Instructional Leadership, emphasis: K-12 School Leadership (MEd)
  1. IN
  2. Provost
  3. Professional & military learning

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

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:

  1. Verification of completion of the training from the organization offering the training
    • Certificates of completion
    • Digital badges
  1. Documentation of the learning experience, including learning outcomes, schedule of learning, assignments, etc.:
    • 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

Documentation

During the review process, two types of documentation are required, and vary based on the type of credential:

  1. Verification of completion of the license, certificate, or credential from the organization offering the training and/or competency exam
    • License
    • Certificate
  1. 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:

  1. Verification of completion of the exam, preferably directly from the exam body
  2. 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.