You can earn credit at Peirce College for college-level knowledge you already possess through the following methods:
- Credit-by-exam
- Portfolio assessment
- Credentials, training and other programs that have been evaluated for college credit
Credit-by-exam programs, such as the CLEP®, the College-level Exam Program, and Peirce College exams, allow students to test out of a degree requirement. These exams provide significant savings in time and money for adults who know the
material because they are a fraction of the cost of course tuition and typically take less time to complete.
With portfolio assessment, students develop a portfolio containing evidence that they possess college-level knowledge that is equivalent to what they would have learned in a specific course that is required in their degree program. Like credit-by-exam,
portfolio assessment typically costs much less than course tuition and can save adults who know the material time and money.
Students can also earn credit for professional licenses and certifications, professional and military training and other programs that have been evaluated for credit by Peirce College or the American Council on Education and fit a specific
degree program requirement. There are no additional costs to earning this credit for students, who have completed the training or possess the credentials, which comes over as transfer credit.
If you are interested in registering for a credit-by-exam program, the first step is to meet with your enrollment and academic advisor to confirm the exam you want to take fits your degree program. Your advisor will make sure you register
for an exam that fulfils your degree program requirements.
- If you plan to take a Peirce College exam, your next step is to pay the $350 exam fee through Student Financial Services. Federal financial aid cannot be used to cover the exam fee. Once the exam fee is paid, you can schedule the
test with your advisor.
- If you plan to take a CLEP® exam offered by the College Board, your next step is to visit the CLEP® website to register and pay online. Federal financial aid cannot be used to
cover the exam fee.
Credit-by-exam programs are much less costly that tuition for a college course. For example, the cost of a Peirce College exam is $350, compared to $1,800 in tuition for an equivalent Peirce course. Credit-by-exams offered by CLEP®,
the College-level Exam Program, and DSST Exams, formerly known as DANTES, are typically priced around $90 per exam.
There is no formal length required for a portfolio that demonstrates you possess the college-level knowledge that is equivalent to what you learn in a course. There are critical elements that the portfolio should have, including how
your prior learning matches the learning outcomes of the equivalent course and the evidence that you actually possess this learning.
Evidence can include letters of reference, samples of your work, performance evaluations, commendations or awards you have received, how, where and when you acquired the knowledge, licenses, certifications that prove you completed
specific training and the curriculum of training you successfully completed. At Peirce College, you will work with a faculty chair or program chair to discuss the development of your portfolio.