Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)

Credit For Prior Learning (CPL)

The College recognizes that college-level learning can occur beyond traditional academic settings and offers multiple pathways for students to earn credit toward degrees based on volunteer work, workplace experience, and more.

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) allows undergraduate and graduate students to demonstrate college level prior learning through external assessments, College-created internal assessments, or portfolio assessments.  This policy adheres to Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation standards and draws on best practices outlined by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL).

Principles of CPL

  • Learner-Centered: accessible in cost and process to students with prior learning
  • Multiple Pathways: multiple pathways available to demonstrate prior learning
  • Contextualized Learning: assessments include reflection on learning and connection to future learning
  • Rigorous Assessment: based on assessing learning equivalent to the course outcomes and level of a comparable course at the College, rather than on recognizing experience
  • Faculty Assessment: assessed by faculty and academic staff with expertise in the material
  • Transparency and Equity: clearly defined, consistently applied, and equitable

Eligible Learning Prior learning eligible for credit consideration may include but is not limited to:

  • External assessment scores
  • Internal assessment results
  • Work experience
  • Non-credit courses
  • Professional training and certifications
  • Volunteer, professional, and community service

Limitations to CPL

  • CPL is not based on experience alone but must be demonstrated in an assessed academic context.
  • CPL credit from other institutions may not be accepted.
  • CPL credit awarded likely will not be accepted at other institutions.
  • CPL credit is not awarded for courses that appear on a student's college-level transcripts.
  • Portfolio assessment requires faculty approval (see Process for Portfolio Assessment).
  • Internal CPL assessments may have eligibility requirements. Contact the Assessment Center (AssessmentCenter@alverno.edu) for details.
  • Some programs may restrict CPL credit due to professional or accreditation standards.
  • Undergraduate students are limited to 20% of credits required for the degree from CPL. For programs listing a single maximum number, the combination of transfer and CPL credits combined cannot exceed that maximum limit.
  • Graduate students must adhere to program-determined maximums for external credit, a category which includes transfer credit and CPL*. 
    • Master of Business Administration (MBA): 12 transfer, 6 CPL 
    • Master of Music Therapy (MMT): 6 transfer, 0 CPL 
    • Master of Science in Community Psychology (MCP): 6
    • Master of Education (MA): 14
    • Doctor of Education (EDD) (ABD to EDSP.C.EDD): 6
    • Master of Science in Educational Psychology and Educational Specialist in School Psychology (MS/EDS): 12
    • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP): 6
    • FNP and MHNP Degree (MSN): 14 transfer, 0 CPL
    • FNP and MHNP Post-MSN Certificate: 0
    • Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing (DEMSN): 0 
  • CPL credit does not fulfill residency requirements.
  • Students may only attempt CPL once per course. 
  • Students may not attempt CPL in their final semester. 
  • CPL credit is considered transfer credit, not institutional credit. This credit does not count toward major/minor/ specialization/certificate requirements but does count toward the cumulative credits required for a major/minor/specialization/certificate.

Responsibilities

  • Students: Provide accurate and comprehensive documentation of prior learning
  • Advisors: Answer questions about CPL process and policy
  • Assessment Center: Guide students through the CPL process and communicate the results
  • Faculty: Develop and evaluate CPL assessments that align to course learning outcomes
  • Registrar's Office: Record successful CPL credit
  • Student Accounts: Apply charges for CPL assessment attempts 

External Assessment Score Submission Process

Students must request official score reports from external assessment organizations (College Board for AP & CLEP, IB) is sent  to the Admissions Office. To inquire about assessments that are not listed here, contact the Assessment Center (AssessmentCenter@alverno.edu). 

  • Advanced Placement (AP) Equivalencies
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Equivalencies
  • College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Equivalencies

Internal Assessment of Prerequisite Undergraduate Courses Process

A selection of internal assessments is available to newly admitted or first-year undergraduates through the Assessment Center. Effective January 1, 2026, the fee for assessments is $75 per credit, which is paid prior to taking the assessment, regardless of assessment success. Most courses are 3-credit courses, but students may check the catalog to confirm. Contact the Assessment Center (AssessmentCenter@alverno.edu) about internal assessment for the following courses:

  • Communication Seminar 1 CM-120
  • Communication Seminars 2 CM-125 and 3 CM-225 CM 120 assessment required; higher achievement may earn higher level credit.
  • College Algebra MT-123
  • Trigonometry MT-124
  • Quantitative Literacy in the Modern World QL-122
  • Mathematical Connections QL-156 Eligibility required. Contact Assessment Center.
  • Foundations of Chemistry SC-119
  • Foundations of Biology SC-120 Eligibility required; Assessment Center or Advising contacts eligible students.

Process for Spanish Language Placement

Spanish, Language & Culture minors and Global Studies majors and minors are eligible to complete a Spanish language placement assessment. Students register for SLC-100 (fee: $125).

Students in Bilingual Education are must complete language assessments; however, students with credits earned from a college located in a Spanish-speaking country or who have earned a college-level Spanish major or minor, use these credentials to waive the assessments upon approval by the program director or dean.

Undergraduate education majors who wish to add a Bilingual Licensure register for BIL-100 (fee: $125), while graduate education majors who wish to add the Bilingual Licensure register for BIL-500 (fee: $125).

Interested students should speak to their program director about assessment selection and timing and contact the Assessment Center (AssessmentCenter@alverno.edu) when ready to schedule. Placement assessments cannot be revised. 

Process for Portfolio Assessment

Undergraduate and graduate student may apply to complete a portfolio-based prior learning assessment. Portfolios demonstrate the learning outcomes of a specific course at the same or higher level of that course. The fee for portfolio assessment is $150 per assessment to be paid when the student is approved to assess (see steps 2-4), regardless of assessment outcome.

  1. Students complete the Student Interest Form and email it as an attachment to the Assessment Center (AssessmentCenter@alverno.edu).
  2. Assessment Center staff or a qualified faculty assessor reviews the form and may contact the student to discuss prior learning.
  3. The faculty assessor recommends approval or denial of the portfolio assessment attempt and how many credits to award if assessment and communicates the decision to the student via email and copying the Assessment Center.
  4. If approving a student to assess, the faculty assessor sends instructions, criteria, and timeline for the assessment to the student via email with the Assessment Center copied.
  5. Students pay the $150 fee at the Student Accounts Office.
  6. Students complete the portfolio independently, but may contact the Assessment Center and/or the Center for Learning and Assessment Support for guidance. Evidence of academic dishonesty results in disqualification and loss of the $150 fee.
  7. Student submit all parts of the portfolio to the Assessment Center. The Assessment Center confirms completeness and forwards it to the faculty assessor via email with the student copied. Incomplete portfolios are returned for completion. Students may contact the Assessment Center to request an extension. The Assessment Center communicates with the faculty assessor and reports results and changes to timeline to the student.
  8. The faculty assessor may take up to three weeks to assess but may require an extension. The assessor communicates any such extension to the student via email with the Assessment Center copied.
  9. The faculty assessor completes the Credit for Prior Learning Assessor Evaluation Form and emails the form to the student with the Assessment Center copied.
  10. The Assessment Center notes on the form how many credits are to be awarded and sends the entire form and portfolio to the Registrar’s Office to become part of the student’s record.
  11. The registrar enters CPL credit on the student’s transcript as transfer credits in the area of the transcript titled “Courses waived and/or credit granted by assessment.

Appeals

Students have the right to submit a letter of appeal to the Director of the Center for Learning and Assessment Support (CLAS@alverno.edu) within seven business days of the decision date.

Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Scores Equivalent to Alverno Courses

The chart below has:

  1. AP Exam in column 1
  2. The minimum AP score in column 2
  3. Alverno equivalvent course(s) in column 4 and whether they waived or given credits in column 3
  4.  The number of Alverno credits awarded in column 4

Questions marks mean faculty have not evaluated the exam, they will do so upon student request. 

ART
AP 3 D Art & Design AP Score = 3 Course - A-234 award 3 credits
AP 2-D Design AP Score = 3 Course = A-134 award 3 credits
AP Drawing AP Score = 3 Course = A-121 award 3 credits
AP Art History AP Score = 3 Course = HFA-210 or 310 award 2 credits
AP Music Theory AP Score = 3 General Elective award 3 credits
ENGLISH
AP English Language & Literature AP Score = 3 Course = CM-120 award 3 credits
AP English Literature & Composition AP Score = 3 Courses = CM-120 or EN 210 or HFA-210 Award 2- 3 credits
HISTORY, ECONOMICS, POLITICAL SCIENCE
AP African American Studies AP Score = 3 Course = GLS Elective award 3 credits
AP Comparative Government & Politics AP Score = 3 Course = GLS Elective award 3 credits
AP US Government & Politics AP Score = 3 Course = POL-225 award 4 credits
AP European History AP Score = 3 Course = HFA-210 or HFA-310 award 2 credits
AP US History AP Score = 3 Course = HFA-210 or HFA-310 award 2 crdits
AP World History: Modern AP Score = 3 Course = HFA-210 or HFA-310 award 2 credits
AP Human Geography AP Score = 3 Course = SSC Elective award 4 credits
AP Macroeconomics AP Score = 4 Course = BU-210 award 3 credits
AP Microeconomics AP Score = 4 Course = BU-211 award 3 credits
AP Psychology AP Score = 3 PSY Lower-Level Elective award 4 credits
AP Calculus AP Score = 3 Courses = QL-122 waived, MT-123 waived, MT-124 & MT-148 credits award 5 credits
AP Calculus AB AP Score = 3 Courses = QL-122 waived, MT-123 & MT-124 waived, MT-148 waived, MT-152 credit award 4 credits
AP Calculus BC AP Score = 3 Courses Wavied = QL-122, MT-123, MT-124, MT-148 Credit: MT-152 & MT 153 award 8 credits
AP Computer Science AP Score = 3 Course = General Elective award 3 credits
AP Computer Science Principles AP Score = 3 Course = General Elective award 3 credits
AP Statistics AP Score = 3 Courses = QL-156 or BU-250 or BSC-257 or MT-256 award 4 credits
SCIENCES
AP Biology AP Score = 3 Courses = SC-120 & SC-120L award 4 credits
AP Chemistry AP Score = 3 Courses = SC-119 & SC-119L award 4 credits
AP Environmental Science AP Score = 3 Course - Sc Elective award 3 credits
MATH & COMPUTER SCIENCE
AP Physics 1: Algebra Based AP Score = 3 Course = PH-231 & PH-231L award 4 credits
AP Physics 2: Algebra Based AP Score = 3 Course = PH-232 & PH-232L award 4 credits
AP Physics 3: Electricity & Magnetism AP Score = 3 Course = PH-242 & PH-242L award 4 credits
SPANISH
AP Spanish Language & Culture AP Score = 3 Course = SLC Elective award 3 credits
AP Spanish Literature & Culture AP Score = 3 Course = SLC 330 award 3 credits
RESEARCH & SEMINAR
AP Research AP Score = 3 Course = CM-120 & CM-125 award 7 credits
AP Seminar AP Score = 3 Course = CM-120 & CM-125 award 7 credits

International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB) Exam Scores Equivalent to Alverno Courses

The chart below has:

  1. IB Exam in column 1
  2. The minimum IB Level and minimum score in column 2
  3. Alverno equivalvent course(s) in column 3 and whether they waived or given credits 
  4.  The number of Alverno credits awarded in column 4

Questions marks mean faculty have not evaluated the exam, they will do so upon student request. 

ARTS
Dance Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Courses = HFA-210 or HFA-310 award 2 credits
Film Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Courses = HFA-210 or HFA-310 award 2 credits
Music Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Courses = General Elective award 3 credits
Theater Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Courses = HFA-210 or HFA-310 award 2 credits
Visual Arts Level = SL, Score = 4 Course =Art Lower Level Elective award 2 credits
Visual Arts Level = HL, Score = 4 Course = Art Lower Level Elective award 3 credits
LANGUAGE & LITERATURE
Language A: Literature Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Courses = CM-120 or HFA-210 & 310 award 4 or 2 credits
Language A: Language & Literature Level = SL/HL,, Score = 4 Courses = CM-120 or HFA-210 & HFA-310 award 4 credits
Litatuer & Performance Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Courses = CM-120 or HFA-210 & HFA-310 award 4 credits
Language B (Spanish) Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = SLC-103 waived award 0 credits
Language AB & B Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = General Elective award 4 credits
Other Languages Level = SL/HL, Score =4 Course = General Elective award 4 credits
INDIVIDUALS & SOCIETIES
Business & Management Level = SL/HL, Score = 3 Course = BU-100 award 3 credits
Digital Society Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = BU Elective award 3 credits
Economics Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = BU-210 award 3 credits
Geography Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = General Elective award 3 credits
Global Politics Level = SL/HL, Score = 3 Course = ??? ???
History Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = HS Elective award 4 credits
Philosophy Level = SL/HL, Score = 3 Course = PH Elective award 4 credits
Psychology Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = PSY 100 Level Elective award 4 credits
Social & Cultural Anthropology Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = ???? ???
World Relgions Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = RL-250 award 4 credits
SCIENCE
Biology Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = SC-120 & SC-120L award 4 credits
Chemistry Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = SC-119 & SC-119L award 4 credits
Computer Science Level = SL, Score = 4 Course = General Elective award 3 credts
Computer Science Level = HL Course = MT-268 award 4 credits
Design Technology Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = General Elective award 3 credits
Environmental Systems & Societies Level = SL, Score = 4 Course = Science, no lab Elective award 3 credit
Physics Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Course = PH-231 & PH-231L award 4 credits
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches Level = SL/HL, Score = 5 Courses: QL-122, MT-123, MT-124, MT 128 waived, MT-152 credits award 4 credits
Mathematics: Applications & Interpretations Level = SL/HL, Score = 4 Courses = QL-122, MT-123, MT-124, MT-148 waived, MT-152 credit award 4 credits

College Level Exam Placement (CPL) Exams

Faculty have not yet evaluated CLEP exams listed below for equivalent Alverno courses, but will do so upon student request.

The CLEP exams below are linked to the CLEP site with further information.

Students can take CLEP exams at MATC. 

BUSINESS

ENGLISH, LITERATURE & COMPOSITION

HISTORY, POLITICAL SCEIENCE & SOCIOLOGY

HUMANTIES

LANGUAGE

PSYCHOLOGY

SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS