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College Credit for Work and Life Experience

A Purdue Global prior learning portfolio can help you get credit for what you already know.

If you have worked in a career, served in the military, or participated in learning outside of a traditional college classroom, you may be eligible to apply your experiential learning to earn college credit at Purdue Global.

Prior Learning Portfolio

A prior learning portfolio allows you to demonstrate your personal learning and earn college credit for what you have learned from life experiences. Our portfolio development courses will teach you how to articulate and organize your achievements into an online portfolio that is ready to be assessed for undergraduate credit applicable toward a degree at Purdue Global.

Successful prior learning portfolio students will typically have five or more years of experience to document through their portfolio. To be eligible to submit a prior learning portfolio, you must complete one of the two portfolio development courses offered by Purdue Global.

Academic Quality

The portfolio development and assessment process is designed with the high level of academic rigor found at accredited higher learning institutions. There’s a strong emphasis on quality in the assessment process, which adheres to the Ten Standards for Quality Assurance in Assessing Learning, as set forth by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL).

Contact Us

For more information about the prior learning portfolio process, email PortfolioDevelopment@PurdueGlobal.edu, or call the Center for Prior Learning Recognition portfolio team at 855-791-7106.

How Much Can You Save?

On average, portfolio submitters earn 33 credits and save nearly $11,000 on tuition.

See Notes and Conditions below for important information.

Is It Right For Me?

Try our Credit for Work Experience Calculator to see if a prior learning portfolio is a good fit for you. 

What Our Students Have To Say

Purdue Global graduate Gaytanna

Gaytanna McGuire
BS in Business Administration '24

Gaytanna’s 20+ years of experience at Walmart gave her 50 credit hours toward her online bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Read Gaytanna's Story
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Victoria Durnell
BS, MS Health Care Administration ’21, ’23

"I was able to take two years off my time earning my degree. It ended up saving me thousands of dollars."

Read Victoria's Story
Purdue Global globe background

Lucy Stewart
BS in Nursing

"I was able to complete a portfolio, which gave me 26 extra credits. By then, I was well on my way to obtaining my BSN."

Testimonial(s): Testimonials were obtained by Purdue Global. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individual; student experiences may vary.

Portfolio Development Course Options

Learn which courses are ineligible for work experience credit.

LRC 100: Pathway to College Credit — Portfolio Development

  • This not-for-credit course is for students who haven’t yet started classes at Purdue Global, or who are enrolled in a Purdue Global ExcelTrack® or independent model Professional Studies program students.

  • There is no tuition for this self-paced, self-directed online course offered through Purdue Global. However, there is a fee if you choose to submit your portfolio for prior learning credit.

Register for LRC100

EL 206: Academic Prior Learning Portfolio

  • This traditional 10-week and 6-credit online course is for undergraduate students who have already started classes at Purdue Global.

  • Current tuition rates apply. Review the prior learning portfolio course FAQs for more information.

  • You should develop the majority of your portfolio during the EL206 course, but will have an additional 30-day window after EL206 ends to submit your final portfolio.

Portfolio Development Course Expectations

  • Demonstrate college-level writing skills in drafting your portfolio components and incorporate course feedback to improve your final portfolio.

  • Develop at least two complete course petitions, including learning statements and supporting documentation, for courses that match your experiential learning.

  • Ensure that all portfolio components meet the minimum expected parameters, such as word count, for a successful portfolio submission.

  • Communicate with your course instructor or Assessment Advising Team Specialist about course content, assignments, projects, or concerns.

  • Contact your specialist for assistance with your portfolio and the Portfolio Development and Assessment System (PDAS). 

  • Communicate with your primary advisor for regular degree-planning guidance such as next-term registration while you finalize your portfolio submission. 

  • Work with your specialist and your primary advisor to understand your degree plan, degree requirements, and how to build a portfolio that is most relevant to those requirements.

10-Week Portfolio Development Timeline

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Experiential Learning and the Portfolio Process

Create your Portfolio and Assessment System (PDAS) account.

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Educational Goal Statement

Create your educational goal statement, which highlights goals for the course, your educational pursuits, and your career.

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Expanded Resume

Develop an expanded resume that includes experiential learning from your work, hobbies, volunteering, and interests.

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Course Explorer

Select courses that you can petition for college-level credit.

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Course Petitions — Learning Statements

Create learning statements to specify how you met course outcomes through college-level learning.

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Course Petitions — Persuasive Case

Build the persuasive case to help demonstrate your learning for evaluators of course petitions.

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Draft Learning Autobiography

Begin a draft of your personal narrative that showcases your skills, opportunities, and experiences related to the course petitions.

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Final Learning Autobiography

Finalize your learning autobiography.

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Supporting Documentation

Compile the documentation that offers evidence and credibility to support your learning claims.

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Plan to Submit Your Portfolio

Look ahead to submission of the portfolio, addendum requests from faculty evaluators seeking further information, and how to appeal an evaluation.

Portfolio Evaluation Criteria

Applied Learning

Explanation of Applied Learning

  • Can you apply what you have learned?

  • Have you provided real-life examples to explain how your college-level learning was applied?

College-Level Writing

Evidence of College-Level Writing

  • Does your writing demonstrate skill and articulation at the college level?

  • Do you demonstrate critical and reflective thinking?

College-Level Learning

Understanding of College-Level Learning

  • Does your learning demonstrate problem-solving ability, depth and breadth of knowledge, and a balance between theory and practice?

  • Does your portfolio narrative explain the rationale for the request you are making for college-level credit?

Course Outcome

Course Outcome Attainment

  • Using the course match mode, have you demonstrated how your prior learning has satisfied all the course outcomes for the course?

  • Do you understand the concepts and theories generally covered in the course?

Documentation

Documentation Alignment

  • Does your documentation provide direct evidence of the learning you are attesting to?

  • Does your documentation align with the course learning outcomes?

  • Does your portfolio organize and present verifiable evidence of college-level learning through proper documentation, including, but not limited to:

    • Job description and performance evaluations

    • Certifications (evidence of licenses, training records, ranks)

    • Work samples such as computer code, lesson plans, or proposals

    • Description of the work environment

    • Verification of knowledge, skills, and abilities by a supervisor or employer

    • Other appropriate forms of documentation verifying learning

Sample Portfolios and FAQs

View sample portfolios and answers to frequently asked questions about the EL206 portfolio course.

Frequently Asked Questions

The portfolio development process allows students with rich life-long learning to demonstrate to faculty that they deserve college credit for what they know. The average student earns more than thirty quarter credits through the portfolio process, saving time and money in pursuit of a college degree. Use our Credit for Work Experience Calculator to see if the portfolio process may be right for you.

In the portfolio development course you will draft the required components of a successful portfolio, enabling you to receive an accurate evaluation of your prior learning. The course teaches you how to organize and document  life-long learning so that faculty can evaluate whether college credit can be granted. The course guides you through the portfolio development process step-by-step and helps you to reflect on your personal learning journey. 

If you have college-level learning outside of the classroom and you can describe and provide independent documentation of it, the portfolio process may be right for you. Use our Credit for Work Experience Calculator to see if the portfolio process is a good fit for you.

  1. Determine Fit: You should use our Credit for Work Experience Calculator or meet with one of our specialists to determine if the portfolio process is right for you. The Assessment Advising Team can be reached toll free at 855-791-7106 or PortfolioDevelopment@PurdueGlobal.edu.

  2. Complete Portfolio Course: If you decide that a prior learning portfolio may help you achieve your academic goals, you will register to complete either EL206 or LRC100. 

  3. Build Portfolio: During and after your portfolio development course, you will draft and refine various components of your prior learning portfolio. During this time you will select the course petitions for your portfolio and build your documentation and personal narrative in support of demonstrating your experiential learning.

  4. Portfolio Submission and Assessment: When you submit your final portfolio, each individual course petition will be routed to a faculty subject matter expert for assessment of your experiential learning. The faculty member will determine whether college credit can be awarded based on your overall portfolio as well as the evidence you provided for individual learning outcomes.

  • No. In EL206, instructors with experience in prior learning assessment and writing provide feedback every step of the way. They will grade your assignments, including drafted portfolio components, and help you refine them toward a successful final portfolio. In LRC100, you will use self-directed tools to refine your portfolio, but our team is still here to help. Our Assessment Advising team will offer feedback and guidance as you move through the LRC100 curriculum and draft your final portfolio. Our dedicated specialists are available to help answer your questions about the portfolio process and provide technical support. 

  • The Assessment Advising Team can be reached toll free at 855-791-7106 or PortfolioDevelopment@PurdueGlobal.edu.

Most undergraduate courses at Purdue Global are eligible to be pursued by a portfolio credit petition. View a list of courses ineligible for credit.

  • EL 206 is completed during one 10-week term. Upon successful completion of EL206, you have a 30-day period in which to submit your portfolio for assessment. 

  • LRC100 is a self-paced, self-directed course. You have as much time as you need to complete LRC100 and submit your portfolio for assessment.

  • Portfolio assessments will be completed by faculty within 4 to 6 weeks after your submission. Portfolio credits will be applied to your degree plan within 10 business days of your assessment results being filed with the Office of the Registrar.

EL206: Standard course; standard tuition rates apply.

LRC100: Free self-paced, self-directed course.

Portfolio Assessment: There is a $1500 fee for submission of a portfolio of up to fifteen undergraduate courses. For EL206 students, this fee is incorporated into financial planning for the EL206 and subsequent term. The first half of the fee ($750, nonrefundable) is charged at the beginning of the EL206 term; the second half is charged when a student submits their portfolio. For LRC100 students, the fee is charged when a student submits their portfolio. You should speak with a Financial Aid Officer to understand the portfolio assessment fee along with your payment and funding options.

If you submit your portfolio and are recommended credits valued less than the $1,500 assessment fee, you are eligible to receive a tuition grant equal to the difference toward the next term of your Purdue Global degree (up to the entire $1,500). Terms and conditions apply.

The cost of the portfolio submission is less than the cost of one standard tuition course. Submitting a portfolio for one course can still save you time and money toward the pursuit of your degree. 

  • If you choose not to submit a portfolio, that's okay. 

  • LRC100: Your portfolio work will be available for you in LRC100 for a later date.

  • EL206: If you choose not to submit your portfolio for official assessment, you will only pay the first half of the portfolio fee (initial $750), which is nonrefundable. You will  still earn credit for successful completion of the EL206 course. 

Yes. If you complete EL206, you will earn 6 quarter credits and you will have a portfolio of your learning experiences to share with present or future employers. However, if you do not submit your portfolio, it will not be assessed by the University for college credit. See below for other ways to earn college credit for your work and life experiences.

Student Portfolio Samples

More Ways to Earn Credit

In addition, Purdue Global offers several other pathways by which you may earn experiential learning credit, allowing you to finish your degree faster.

College ExperienceExams and CoursesAssessment of Skills and KnowledgeTraining and Certifications
NOTES AND CONDITIONS

Credit for Prior Coursework/Training: Purdue Global does not guarantee transferability of credit. Future transfer credit savings are subject to review and the academic policies of Purdue Global. See the University Catalog for Prior Learning Assessment policy. Graduate programs are not eligible for credit for experience.

Experiential Learning Savings: In 2021–2022, incoming Purdue Global students who passed EL206 and submitted a portfolio for evaluation earned an average of 33 quarter credit hours toward their Purdue Global undergraduate degrees. Based on these experiential learning credits, tuition savings for nonmilitary students were on average $10,743.00. Tuition savings calculated as 33 quarter credit hours x standard tuition rate of $371.00 = $12,243.00 - $1,500.00 course fee = $10,743.00. Savings for students vary depending on the student’s individual prior learning experience. Savings for 2021–2022 incoming Indiana students who passed EL206 and submitted a portfolio for review were $9,700.00. Savings for 2021–2022 incoming military students who passed EL206 and submitted a portfolio for review ranged from $3,945.00 to $6,090.00. Eligible college credits articulate into Purdue Global undergraduate degree plans. Savings dependent on credit awards, which are dependent on individual circumstances. See University Catalog for Prior Learning policy. See www.purdueglobal.edu/tuition-financial-aid/undergraduate-graduate-tuition-and-fees/ for course fee refund policy. Source: Purdue Global School of Multidisciplinary and ProfessionalGeneral Studies, October 2022. 2021–2022 academic year.