School of Continuing and Professional Studies > Academics > Prior Learning Assessment > PLA Options

PLA Options

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Course Match PLA Projects

A course match PLA allows students with experience and/or expertise in certain topics to show equivalent learning to an SCPS class and potentially earn credit. Students demonstrate their learning through either written or oral projects. Students often submit other evidence of their learning and experience, such as work products, certificates, or letters of attestation may be included to strengthen a student's PLA course match project submission. 

SCPS students can match to all SCPS classes that are not residency requirements. Some courses have topic guides to expedite the creation of student PLA projects. Such courses include:

The course match PLA checklist will lead you through the steps to create a course match PLA project. You can fill out the checklist and submit it to SCPSassessment@depaul.edu for access to the PLA Submission Portal on D2L. 

Pre-approved PLA

Certain credentials, certificates, trainings, and language exams have already been approved for credit. SCPS students can complete the pre-approved PLA checklist to submit credentials for credit. 

Examples of pre-approved PLA include:

Submit the pre-approved PLA checklist and the documents of completion to SCPSassessment@depaul.edu for credential verification and processing for credit.

ACE (American Council on Education) Credit

Learning experiences (including credentials, trainings, certain courses from Coursera, Straighterline, Sophia, etc.) that are currently recognized by the American Council on Education may be eligible for PLA credit at SCPS. This opens up a wider range of professional training to a quicker PLA process. 

If you have credentials, certificates, and/or trainings that are not pre-approved, contact the Office of Prior Learning Assessment at SCPSassessment@depaul.edu to see if they are eligible for credit through American Council on Education recognition.

CLEP and ACE Military

Students can also earn college credit through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and ACE Military Credit.  

Acceptance of College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and ACE Military Credit is managed at the university level by the Transfer Articulation Center.

SCPS has agreed to adopt the same articulations for CLEP exams as the rest of the university for students in the course-based professional studies degree programs. 

Ready to get started?

The best way to understand how PLAs fit with your unique experience is to have a conversation with our advisors. Contact the Office of Prior Learning Assessment anytime with any questions and for additional information. Click the button below to get the conversation started.

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