How to Earn a Life Experience Degree

By Jennifer Wegerer

If you’re a working adult who wants to return to school to finish your degree, you don’t have to start from scratch. More online colleges are offering life experience degrees or credit for life experience than ever before which can put you on the fast track for finishing your bachelor’s degree.

For working adults who have ample experience in a specific area, life experience credits can significantly reduce the time and money it takes to earn a degree through traditional methods. If you started a program at another point in life but circumstances altered your direction, life experience credits may be invaluable in helping you finish your degree. You’ll get a good return on your investment; bachelor’s degree-holders earn twice as much as those with only a high school diploma.

Here’s how you can apply life experience credits toward an undergraduate degree which will help to save you time and money and quickly increase your earning potential.

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Nitty Gritty on Life Experience Degrees

1. Assessing Prior Learning

Typically, the college you apply to will require a copy of your transcripts and a portfolio that includes a written description and samples of your prior experience. The school evaluates your transcripts and experience and helps you design a plan to earn a college degree. Your plan may involve taking a series of exams to verify your prior learning, along with additional course work.

2. What Counts Toward Prior Learning

If colleagues consider you the “expert” in your field or if you’ve mastered a craft through years of self-study, you may be able to translate that extensive knowledge and experience into credits towards a valuable college degree. Knowledge may come from work experience, military service, prior college work, professional development courses or certificates, community and volunteer services or travel.

3. Costs and Fees

Keep in mind that different colleges have different policies regarding life experience credit, and some may require a fee to assess your prior learning. Some schools charge a per credit fee like those for regular course credit; however, a life experience credit costs less. Before you apply, carefully research your college's life experience degree program to discern its costs and the process you must follow to receive credits for your experience.

4. Choose Accredited Schools Only

Look for accredited schools that suit your academic goals, career objectives, schedule and budget. Unfortunately, not all schools offer credible life experience degrees, so if this is something that could be applicable to your education, examine your college choices thoroughly.

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Convert Life Experience to College Credit

The following three online colleges and universities award life experience credits for verifiable learning acquired outside of a classroom. Each offers distance education courses that allow working adults to take classes at their own pace.

Excelsior College

Excelsior College performs a portfolio-based assessment to determine whether you should receive credit for prior learning. A school advisor works with you to recommend the portfolio-based assessment program that suits your goals.

To help you complete and package your portfolio for a successful evaluation, Excelsior College offers a portfolio development course. Students must complete this course (or an equivalent) and enroll in the college before submitting a portfolio for evaluation.

See degrees offered and request information from Excelsior College.

Thomas Edison State College

Thomas Edison State College uses a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) to help students gain credit for knowledge acquired outside of a traditional classroom. Moreover, the school offers a self-assessment and free tutorial to help prospective adult students better understand the process for earning life experience credits.

See degrees offered and request information from Thomas Edison State College.

Western Governors University

Western Governors University grants life experience degrees based on competencies that may or may not have been learned inside of a classroom. Students demonstrate skills and knowledge in their field through a series of assessments. Based on the results, individuals may earn credits toward a degree or receive enough credits to obtain their life experience degree without taking additional courses.

See degrees offered and request information from Western Governors University.

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