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Graduate students may be able to earn academic credits for transferable learning acquired in a non-traditional manner such as qualifying prior learning through employment, independent certificate training or specialized certifications, or personal educational growth. Credit may be awarded when the student is able to demonstrate transferable learning defined as knowledge that can be applied to a new or different situation. Prior learning assessment requires an understanding of the theoretical concepts involved in the learning experience. Appropriate documentation must be provided for review for Prior Learning Assessment credits. Credit is awarded when the student successfully demonstrates transferable learning or knowledge that can be applied to a new or different situation.
Students must be currently enrolled IUP students to be eligible to apply for PLA credits. Students must demonstrate that they have met the goals of a particular course by developing a portfolio that showcases their experiential learning. Students are responsible for identifying the course equivalency and providing documentation that the course goals have been met.
Graduate students may earn no more than one-third (1/3) of the credits required for an IUP graduate degree, certificate, or certification program by earning PLA credit and/or transfer credits. Decisions to assess prior leaning experiences outside of the academic classroom are made by individual colleges and department degree programs. Individual colleges or department degree programs may choose not to grant any credit for prior learning outside of the academic classroom. Individual colleges and department degree programs may completely opt out of the Prior Learning Assessment for Academic Credit.
1. Currently enrolled IUP graduate students may request a PLA portfolio review through the School of Graduate Studies and Research.
2. Graduate students must demonstrate that they have met the goals of a particular graduate course by developing a portfolio that showcases their experiential learning is college graduate-level learning. PLA academic credit is awarded when the graduate student is able to successfully demonstrate transferable learning, or knowledge that can be applied to a new or different situation. Graduate students are responsible for identifying the course equivalency and providing documentation that the college graduate-level course goals have been met
3. PLA portfolio review does not guarantee that IUP credit will be awarded.
4. All PLA portfolio reviews are conducted by appropriate faculty in the graduate student’s degree program’s department, with academic credit approval by the student’s degree program’s coordinator, the appropriate department chair, and final approval by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research or Dean’s designee.
5. An application fee is charged to the graduate student to apply for PLA portfolio assessment, regardless of outcome.
6. An evaluation fee is charged to the graduate student for one primary graduate department for portfolio review, regardless of outcome. For each additional secondary department (for example, dual degree enrolled or interdisciplinary degree program) that must evaluate the same portfolio, there is an additional charge of half the primary fee.
7. A per credit fee is charged to the graduate student for all academic credits awarded to students via PLA.
8. A transcription posting fee for the PLA credits awarded to students via PLA is charged to the graduate student to transcribe the academic credit to their graduate record.
9. PLA credits are not eligible for payment using GA tuition dollars or SGSR Scholarship dollars. PLA credits are not covered by financial aid.
10. If the PLA credit request is approved, credits, not grades, will be awarded and transcribed through the School of Graduate Studies and Research.
11. If a graduate student changes their program of study, semester hours credited toward an earlier program of study may not be recognized in the new program of study.
12. IUP will not transfer credit received through Prior Leaning Assessments by other institutions.
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