Prior Learning Assessment
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) allows you to fast track your future by having some of your previous work and life experiences turned into college credit.
Eastern Gateway Community College awards credit for verified learning resulting from prior experience. Credit can be awarded when the learning is college equivalent possessing value in and of itself and contributing to the personal career development of the learner and the concentration identified in the degree approval. This includes training classes and courses taken at non-accredited technical institutions. The PLA advisor will assist the student in identifying learning outcomes and to ascertain how well those outcomes match those in a particular course or program at Eastern Gateway.
Earn credit from:
Portfolio-based credit
Military training and experience
Credit by exam
Portfolio-Based Credit
If a student has relevant training or work experience that can be directly linked to an existing course at Eastern Gateway, course credit may be granted upon the presentation of a portfolio documenting the work the student completed. If the learning is not closely aligned to an existing course but has significant value and of college level, special topics credit may be granted. Applicants are advised to take the portfolio course, PLA100, offered at Eastern Gateway to help them more effectively present the documentation of their work experience.
Military Training and Experience
Eastern Gateway is committed to the acceptance and awarding of college credit for training and experience in the United States Armed Forces and National Guard, as long as it has been approved by the American Council on Education (ACE) or a regional accrediting institute such as the Higher Learning Commission.
Credit by Exam
The purpose of this examination is to permit students who believe they are qualified through education, training, and/or experience the opportunity to pass over certain courses in order to take more advanced work. The proficiency examination, which must be requested, will be comprehensive enough to be representative of the entire content of a course and offered during the regular semester. Students desiring to take the proficiency examination must apply to and enroll in Eastern Gateway Community College through the PLA advisor. Upon approval, the student must pay the appropriate fee to the Business Office for each proficiency examination taken. The student will then return the form to the examiner. The examiner will administer the examination and record the grade. If the challenge course requires a manual proficiency, the student must complete all components of the manual examination to the satisfaction of the examiner. The PLA advisor will make the recommendation to the Registrar’s Office that the credits passed by the examination become a part of the student’s permanent record. A student is not eligible to take a proficiency examination more than once for each course, nor is a student eligible to take a proficiency examination for a course the student has previously taken.
How To Start
Schedule an appointment to meet with the PLA Specialist, Kristine Benard, by phone at (740) 264-5591 extension 3341 or email KBenard@egcc.edu. The student should be prepared to discuss their work experience, certifications, and non-credit coursework to determine the next steps in gaining college credit. The PLA Specialist will work with the student on the best method of assessment to pursue.