Prior Learning Assessment is a process through which students with substantial and relevant professional experiences may earn credit for college-level learning previously acquired through several years of employment and/or other advanced training and study. Credit may be awarded for prior learning that is equivalent to a particular course(s) offered at MMC. Students will be required to prepare a portfolio for assessment by the faculty that provides evidence of achievement of the learning goals for the course(s) for which they seek credit.
To be eligible for PLA, students must have completed 24 college credits, including at least 12 credits earned at MMC, with cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. MMC’s foundational General Education requirements (Writing, Math, and NYC Seminar) must be complete. Additionally:
- MMC will allow a maximum of 30 PLA credits (with the assumption that no other non-traditional credits have been awarded);
- PLA credit is not awarded for foreign languages that may be evaluated through examinations listed above;
- PLA credits cannot duplicate courses that students have already completed, with or without a passing grade;
- PLA credits may not be used as part of the 60-credit college residency requirement or the 12-credit residency within the major;
- Students who plan to attend graduate school in the future should check with prospective schools, since not all graduate programs recognize prior learning credits.
The process for applying for Prior Learning Assessment is as follows: The student meets with their faculty advisor to discuss their experience and determine which course(s) could be completed through Prior Learning Assessment. Student and advisor complete and submit the top half of the Prior Learning Assessment Application Form. The student will next meet with the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs or Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs to discuss in which division the student’s experience best fits, and subsequently with the appropriate division chair, who will identify faculty who can evaluate the student’s work and provide copies of relevant course syllabi. After the student’s application form has been approved by the sponsoring faculty member and the division chair, should be returned to the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs or the AVP for Academic Affairs for final approval. The student will then register the student for PLA 001, an unbilled placeholder that lasts for one semester.
The student approved for PLA will create a portfolio and submit it to the faculty evaluator within one year of registering for PLA 001. A portfolio evaluation normally takes three to four weeks. After the portfolio review (typically three to four weeks), the faculty evaluator completes the PLA Credit Submission Form, indicating whether full, partial or no credit will be awarded, and forward the form and portfolio to the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs or the Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs for processing. Upon final submission, the student is billed per credit assessed - not on the number of credits awarded. PLA credit will appear on the student’s transcript as “Life Experience.” A student may appeal the outcome of a PLA evaluation through the same procedure as appealing a course grade at MMC. (See Grade Appeal Policy.)