or may not transfer to other colleges or universities.
Students should discuss with the department chairperson or designee the feasibility of receiving credit for prior learning. The determination of college credit is predicated on prior learning which is considered to be at the college level. Each academic department/program shall determine the criteria, which if satisfied, will result in the awarding of college credit. The department will determine the assessment methods which may include a written examination, submission of a portfolio that demonstrates the required competencies, interview, skill evaluation and/or minimum achievement level on nationally standardized tests.
Transcripts show credit only for the course as a result of the assessment, along with the denotation: “Credit for Prior Learning”. No grade is transcripted. The student will receive an official notice (student transcript) once the credit is posted. Credit earned for prior learning will not be applied to the graduation minimum of 15 JC credit hours and will not count toward the enrollment of a specific term in determining part-time or full-time status.
Credit for Prior Learning Form
Credit by Examination
Jackson College recognizes that some students enter college with proficiencies that warrant college credit. Students may request Credit by Examination to demonstrate skills and knowledge in many courses offered by the College. The department exam may be a comprehensive written exam, oral, portfolio review, lab projects, computer programs, timed writings or any combination depending on the subject area.
Credit by Examination is designed to grant credit at Jackson College and may or may not transfer to other colleges or universities. Students interested in Credit by Examination should obtain a form from the appropriate department chair’s office and discuss with the chair the feasibility of completing the examination. If the application for Credit by Examination is approved, it will be assigned to a faculty member who will contact the student and provide more information about the examination.
Students must be aware of the following:
- You are limited to one attempt at Credit by Examination per course.
- You may not use Credit by Examination as a method for repeating a course.
- The credit earned by examination will not be applied to the graduation minimum of 12 credit hours that must be completed at JC.
- In order to receive credit via Credit by Examination, you must earn a grade of 2.0 or better. Before the credit will be posted to your transcript, any fees associated with the exam must be paid to the cashier.
- Your transcript will show credits earned for the course for Credit by Examination, CR/EX, not a grade.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The College Board offers examinations designed to assess competence usually obtained by taking beginning level, college-level courses. This program, called CLEP (College Level Examination Program), enables students to earn credit for courses by successfully completing a test. Listed below are the conditions under which credit may be granted for the College Level Examination Program – in many subject areas this includes writing an essay in addition to successfully passing the exam. JC uses the guidelines of 65+% for credit. CLEP credit may be reassessed by your transfer institution when you transfer.
| General Examination.. 65+%c | Credits | ACE1 | JC Course | JC Essay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Composition | no credit | |||
| Humanities | no credit | |||
| Mathematics | no credit | |||
| Natural Science | no credit | |||
| Social Science – History | no credit | |||
| Subject Examinations 65+% | ||||
| American Government | no credit | No | ||
| American History | 3 credits | 50 | Gen. HIS credit | Yes |
| American History I | 3 credits | 50 | HIS 231 | No |
| American History II | 3 credits | 50 | HIS 232 | No |
| American Literature | 3 credits | 50 | ENG 255 | Yes |
| Anal. & Intrp. of Literature | 3 credits | 50 | ENG 246 | Yes |
| Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology | no credit | |||
| Behavioral Sciences for Nurses | no credit | |||
| Calculus with Elementary Functions | 9 credits | 50 | MAT 151, 154 | No |
| Clinical Chemistry | no credit | |||
| College Algebra | 4 credits | 50 | MAT 139 | No |
| College Algebra/Trig | 5 credits | 50 | MAT 141 | No |
| College Composition | no credit | |||
| College French | no credit | |||
| College German | no credit | |||
| College Spanish | no credit | |||
| Computers & Data Processing | 2 credits | 50 | Gen CIS credit | Yes |
| Dental Materials | no credit | |||
| Elm. Computer Prog/FORTRAN IV | 3 credits | No equivalent course | No | |
| English Literature | no credit | No equivalent course | ||
| Freshman English | no credit | |||
| Fundamentals of Nursing | no credit | |||
| General Biology | 4 credits | 50 | BIO 131 | No |
| General Chemistry | 4 credits | 50 | CEM 131 | No |
| General Psychology | no credit | |||
| Geology | 4 credits | 50 | GEL 160 | No |
| Head, Neck & Oral Anatomy | no credit | |||
| Hematology | <>no credit | |||
| Intro to Business Mgt. | no credit | |||
| Introductory Accounting | no credit | |||
| Introductory Business Law | no credit | |||
| Introductory Macroeconomics | 3 credits | 50 | ECN 231 | No |
| Introductory Marketing | no credit | |||
| Introductory Microeconomics | 3 credits | 50 | ECN 232 | No |
| Intro. Micro- & Macroeconomics | no credit | |||
| Introductory Sociology | no credit | |||
| Medical-Surgical Nursing | no credit | |||
| Microbiology | no credit | |||
| Money and Banking | no credit | |||
| Oral Radiography | no credit | |||
| Statistics | 4 credits | 50 | MAT 133 | No |
| Tooth Morphology & Function | no credit | |||
| Trigonometry | no credit | |||
| Western Civilization | 3 credits | 50 | Gen HIS credit | No |
| Western Civilization I | 4 credits | 50 | HIS 131 | No |
| Western Civilization II | 4 credits | 50 | HIS 132 | No |
The American Council on Education (ACE) has developed a recommended credit-granting score and number of semester hours of credit for each CLEP exam.
Advanced Placement Program
Many prospective Jackson College students take Advanced Placement (AP) examinations through the College Board during their junior and/or senior year in high school. On many AP examinations, scores of 4 or better will earn academic credit; in a few cases, a score of 3 may result in credit. AP credit may be reassessed by your transfer institution when you transfer.
To receive credit for your AP exams/scores requires that your exams and scores appear on an official high school transcript or that you submit an official AP Score Sheet. Please have the official AP Score Sheet sent to:
JC Office of the Registrar
Jackson College
2111 Emmons Road
Jackson, MI 49201
If you need to request your AP test score sheet, please call 1.888.225.5427.
The following AP examinations and scores will earn the stated credit at JC.
| College Board Advanced Placement Program | |||
| AP Subject | Score | Credit | JC Course |
| United States History | 5, 4, 3 | 6 credits | HIS 231, 232 |
| 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Art History | 5, 4 | 6 credits | ART 111, 112 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Studio Art: 2-D Design | 5, 4 | 3 credits | ART 101 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Studio Art: Drawing | 5, 4 | 3 credits | ART 103 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Biology | 5, 4 | 8 credits | BIO 161, BIO 162 |
| 3 | 4 credits | BIO 161 | |
| 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Calculus AB | 5, 4, 3 | 4 credits | MTH 151 |
| 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Calculus BC | 5, 4, 3 | 9 credits | MTH 151, 154 |
| 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Chemistry (only) | 5, 4 | 8 credits | CEM 141, 142 |
| 3 | 4 credits | CEM 131 or 141 | |
| 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Computer Science A (only) | 5, 4 | 2 credits | General CPS credit |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Computer Science AB (only) | 5 | 5 credits | General CPS credit/waive CPS 175 |
| 4 | 2 credits | General CPS credit | |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Environmental Science | 5, 4, 3 | 4 credits | BIO 158 |
| 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Microeconomics | 5, 4 | 3 credits | ECN 232 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Macroeconomics | 5, 4 | 3 credits | ECN 231 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| English Language and Composition | 5, 4 | 3 credits | ENG 131 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| French Language | 5 | 8 credits | FRN 231, 232 |
| 4 | 4 credits | FRN 231 | |
| 3, 2, 1 | No credit | ||
| German Language | 5 | 8 credits | GER 231, 232 |
| 4 | 4 credits | GER 231 | |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Government and Politics: United States | 5, 4 | 3 credits | PLS 141 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Government and Politics: Comparative | 5, 4 | 3 credits | PLS 141 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Physics “C” Mechanics | 5, 4 | 4 credits | PHY 251 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Physics “C” Electricity & Magnetism | 5, 4 | 4 credits | PHY 252 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Physics “B” | 5, 4 | 8 credits | PHY 231, 232 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Psychology | 5, 4 | 4 credits | PSY 140 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Statistics | 5, 4 | 4 credits | MAT 133 |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit | ||
| Spanish Language | 5 | 8 credits | SPN 231, 232 |
| 4 | 4 credits | SPN 231 | |
| 3, 2, 1 | no credit |
ACE and DANTES
Jackson College recognizes both the American Council on Education’s Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experiences in the Armed Forces and the Defense Activity for Non-traditional Education Support. In addition, JC is designated as a Service-Members Opportunity College and is committed to serving the special needs of military personnel.
DSST – DANTES Subject Standardized Tests – This is a nationally recognized testing program that allows you the opportunity to receive college credit for learning acquired outside the regular classroom.
ACE – American Council on Education – Educational credit may be granted for learning acquired through military training. Official ACE transcripts must be sent. To obtain an official transcript, students must write to:
Center for Adult Learning & Educational Credentials
American Council on Education
ATTN: Registries
One DuPont Circle, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036-1193