Prior Learning Assessment Courses
Before registering, the student will submit the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Portfolio Proposal Form. If there is no appropriate Standard PLA, the student may propose an Individualized PLA by selecting a course description from the PLA Description Course Database or by submitting a course description from a catalog from another institutionally accredited institution of higher education within the United States, approved under the TESU Transfer Credit Policies and Guidelines. A PLA proposal that uses a description from either of these sources must be reviewed and approved before the student can be allowed to register for the assessment.
If the description on which the PLA is based is from outside the University, the student must include a photocopy of or an active link to both the course description and the cover of the catalog from which the description was taken. On the proposal, the student must also include a brief account of how and where the knowledge was gained. Proposal forms must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the end of the registration period for the desired semester. Once the proposal is reviewed, the student will receive clearance to register for the PLA for the next available semester.
NOTE: Upper-division or graduate nursing PLA Portfolio Proposal Forms will be reviewed by the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions prior to approval.
The Assessment of a Student's PLA
Each PLA portfolio is assessed by a mentor to determine whether the student’s knowledge of the subject and corresponding outcomes is comparable to a college-level grade of C or better. If it is, the mentor will award a grade of “credit (CR).” Students will not receive a letter grade.
If the mentor decides that more information is needed to make a grade determination, students may be asked to submit additional evidence, take an examination, or be interviewed. The latter practices are often used in cases where students have acquired knowledge of a subject that cannot readily be documented. If the student’s knowledge is judged to be insufficient, the mentor will award a grade of “no credit (NC).”
The only limit to the number of credits students may earn through PLA is that English Composition I and II cannot be taken as PLA courses. In a few cases, students have earned enough PLA credits to fulfill most of their degree requirements. Students may not exceed the University’s maximum number of credits carried per semester without permission of their academic advisor and/or dean.
At the end of the 12-week semester, students will receive a grade report, within the same time frame as for any other course at Thomas Edison State University. A student attending another school, should request in writing from the Office of the Registrar that a Thomas Edison State University transcript be sent to his or her home institution.