Introduction
Hill College (HC) strives to provide students with opportunities to receive credit for prior learning while still maintaining the academic integrity of its academic programs. Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is the evaluation of an individual’s learning outside of the college classroom. PLA gives students an opportunity to earn college credits for college-level knowledge they have acquired through experience including military service and training, advanced high school courses, recognized exams and certifications, and others.
Students may petition course credit for experiential learning, non-credit course completion, professional development, licensure/certifications, and national exams. Course credit is awarded when content mastered through an experience is comparable to the student learning outcomes of a HC course. Participants benefit from recognized learning outside the traditional classroom, reduced program costs, and timely degree completion.
To accommodate this need, HC has developed the Prior Learning Assessment Guidelines and Procedures Manual. This manual is designed to provide information about the diverse ways in which students obtain academic credit for learned knowledge and skills outside a classroom setting. This academic college credit can be awarded through the following prior learning demonstrations:
- Military Training
- Professional Work Experience
- External Exams Credit
- Internal Credit by Exam
- Continuing Education Mirror Courses
- Licensure and Professional Certification
The offices of Instruction and Student Services work collaboratively to process assessment requests. The Office of the Vice President for Instruction ensures PLA adheres to institutional policies and regional accreditation standards, maintains academic integrity, and follows current business processes. The Vice President for Student Services provides support to PLA applicants through academic advising, application assistance, and credit posting. HC policies and procedures are consistent with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) principles and with Hill College Board Policies EGA (Legal) and EGAA (Local).
Student Eligibility to Request Credit
To request PLA credit, students must meet the following requirements:
- Student must be admitted in an academic or career education credit program past census date of the current semester and be in good standing (GPA 2.0).
- Student must have successfully completed a minimum of 6 college credit hours of HC course work.
- Student must provide official documentation of prior learning (transcripts, licensures, certificates, work experience, etc.)
Guidelines for Awarding Credit
Credit for prior learning can be awarded only after the assessment of prior learning experiences and only for documented learning that demonstrates achievement of all identified learning outcomes for a specific course or courses.
- Students cannot request PLA for courses attempted or previously
- Attempted – Courses that appear on an HC or transferring institution transcript as withdrawn (W/WC) or incomplete (I).
- Previously Taken – Courses that appear on HC or transferring institution transcript with a grade.
- Credit may only be awarded for courses applicable to the student’s declared degree
- Credit is posted after census date of the semester/term in which the assessment was
- Credit does not count toward the 25% residency requirement of the college, satisfactory academic progress (SAP) calculations, nor meet eligibility requirements for financial aid or loan
- Credit may not exceed 50% of a student’s Certificate or Associate degree required coursework. Awarding of PLA may not be excluded for calculation of a second certificate or degree.
- Credit earned through PLA cannot be removed from a student’s transcript once it has been awarded to the academic transcript.
- Course credit is documented as “CR” on a HC transcript and may contribute toward graduation requirements. Letter grades cannot be given for course credit earned through PLA.
- Other institutions are not obligated to accept credit earned through PLA. It is the student's responsibility to check with the transfer institution before pursuing the PLA process to determine the institution's policies and accpetance of PLA.
- Upon completion, the PLA application and copy of the results (exam, portfolio, and etc.) will be forwarded to Student Information Services for filing.
- Students, who are denied credit through PLA for a specific course, may not petition for credit again for the same course by any options defined under PLA.
Application for Prior Learning Assessment
To receive credit for the following prior learning, students must complete an application.
- Military Training
- Professional Work Experience
- External Exams – CLEP, AP, IB
- Internal Credit by Exam
- Continuing Education Mirror Courses
- Licensure and Professional Certification
Applicable Fees
The chart below indicates applicable fees for processing credit for prior learning assessment. Fees are non-refundable and must be paid to the Business Office upon posting credit to the academic transcript.
Prior Learning Assessment | Fee |
Military Training | No Fee |
Professional Work Experience | $60 per portfolio |
External Exams Credit | $25 per course |
Internal Credit by Exam | $25 per course |
Continuing Education Mirror Courses | No Fee |
Licensure and Professional Certification | $25 per course |
Prior Learning Assessment
AP Advanced Placement
Test Name | Minimum Score | Credits | Course(s) | Fits Core Requirements | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Art History | 3 | 6 | ARTS 1303, 1304 | Core | |
Biology | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1406 | Core | |
Biology | 4 | 8 | BIOL 1406, 1407 | Core | |
Calculus AB | 3 | 4 | MATH 2413 | ||
Calculus AB | 4 | 8 | MATH 2413, 2414 | Core | |
Calculus BC | 3 | 4 | MATH 2413 | Core | |
Calculus BC | 4 | 8 | MATH 2413, 2414 | Core | |
Chemistry | 3 | 8 | CHEM 1405, 1407 | ||
Chemistry | 4 | 8 | CHEM 1411, 1412 | Core | |
Computer Science A | 4 | 8 | COSC 1436, 1437 | ||
Computer Science AB | 4 | 12 | COSC 1436, 1437, 2436 | ||
English Language and Comp | 3 | 3 | ENGL 1301 | Core | |
English Language and Comp | 4 | 6 | ENGL 1301, 1302 | Core | |
English Literature and Comp | 3 | 3 | ENGL 2322 | Core | |
English Literature and Comp | 4 | 6 | ENGL 2322, 2323 | Core | |
French - Language | 3 | 4 | FREN 1411 | ||
French - Language | 4 | 8 | FREN 1411, 1412 | ||
French - Language | 5 | 14 | FREN 1411, 1412, 2311, 2312 | ||
German - Language | 3 | 4 | GERM 1411 | ||
German - Language | 4 | 8 | GERM 1411, 1412 | ||
German - Language | 5 | 14 | GERM 1411, 1412, 2311, 2312 | ||
US Government & Political Science | 3 | 3 | GOVT2305 | Core | |
History - European | 3 | 6 | HIST 2311, 2312 | ||
History - US | 3 | 6 | HIST 1301, 1302 | Core | |
Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GEOG 1303 | Core | |
Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 2301 | Core | |
Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 2302 | Core | |
Music Theory | 3 | 3 | MUSI 1311 | ||
Physics B | 3 | 8 | PHYS 1401, 1402 | Core | |
Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism | 3 | 4 | PHYS 2426 | Core | |
Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 4 | PHYS 2425 | Core | |
Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSYC 2301 | Core | |
Spanish - Language | 3 | 4 | SPAN 1411 | ||
Spanish - Language | 4 | 8 | SPAN 1411, 1412 | ||
Spanish - Language | 5 | 14 | SPAN 1411, 1412, 2311, 2312 | ||
Statistics | 3 | 3 | MATH1342 | Core | |
Studio Art-Drawing | 3 | 3 | ARTS 1316 |
CLEP Computerized Test Subject Exams
Test Name | Minimum Score | Credits | Course(s) | Fits Core Requirement |
---|---|---|---|---|
Financial Accounting | 50 | 4 | ACCT 2401 | |
Principles of Management | 50 | 3 | BMGT 1303 | |
Biology | 50 | 8 | BIOL 1406, 1407 | Core |
Introductory Business Law | 50 | 3 | BUSI 2301 | |
Chemistry | 50 | 8 | CHEM 1411, 1412 | Core |
Principles of Macroeconomics | 50 | 3 | ECON 2301 | Core |
Principles of Microeconomics | 50 | 3 | ECON 2302 | Core |
College Composition with Essay | 50 | 6 | ENGL 1301, 1302 | Core |
English Literature | 50 | 3 | ENGL 2322 | Core |
American Literature | 50 | 3 | ENGL 2327 | Core |
French Language, Level 1 Proficiency | 50 | 8 | FREN 1411, 1412 | |
French Language, Level 2 Proficiency | 59 | 11 | FREN 1411, 1412, 2311 | |
German Language, Level 1 Proficiency | 50 | 8 | GERM 1411, 1412 | |
German Language, Level 2 Proficiency | 60 | 11 | GERM 1411, 1412, 2311 | |
History of the US I: Early Colonization | 50 | 3 | HIST 1301 | Core |
History of the US II: 1865 to Present | 50 | 3 | HIST 1302 | Core |
Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 | 50 | 3 | HIST 2311 | |
Western Civilization II: 1648 to Present | 50 | 3 | HIST 2312 | |
Principles of Marketing | 50 | 3 | MRKG 1311 | |
College Algebra | 50 | 3 | MATH 1314 | Core |
Precalculus | 50 | 4 | MATH 2412 | Core |
Information Systems | 50 | 3 | BCIS 1305 | Core |
Calculus I | 50 | 4 | MATH 2413 | Core |
Introductory Psychology | 50 | 3 | PSYC 2301 | Core |
Human Growth and Development | 50 | 3 | PSYC 2314 | Core |
Introductory Sociology | 50 | 3 | SOCI 1301 | Core |
Spanish Language, Level 1 Proficiency | 50 | 8 | SPAN 1411, 1412 | |
Spanish Language, Level 2 Proficiency | 63 | 11 | SPAN 1411, 1412, 2311 | |
Humanities | 50 | 3 | HUMA 1301 |