You may have spent years troubleshooting technology, training coworkers, coordinating projects, or completing military instruction. Those experiences can involve substantial learning—even when they happen outside a college classroom. If you are considering a degree, it is worth asking whether some of that knowledge could count toward your education.
Credit for prior learning provides a way to evaluate that possibility. At American National University, students can work with an academic advisor to explore whether learning gained through experience meets the objectives of eligible college courses. For veterans and career-changers, the process may help reduce the coursework remaining toward a credential.
What Is Credit for Prior Learning?
Credit for prior learning, often called CPL, recognizes college-level knowledge acquired outside traditional college coursework. You may also encounter the term prior learning assessment, or PLA, when researching how universities evaluate that knowledge.
The distinction between experience and learning is essential. Working in a role for several years does not automatically earn college credit. An assessment examines what you learned and whether you can demonstrate knowledge that aligns with course requirements.
The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning identifies workplace training, military learning, independent study, and other experiences as potential sources of college-level learning. The value comes from recognizing knowledge a student can demonstrate rather than requiring the student to repeat it in a classroom.
Can You Get College Credit for Work Experience?
Potentially, yes. But “college credit for work experience” is shorthand for a more specific process: assessing the learning gained through that experience. Your job title or résumé can help begin the conversation, while supporting evidence helps explain what you know.
Consider a hypothetical employee who has trained new staff and coordinated complex projects. A useful assessment conversation would explore the concepts, methods, and skills behind those responsibilities. What did the employee learn? How was that learning applied? What documentation could demonstrate it?
This is especially relevant for career-changers. Even when you are moving into a new field, some of your previous learning may be relevant to the degree you want to pursue. The appropriate next step is an evaluation, rather than assuming that everything—or nothing—will count.
How American National University Evaluates Prior Learning
American National University’s prior learning credit information describes several assessment options. These include test-out exams, CLEP exams, portfolios, and documentation such as a résumé and an employer letter explaining how course objectives were demonstrated. The university also identifies military training as a source of learning to review.
Students work directly with an academic advisor, and credit is not automatic. The process requires demonstrating college-level learning that meets the relevant course objectives.
Before gathering extensive documentation, ask which assessment approach is appropriate for your intended program. That conversation can help you focus on evidence that addresses the requirements being evaluated.
Prior Learning Assessment for Veterans: Start with Your Training Records
Military service can involve formal instruction and occupational learning that deserve careful review. The American Council on Education’s Military Guide provides academic credit recommendations for evaluated military training and occupations. The Joint Services Transcript, where applicable, documents military learning and associated recommendations.
Those recommendations support a college’s evaluation; they do not independently award credit toward your degree. The institution determines what it accepts and how accepted credit applies to its program requirements.
If you are researching prior learning assessment for veterans, ask American National University which military records and supporting documents to submit. Explain your training and educational goals so the review can focus on the degree you intend to pursue.
How Prior Learning Credit May Save Time and Money
When approved credit satisfies a course requirement, it may reduce the number of courses you need to complete. That can lower tuition costs and free time for subjects you have not yet studied. CAEL identifies these potential savings as important benefits of recognizing prior learning.
Your individual savings depend on the credits awarded, their applicability to your program, assessment costs, and the structure of your remaining coursework. Avoid estimating a graduation date from a credit total alone. Course sequencing and availability also influence the path ahead.
Ask for a clear explanation of what changes after the assessment: which requirements are satisfied, what remains, and how any assessment fees compare with the cost of completing those courses.
Build Evidence That Shows What You Know
Start with an inventory of relevant training, responsibilities, certifications, and learning experiences. Then connect each item to what you can explain or demonstrate. A certificate may document that you completed training, while a detailed description of the content can help clarify what the training covered.
If a portfolio is appropriate, American National University’s guidance calls for documentation showing what you know, how you learned it, and how that knowledge can be demonstrated. Ask your advisor what evidence is suitable before including work samples, and avoid sharing confidential employer or client information.
This reflection can be useful even before a credit decision. Describing your learning clearly helps you identify strengths you bring to college and areas where you want additional education.
Combine Prior Learning with a Plan for Your Remaining Courses
CPL and traditional transfer credit are related but distinct conversations. If you previously attended college, request a review of that coursework as well. Together, the evaluations can help establish what remains in your chosen program.
Review the applicable student catalog for current policies, limits, and degree requirements. Ask how different credit sources interact and which requirements must be completed through the university.
For the courses ahead, explore American National University’s live online learning experience. Scheduled classes can provide structure and interaction as you build on existing knowledge and learn new material.
Find Out Whether Your Learning Can Count
Your work history and military service may have given you knowledge relevant to your next credential. Credit for prior learning offers a process for evaluating that knowledge and determining whether it can move you closer to your goal.
Contact American National University admissions to discuss your program interests and ask how to begin a prior learning review. With an evaluation and a clear completion plan, you can better understand how your past learning may support your next step.
