Credit for Prior Learning
Recognizing that individuals gain knowledge outside a traditional postsecondary environment, Washburn University maintains a comprehensive Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) program. CPL may take the form of postsecondary credit or advanced standing toward further education. Postsecondary level credit is the optimal outcome. The University may grant credit through national/international examinations, university department examinations, and/or prior military training. To gain additional information regarding CPL, students should contact the Center for Prior Learning and Testing in Mabee Library.
Students must be either currently enrolled at Washburn University or former students of Washburn University in order to have credit awarded and posted to their transcripts. Specific information about the different types of examinations is provided below.
National Examinations
College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB): Advanced Placement Examinations
The Advanced Placement exams are prepared, scored and reported by the College Entrance Examination Board. Students should seek information and obtain registration materials through appropriate high school counselors or other secondary school officials.
This program is designed for high school seniors planning to enter college and is administered in conjunction with Advanced Placement courses taught in the high schools. The scores are reported to the University by CEEB. Appropriate credit or advanced placement is awarded at the time of enrollment in the University. When credit is awarded it may be applied to meet degree requirements. When advanced placement is awarded, a student is advanced to a higher level college course without being required to take a lower level prerequisite. Depending on departmental policy and the examination scores which are achieved, an academic department may award either credit or advanced placement or both to a student. No entry is made on the college transcript for scores which are lower than those determined to be satisfactory by the Washburn academic departments.
Students may have Advanced Placement test scores obtained in high school reported to the University for evaluation. Credit and/or advanced placement are awarded to students who have received a score of three (3), four (4), or five (5). Currently a student may be awarded college credit hours in the subjects listed below as follows:
| AP Subject | Score | Award | Hours | Gen Ed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| African American Studies | No equivalent | |||
| Art-2D Design | 3+ | AR 120 | 3 | GEHU |
| Art-Drawing I | 3+ | AR 140 | 3 | GEHU |
| Art History | 4+ | AR 101 | 3 | GEHU |
| Biology | 3+ | BI 100 | 3 | GENS |
| Calculus AB | 3+ | MA 151 | 5 | GENS |
| Calculus BC | 3+ | MA 151 and MA 152 | 5+5=10 | GENS |
| Chemistry | 3+ | CH 101 or | 3 | GENS |
| CH 121 or | 5 | GENS | ||
| CH 151 | 5 | GENS | ||
| Chinese Lang/Culture | No equivalent | |||
| Comp Govt | 3+ | PO 106 | 3 | GESS |
| Computer Sci A | No equivalent | |||
| Computer Science Principles | No equivalent | |||
| English Lit | 3+ | EN 135 | 3 | GEHU |
| English Lang | 3+ | EN 101 | 3 | Core English |
| Environmental Science | No equivalent | |||
| European History | No equivalent | |||
| Human Geog | 3+ | GG 101 | 3 | GESS |
| Italian Lang/ Culture | No equivalent | |||
| Japanese Lang/ Culture | No equivalent | |||
| Latin | No equivalent | |||
| Microecon. | 3+ | EC 200 | 3 | GESS |
| Macroecon. | 3+ | EC 201 | 3 | GESS |
| Mod. Foreign Language | 3 | FR 101 or | 4 | |
| GE 101 or | 4 | |||
| SP 101 | 4 | |||
| Mod. Foreign Language | 4+ | FR 101/FR 102 or | 8 | GEHU (FL 102)1 |
| GE 101/GE 102 or | 8 | GEHU (FL 102)1 | ||
| SP 101/SP 102 | 8 | GEHU (FL 102)1 | ||
| Music Theory | 3 | MU 215 | 3 | |
| Music Theory | 4+ | MU 215 and | 3 | |
| MU 217 | 1 | |||
| Physics 1 | 4 | PS 101 | 3 | GENS |
| Physics 2 | No equivalent | |||
| Physics C: Elec & Magnetism | No equivalent | |||
| Physics C: Mechanics | No equivalent | |||
| Precalculus | 3+ | MA 123 | 3 | GENS |
| Psychology | 3+ | PY 100 | 3 | GESS |
| Research | No equivalent | |||
| Seminar | No equivalent | |||
| Span Lit/Culture | No equivalent | |||
| Statistics | 3+ | MA 140 | 3 | GENS |
| Studio Art | No equivalent | |||
| US Govt/Politics | No equivalent | |||
| US History | 3 | HI 111 or | 3 | GESS |
| HI 112 | 3 | GESS | ||
| US History | 4+ | HI 111 and | 3 | GESS |
| HI 112 | 3 | GESS | ||
| World History: Modern | 3 | HI 101 or | 3 | GESS |
| HI 102 | 3 | GESS | ||
| World History: Modern | 4+ | HI 101 and | 3 | GESS |
| HI 102 | 3 | GESS |
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May count for humanities general education credit except for Bachelor of Arts degree.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program
Washburn University recognizes the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. Students should seek information and obtain registration materials through appropriate high school counselors or other secondary school officials. This program is designed for high school juniors and seniors planning to enter college and is administered in conjunction with International Baccalaureate courses taught in high schools.
At the time of enrollment in the University, official transcripts should be forwarded to the University Registrar in order to receive appropriate credit. Credit is awarded on a course-by-course basis by academic departments depending on departmental policy and the examination scores which are achieved. No entry is made on the college transcript for scores which are lower than those determined to be satisfactory by the Washburn academic departments.
These score equivalents are under review and subject to change.
| IB Subject | Score | Award | Hours | Gen Ed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 4-6 (SL) | BI 100 and | 3 | GENS |
| BI 101 | 2 | GENS | ||
| 7 (SL) | BI 102 | 5 | GENS | |
| 4-5 (HL) | BI 100 and | 3 | GENS | |
| BI 101 | 2 | GENS | ||
| 6 (HL) | BI 102 | 5 | GENS | |
| 7 (HL) | BI 102 and | 5 | ||
| (BI 105 or BI 110) | 41 | |||
| Chemistry | 4-7 (SL) | CH 101 | 3 | GENS |
| 4 (HL) | CH 121 | 5 | GENS | |
| 5-7 (HL) | CH 151 | 5 | GENS | |
| Comp Science | 4-7 (SL) | CM 111 | 3 | |
| 4-7 (HL) | CM 111 | 3 | ||
| English A Language and Literature | 4-7 (SL) | EN 101 | 3 | Core English |
| 4-6 (HL) | EN 101 | 3 | Core English | |
| 7 (HL) | EN 101 and | 3 | Core English | |
| EN 135 | 3 | GEHU | ||
| English A Literature | 4-7 (SL) | EN 101 | 3 | Core English |
| 4-6 (HL) | EN 101 | 3 | Core English | |
| 7 (HL) | EN 101 and | 3 | Core English | |
| EN 135 | 3 | GEHU | ||
| Foreign Lang B | 4-7 (SL) | FR 102 or | 42 | GEHU |
| GE 102 or | ||||
| SP 102 | ||||
| Geography | 4-7 (SL) | GG 101 | 3 | GESS |
| 4-7 (HL) | GG 101 | 3 | GESS | |
| History | 4-7 (SL) | HI 100 | 3 | GESS |
| 4-7 (HL) | HI 102 | 3 | GESS | |
| ITGS | 4-7 (SL) | CM 299 | 33 | |
| 4-7 (HL) | CM 299 | 33 | ||
| Mathematics Analysis and Approaches | 4-7 (SL) | MA 123 | 3 | GENS |
| 4-7 (HL) | MA 151 | 5 | GENS | |
| Mathematics Applications and Interpretations | 4-7 (SL) | MA 123 | 3 | GENS |
| 4-7 (HL) | MA 151 | 5 | GENS | |
| Music | 4-7 (SL) | MU 100 | 3 | GEHU/CP |
| 4-7 (HL) | MU 100 | 3 | GEHU/CP | |
| Philosphy | 4-7 (SL) | PH 100 | 3 | GEHU |
| 4-7 (HL) | PH 100 | 3 | GEHU | |
| Physics | 4-7 (SL) | PS 101 | 3 | GENS |
| 4-7 (HL) | PS 261 and | 5 | GENS | |
| PS 262 | 5 | |||
| Psychology | 4-7 (SL) | PY 100 | 3 | GESS |
| 4-7 (HL) | PY 100 | 3 | GESS | |
| Social/Cult. Anthropology | 4-7 (SL) | AN 112 | 3 | GESS |
| 4-7 (HL) | AN 112 | 3 | GESS | |
| Theatre | 4-7 (SL) | TH 102 | 3 | GEHU/CP |
| 4-7 (HL) | TH 102 | 3 | GEHU/CP | |
| Visual Arts | 4-7 (SL) | AR 103 | 3 | GEHU/CP |
| 4-7 (HL) | AR 103 or | 34 | GEHU/CP | |
| Art Studio Elec | 34 | GEHU/CP | ||
| World Religion | 4-7 (SL) | RG 102 | 3 | GEHU |
| 4-7 (HL) | RG 102 | 3 | GEHU |
- 1
The 9 hours of Biology are to be selected by Biology Department Chair and Student.
- 2
May count for humanities general education credit except for Bachelor of Arts degree.
- 3
The 3 hours of CM 299 Special Topics/CIS will be Software Lifecycles.
- 4
AR 103 Introduction to Art will be awarded for non-majors; Art Studio elective will be awarded for majors.
DSST Testing
Students can obtain information for certain subjects then take a standardized test to receive college credit through DSST examinations. Students cannot earn DSST exam credit for a course that has been previously attempted or completed at Washburn or a transfer institution. (A course that appears on a college transcript or a course in progress is considered an attempted course.) If a DSST examination is attempted and not passed, a students must wait 30 days before retesting.
Credit for DSST examinations are awarded as credit. However, the score identified as passing should be interpreted as equivalent to a grade of C or better. Therefore, DSST credit can be awarded for any course requiring a grade of C or better. This credit is considered transfer credit and may be treated as a prerequisite for subsequent courses. There is no record made on the academic transcript for those students who are not awarded credit. Each school or department within the university has different curriculum requirements and may use the scores in different ways.
Veterans and active military personnel are particularly encouraged to take advantage of DSST exams. Military service members may be eligible to have their DSST exam fee funded through the DANTES program. For more information visit http://getcollegecredit.com/test_takers.
In order for Washburn University to accept as transfer credit DSST exam credit awarded at another postsecondary institution, official university transcripts must be submitted to Washburn. Depending on the institution awarding the credit, students may need to submit an official DSST transcript to Washburn University.
Official DSST transcripts can be ordered by visiting this website: https://www.getcollegecredit.com/scores_transcripts/. For DSST transcript inquiries call 1-877-471-9860. To schedule a DSST Examination at Washburn University, contact the Center for Prior Learning and Testing in Mabee Library. Washburn University awards credit for the following DSST examinations:
| Subject | Score | Award | Hours | Gen Ed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astronomy | 400 | AS 101 | 3 | GENS |
| Criminal Justice | 400 | CJ 100 | 3 | |
| Envir. Science | 400 | BI 203 | 3 | GENS |
| Ethics in America | 400 | PH 1XX | 3 | |
| Foundation of Ed. | 400 | ED 385 | 3 | |
| Fund. of College Alg. | 400 | MA 116 | 3 | GENS or Core Math |
| Gen Anthropology | 400 | AN 112 | 3 | GESS |
| Intro to Business | 400 | BU 101 | 3 | |
| Intro to Geography | 400 | GG 101 | 3 | GESS |
| Intro. to Law Enfor. | 400 | CJ 110 | 3 | |
| Intro. to World Rel. | 400 | RG 102 | 3 | GEHU |
| Lifespan Dev. Psy. | 400 | PY 209 | 3 | |
| Personal Finance | 400 | BU 180 | 3 | |
| Prin. of Pub. Speaking | 400 | CN 150 | 3 | GEHU |
| Principles of Statistics | 400 | MA 140 | 3 | GENS |
| Technical Writing | 400 | EN 208 | 3 | GEHU |
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Washburn University allows you to test out of courses in which you already have academic knowledge comparable to that gained in collegiate study. A national credit by examination opportunity is available at the university: the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). CLEP examinations measure knowledge of the material usually covered in courses during the first two years of college. Students cannot earn CLEP credit for a course previously attempted or completed at Washburn University or a regionally accredited postsecondary institution. (A course that appears on a college transcript or a course in progress is considered an attempted course.) If a CLEP examination is attempted and not passed, a student must wait 90 days before retesting. Credit for CLEP examinations are awarded as credit. However, the score identified as passing should be interpreted as equivalent to a grade of C or better. Therefore, CLEP credit can be awarded for any course requiring a grade of C or better.
This credit is considered transfer credit and may be treated as a prerequisite for subsequent courses. There is no record made on the academic transcript for those students who are not awarded credit. Each school or department within the university has different curriculum requirements and may use the scores in different ways.
Veterans and active military personnel are particularly encouraged to take advantage of CLEP exams. Military service members may be eligible to have their CLEP exam fee funded through the DANTES program. For more information visit https://clep.collegeboard.org/earn-college-credit/military-benefits.
Official CLEP scores can be ordered by contacting:
CLEP
Box 6601
Princeton, N.J., 08541
800-257-9558, (Washburn code 6928)
In order for Washburn University to accept as transfer credit CLEP exam credit awarded at another postsecondary institution, official university transcripts must be submitted to Washburn. Depending on the institution awarding the credit, students may need to submit an official CLEP transcript to Washburn University.
The CLEP scores listed are for exams taken through computer-based testing (CBT) only. Contact the Center for Prior Learning and Testing regarding scores for exams taken before July 2001. To schedule a CLEP Examination at Washburn University, contact the Center for Prior Learning and Testing in Mabee Library.
Washburn awards the following credit for CLEP (through computer-based testing) exams:
| Subject | Score | Award | Hours | Grade | Gen Ed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Am. Government | 50+ | PO 106 | 3 | Credit | GESS |
| Am Lit | No equivalent | ||||
| Analyzing Lit | 50+ | EN 135 | 3 | Credit | GEHU |
| Biology | 50+ | BI 100 and | 3 | Credit | GENS |
| BI 1XX | 3 | Credit | GENS | ||
| Calculus | 50+ | MA 151 | 5 | Credit | GENS |
| Chemistry | 50-59 | CH 101 | 3 | Credit | GENS |
| Chemistry | 60+ | CH 121 or | 5 | Credit | GENS |
| CH 151 | 5 | Credit | GENS | ||
| College Algebra | 50+ | MA 116 | 3 | Credit | Core Math or GENS |
| College Comp | No equivalent | ||||
| College Comp Modular | No equivalent | ||||
| College Math | 50+ | MA 112 | 3 | Credit | Core Math or GENS |
| Economics | |||||
Macro |
50+ | EC 201 | 3 | Credit | GESS |
Micro |
50+ | EC 200 | 3 | Credit | GESS |
| English Lit | No equivalent | ||||
| Financial acct | No equivalent | ||||
| French | 50-58 | FR 101 | 4 | Credit | |
| French | 59+ | FR 101 and | 4 | Credit | |
| FR 1021 | 4 | Credit | GEHU | ||
| German | 50-59 | GE 101 | 4 | Credit | |
| German | 60+ | GE 101 and | 4 | Credit | |
| GE 1021 | 4 | Credit | GEHU | ||
| Human Growth/Develop. | 50+ | PY 209 | 3 | Credit | |
| Humanities | 50+ | HU 1XX | 3 | Credit | GEHU |
| Info Systems | 50+ | CM 1XX | 3 | Credit | |
| Intro Business Law | No equivalent | ||||
| Intro Ed Psych | No equivalent | ||||
| Intro Psych | 50+ | PY 100 | 3 | Credit | GESS |
| Intro Sociology | 50+ | SO 100 | 3 | Credit | GESS |
| Natl Sciences | 50+ | NS 1XX | 3 | Credit | GENS |
| Precalculus | 50+ | MA 123 | 3 | Credit | GENS |
| Princ of Mgmt | No equivalent | ||||
| Princ of Mktg | No equivalent | ||||
| Social Sci and Hist | 50+ | SS 1XX | 3 | Credit | GESS |
| Spanish | 50-62 | SP 101 | 4 | Credit | |
| Spanish | 63+ | SP 101 and | 4 | Credit | |
| SP 1021 | 4 | Credit | GEHU | ||
| Spanish w/ Writing | 50-64 | SP 101 | 4 | Credit | |
| Spanish w/ Writing | 65+ | SP 101 and | 4 | Credit | |
| SP 1021 | 4 | Credit | GEHU | ||
| US Hist I | 50+ | HI 111 | 3 | Credit | GESS |
| US Hist II | 50+ | HI 112 | 3 | Credit | GESS |
| West Civ I | No equivalent | ||||
| West Civ II | No equivalent |
- 1
May count for humanities general education credit except for Bachelor of Arts degree.
University Department Exams
When a student identifies a course which he or she feels qualified to "challenge" or "quiz out of," the student should contact the chair of the department offering that course to determine whether a department examination could be accepted. If the academic department gives approval for the student to quiz out of a specific course, the student obtains a Credit by Examination registration form from the Student One Stop. The Student One Stop determines that the student is either currently enrolled or a former student who is not currently enrolled in the challenged class and is free of all holds. The student completes the credit by examination registration form and obtains department signatures as required on the form. The student then takes the form to the Business Office to pay the standard testing fee for the exam. After payment is made, the student returns a copy of the form to the Student One Stop. The student takes the copy which has been marked “paid” to the department at the scheduled time of the examination. Under no circumstances will the examination be administered prior to payment. No refunds will be given for exams not taken or not passed.
After the student has taken the exam, the department evaluates it and determines whether or not the student receives credit and submits the grade to the Student One Stop. If the department determines that credit is to be awarded, credit for the course is posted to the transcript by the Registrar's Office. If the department determines based on the exam that credit should not be awarded, no entry is made to the transcript. If the course is taken to fulfill requirements in a major, a letter grade for the course may be determined by the department and posted on the transcript. The exam may not be repeated; a student may not take a department exam for any course more than once. Credit by department examination may not be used to repeat courses previously taken by the student. Credit given by department examination is considered residential credit.
Transferring CPL from Another Institution
Credit for Prior Learning awarded by all accredited institutions of higher education is evaluated in the same manner as regularly graded coursework from these institutions. The credit awarded is adjusted to the CPL policies of Washburn University. Every attempt is made to ensure that credit for prior learning applies to both a student’s degree program and university requirements for graduation.
CPL Limits
There is no overall cap on Credit for Prior Learning that can be earned at Washburn University. The amount of CPL may be limited by the student’s need to meet all University and departmental requirements for graduation.
Credit Granted for Military Service
Credit awarded for military service is based upon the recommendations of the Commission on Accreditation of Service Experiences which was appointed by the American Council on Education. Credit will be granted to all military personnel in accordance with the recommendations of the ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Students should provide their military transcripts by clicking the link www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/Transcripts-for-Military-Personnel.aspx.
Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy, Active Duty, Reserve and Veterans are eligible to access this system. Please follow directions on the link entitled Military Transcript Request. Air Force transcripts can be requested through the Community College of the Air Force or Air University, using the same link.
Military credit is subject to the same limitations as regular transfer credit, i.e. technical credit limits and no credit awarded for course duplications. For more information and to secure forms for making application, students should contact the Office of the University Registrar.