Credit for Prior Learning Resources

Winona State recognizes prior learning that students may have acquired outside the traditional classroom, such as nationally recognized standardized exams, career work, community engagement, travel, military service, conference attendance and other non-college-sponsored educational experiences. 

University Policy and Procedure 3-35 (PDF) and 3-35a (PDF) outline the expectations and guidelines for evaluating the various types of credit for prior learning (CPL) at WSU.

The Adult & Continuing Education Office (ACE) helps students navigate the process as needed and serve as a resource to faculty and staff who have limited experience with portfolio review for credit. 

While our staff helps to facilitate this process, the colleges and departments ultimately determine if they will review a portfolio, what should be provided as evidence of college-level learning within the portfolio, and ultimately if credit will be awarded. 

The Registrar’s Office is also instrumental in the CPL by portfolio review process and serves as another campus resource for faculty and students.

Credit for Prior Learning is especially important to post-traditional learners that come to us with established, unaccounted for learning that can help them expedite their time to degree completion.

Researchers have found (PDF) that post-traditional students who are awarded credit for prior learning have better academic outcomes than their peers, particularly when we look at graduation rates and persistence.

ACE is happy to provide printed resources related to CPL or in-person information sessions on the topic of portfolio review.