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Professional & military learning
Explore ways your learning may count
Knowledge and skills gained through professional training, specialized credentials, military experience, and exams may be eligible for NAU credit. Explore each option to see examples of eligible learning, the documentation you’ll need, and how your learning will be evaluated.
Non-Credit Coursework
Students may be eligible to earn credit for college-level learning completed outside of a traditional academic credit-bearing course.
Examples
- Professional development programs
- Workforce training programs
- Employer-sponsored trainings
- NAU Continuing Education non-credit courses
- Non-credit coursework from other institutions of higher education
- Military coursework in the American Council on Education (ACE) Military Guide
Documentation
Students must provide documentation demonstrating successful completion of the learning experience. Two types of documentation are required, but vary based on the type of learning completed:
- Verification of completion of the training from the organization offering the training
-
- Certificates of completion
- Digital badges
- Documentation of the learning experience, including learning outcomes, schedule of learning, assignments, etc.:
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- Course syllabi or training outlines
- ACE credit recommendations
- Other evidence describing what was learned and how it was learned
Faculty review
Faculty review the learning experience to determine whether it is equivalent to an NAU course, department elective, or general elective credit.
Licenses & Credentials
Many professions require licenses, certifications, and specialized credentials that demonstrate significant college-level learning. Students may submit current licenses, certifications, and other recognized credentials for evaluation.
Examples
- State licenses, such as healthcare licenses (e.g. Respiratory Therapy), Accountancy, etc.
- Federal certifications (e.g., FEMA’s Natural Disaster and Emergency Management University)
- Industry-recognized professional credentials (e.g., Oracle Academy)
- ACE-recognized certifications and examinations (The ACE National Guide)
Documentation
During the review process, two types of documentation are required, and vary based on the type of credential:
- Verification of completion of the license, certificate, or credential from the organization offering the training and/or competency exam
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- License
- Certificate
- Documentation of the learning experience, which vary a great deal based on the type of credential and the amount of training required to complete the credential.
- Evidence of learning for a healthcare license would include a transcript from a technical institute showing the coursework completed for the license.
- For smaller credential, course syllabi or training outlines
- ACE credit recommendations
- Other evidence describing what was learned and how it was learned
Faculty review
Approved licenses and certifications may be awarded course-equivalent credit, department elective credit, or general elective credit, depending on the discipline and demonstrated learning.
Military Training
NAU values the knowledge and skills gained through military service and provides several pathways for awarding academic credit.
Examples
Students may receive credit based on:
- Joint Services Transcripts (JST)
- Air University Transcripts
- ACE credit recommendations for military training
- Military occupational specialties reviewed by faculty
- Qualifying active-duty military service
Faculty review
Faculty review military training and experience to determine whether it aligns with comparable NAU coursework.
Submitting official military transcripts and service documentation helps ensure all eligible credit can be evaluated.
Credit by Exam
Credit by Exam allows students to demonstrate college-level knowledge through approved examinations.
Examples
Credit by Exam is awarded through the Admissions Office for the following exams:
- Advanced Placement (AP)
- Cambridge International Exam (CIE)
- Challenge Exams
- College Level Exam Program (CLEP)
- DSST (formerly DANTES Subject Standardized Tests)
- International Baccalaureate Diploma and Certificate Credit (IB)
Documentation
Students send their exam’s official score reports or contact the organization to send formal documentation of their achievement directly to NAU’s Admissions Office. To view course equivalencies for exams, go to the Undergraduate Transfer Credit Policy. For the exam in this list, up to 60 units of credit may be applied to your academic record.
Faculty review
Students interested in Credit by Exam should consult their advisor and the Admissions Office.
For exams that are not on the list above, such as:
- National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI)
- Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT)
- Thomas Edison Credit-By-Examination Program (TECEP)
Students complete the PLA petition with two items:
- Verification of completion of the exam, preferably directly from the exam body
- Full descriptions of the exam, including the learning outcomes assessed, and body accrediting or standardizing the exam.
All exams in this category are evaluated as Prior Learning.
Important considerations for Credit By Exam include:
- Credit cannot duplicate credit already earned.
- Examinations may not be repeated more than twice.
- The same examination cannot be retaken within one year.
- Only up to 60 units of AP, IB, CIE, Challenge, CLEP, and DSST credit may be assigned to a transcript.
- Some departments limit which courses may be challenged through examination.
- Credit awarded through examination becomes part of the student’s academic record.
Previously reviewed equivalencies
| Subject Area | Provider | Course Number, License, Certificate, etc. | PLA Course, Certificate, License Title | NAU Course Equivalency | Units of Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business and Hospitality | Pearson | ACPE-0047 | Macroeconomics | ECO 285 [Social Political Worlds] | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Pearson | ACPE-0048 | Macroeconomics | ECO 284 [Social Political Worlds] | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Straighterline | ACPE-0067 | Macroeconomics | ECO 285 [Social Political Worlds] | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Straighterline | ACPE-0068 | Macroeconomics | ECO 284 [Social Political Worlds] | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Pearson | ACPE-0085 | Accounting I | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Pearson | ACPE-0087 | Accounting II | ACC 255 | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Straighterline | ACPE-0086 | Accounting I | ACC 255 | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Straighterline | ACPE-0088 | Accounting II | ACC 256 | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Straighterline | ACPE-0086+ 0088 | Accounting I & II | ACC 255 & ACC 256 | 6 |
| Business and Hospitality | Ed4Online | ACPE-0117 | Managerial Accounting | ACC 256 | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Ed4Online | ACPE-0132 | Principles of Accounting I | ACC 255 | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Ed4Online | ACPE-0133 | Principles of Accounting II | ACC 256 | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Straighterline | ACPE-0095 | Business Ethics | TRAN 200TR | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Pearson | ACPE-0097 | Business Law | ACC 205 | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Straighterline | ACPE-0098 | Business Law | TRAN 200TR | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Pearson | ACPE-0122 | Principles of Management | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Straighterline | ACPE-0124 | Principles of Management | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Sophia | ACPE-0128 | Project Management | TRAN 200TR | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Ed4Online | ACPE-0135 | Business Management | TRAN 200TR | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Pearson | ACPE-0126 | Principles of Marketing | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Ed4Online | ACPE-0134 | Principles of Marketing | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Pearson | ACPE-0120 | Organizational Behavior | TRAN 200TR | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Straighterline | ACPE-0121 | Organizational Behavior | TRAN 200TR | 3 |
| Business and Hospitality | Pearson | ACPE-0112 | Introduction to Finance | FIN 100TR | 3 |
| Communications and Media | Straighterline | ACPE-0009 | Introduction to Communication | CST 151 [Social Political Worlds] | 3 |
| Communications and Media | Straighterline | ACPE-0010 | Business Communication | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Humanities and Languages | Straighterline | ACPE-0129 | Spanish I | LAN 100TR | 3 |
| Humanities and Languages | Straighterline | ACPE-0130 | Spanish II | LAN 100TR | 3 |
| Public Service, Justice, and Law | Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board | Certificate | Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board | JUS 110 for 3 units; TRAN 200TR for 37 units | Total of 40 units |
| Humanities and Languages | Pearson | ACPE-0049 | American History I | HIS 100TR | 3 |
| Humanities and Languages | Pearson | ACPE-0050 | American History II | HIS 100TR | 3 |
| Humanities and Languages | Straighterline | ACPE-0069 | U.S. History I | HIS 100TR | 3 |
| Humanities and Languages | Straighterline | ACPE-0070 | U.S. History II | HIS 100TR | 3 |
| Humanities and Languages | Straighterline | ACPE-0083 | Western Civilization I | HIS 100TR | 3 |
| Humanities and Languages | Straighterline | ACPE-0084 | Western Civilization II | HIS 100TR | 3 |
| Humanities and Languages | Sophia | ACPE-0061 | Approaches to Studying Religions | REL 100TR | 3 |
| Humanities and Languages | Straighterline | ACPE-0063 | Introduction to Religion | REL 100TR | 3 |
| Computing, Mathematics, and Data Science | Ed4Online | ACPE-0100 | Computer Basics | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Computing, Mathematics, and Data Science | Pearson | ACPE-0109 | Introduction to Business Information Systems | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Computing, Mathematics, and Data Science | Ed4Online | ACPE-0118 | Managing Information Systems | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Computing, Mathematics, and Data Science | Foundations of Intelligence Analysis Training (FIAT) | Certificate | FIAT Training Certificate | TRAN 100TR | 3 units |
| Computing, Mathematics, and Data Science | HIDTA Basic Intelligence Analyst Training | Certificate | HIDTA Certificate | TRAN 100TR | 4 units |
| Public Service, Justice, and Law | Northwestern University | N/A | Northwestern University: Supervision of Police Personnel | TRAN 100TR | 5 units |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Ed4Online | ACPE-0089 | Anatomy and Physiology | TRAN 100TR | 3 units |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Pearson | ACPE-0090 | Anatomy and Physiology | TRAN 200TR | 3 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Straighterline | ACPE-0091 | Anatomy and Physiology I | TRAN 200TR | 3 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Straighterline | ACPE-0092 | Anatomy and Physiology I Lab | TRAN 200TR | 1 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Straighterline | ACPE-0093 | Anatomy and Physiology II | TRAN 200TR | 3 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Straighterline | ACPE-0094 | Anatomy and Physiology II Lab | TRAN 200TR | 1 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Pearson | ACPE-0005 | Introduction to Biology | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Straighterline | ACPE-0011 | Introduction to Biology | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Straighterline | ACPE-0012 | Introduction to Biology Lab | TRAN 100TR | 1 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Straighterline | ACPE-0028 | Microbiology | TRAN 200TR | 3 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Straighterline | ACPE-0029 | Microbiology Lab | TRAN 200TR | 3 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Straighterline | ACPE-0036 | General Chemistry | CHM 130 [If taken without CHM 130L – Scientific Literacy – Natural Sciences] | 4 |
| Life and Physical Sciences | Straighterline | ACPE-0037 | General Chemistry Lab | CHM 130L [If taken with CHM 130, Scientific Methods] | 1 |
| Environment, Sustainability, and Forestry | Pearson | ACPE-0020 | Environmental Science | ENV 101 [Scientific Literacy – Natural Sciences] | 3 |
| Environment, Sustainability, and Forestry | Straighterline | ACPE-0027 | Introduction to Environmental Science | ENV 101 [Scientific Literacy – Natural Sciences] | 3 |
| Nutrition, Fitness and Wellbeing | Straighterline | ACPE-0116 | Introduction to Nutrition | NTS 100TR | 3 |
| Computing, Mathematics, and Data Science | ACE | ACE ID NNCS-5228; MATH 1035 | Intro to Linear Algebra | MAT 316 + Mathematics Foundations Requirement if the Mathematics Foundations Requirement has not yet been fulfilled by the student | 3 |
| Computing, Mathematics, and Data Science | ACE | ACE ID NNCS-0670; MATH 1110 | Intro to Finite Fields | MAT 300TR | 2 units |
| Social and Behavioral Science | Straighterline | ACPE-0079 | Cultural Anthropology | ANT 100TR | 3 |
| Undergraduate Studies | Ed4Online | ACPE-0051 | Professional and Career Development | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Undergraduate Studies | Pearson | ACPE-0054 | Student Success | NAU 120 | 3 |
| Undergraduate Studies | Straighterline | ACPE-0064 | Student Success | NAU 120 | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Science | Ed4Online | ACPE-0055 | Abnormal Psychology | PSY 101 [Scientific Literacy – Social Sciences] | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Science | JumpCourse | ACPE-0056 | Introduction to Psychology | PSY 101 [Scientific Literacy – Social Sciences] | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Science | Straighterline | ACPE-0076 | Introduction to Psychology | PSY 101 [Scientific Literacy – Social Sciences] | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Science | Ed4Online | ACPE-0077 | Intro to Psychology | PSY 100TR | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Science | Ed4Online | ACPE-0058 | Aging and Society | PSY 200TR | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Science | Straighterline | ACPE-0080 | Introduction to Sociology | SOC 101 [Social Political Worlds] | 3 |
| Public Service, Justice, and Law | JumpCourse | ACPE-0052 | American Government | POS 110 [Social Political Worlds] | 3 |
| Public Service, Justice, and Law | Pearson | ACPE-0053 | American Government | POS 110 [Social Political Worlds] | 3 |
| Public Service, Justice, and Law | Straighterline | ACPE-0072 | American Government | TRAN 100TR | 3 |
| Engineering | Pearson – Credly | Certificate | CompTIA Network+ Credential | ITC 190 | 3 |