Credit for Unsponsored Learning

Dominican University of California acknowledges that college level learning may be gained from sources other than the traditional college classroom, i.e. unsponsored learning. Students may apply a maximum of 40 units toward completion of the undergraduate degree through the options from unsponsored college level learning with no more than 30 units (NLN examinations excepted) from any one source. Units are applied toward a bachelor'’s degree based on required documentation of the college level learning. Units awarded through unsponsored learning cannot duplicate units earned through transfer courses or through courses completed at Dominican.

Such learning must:

1. Have occurred after the student’'s completion of secondary school;
2. Be related to the educational goals of the student; and
3. Be consistent with the educational goals and programs of the University. The student applying for credit must be admitted and matriculated at the University. For most unsponsored learning sources, the process for obtaining credit for unsponsored prior learning may be initiated as soon as the student has registered for his/her first semester of coursework.
   

Units earned through unsponsored learning sources are recorded as proficiency units and receive the grade of ‘'P'’ (pass) and may be lower or upper division units. These units are not units for which a student is “"registered”" since no tuition is paid for them and they are not counted toward financial aid eligibility requirements.

Pass/fail and credit proficiency units are not included in the computation for graduation honors.

Lower division units earned through unsponsored learning options are added to any other lower division units transferred from a regionally accredited college or university and are not subject to the rule of a maximum of 70 lower division transfer units. Units earned through unsponsored learning options are not subject to the policy that 30 out of the last 36 units must be taken at the University.

CLEP and Excelsior College Examinations

A student may earn college credit by earning the ACE recommended score or higher (minimum ‘'C'’ 2.0 level or proficiency) on any examination offered through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) of the Educational Testing Service or The Excelsior College Examination Program (formerly Regents PEP). A student may earn 3 to 6 units (depending upon the specific test) for each examination passed with a satisfactory score. A maximum of 30 units may be earned from CLEP (lower division units) and Excelsior College examinations (lower or upper division units). Students must submit an official CLEP or Excelsior College transcript to the Registrar'’s Office to receive credit. See section under Transfer Credit Policies for further information.

National League of Nursing Validation Examinations

Registered nurses and other advanced placement nursing students may validate their educational preparation and experience in nursing by taking National League of Nursing (NLN) examinations for the sophomore and/or junior level courses in the Dominican BSN program. A maximum of 38 units (lower and upper division) may be applied toward the BSN.

Challenging Courses

A student may earn up to 12 units of credit by challenging courses offered by the University provided the student has not previously audited the course. Not all courses can be challenged. Students should check with the Registrar's office to determine if a particular class can be challenged. A petition including the course title, the date on which the challenge examination (or other required activity) will be completed, and the signatures of the student, the Chair of the Department, and the Dean of the School must be filed in the Registrar’s Office by the end of the third week of the semester in which the examination will be taken. A challenged course must be completed before the student’s final semester. A fee of $50 per unit challenged is charged. Appropriate units will be granted upon successful completion of the challenge and will be considered a part of the 30-unit residency requirement. Students may not petition or receive partial course credit for challenged courses. Up to a 12-unit maximum of a combination of Challenge and/or  Experiential Learning may apply toward residency. 

American Council on Education (ACE)/National Program on Non-Collegiate Sponsored Instruction (PONSI)

ACE and PONSI review courses offered through corporate, industry, government, and military organizations. These courses may receive lower or upper transferable credit according to ACE/PONSI recommendations. These units may fulfill elective requirements with a limit of 30 units of transfer credit. See section under Transfer Credit Policies for additional information.

Experiential Learning Portfolio

Students may earn up to 24 units of University credit for college level learning which is documented through the satisfactory preparation of an Experiential Learning Portfolio. A student is required to enroll in English 3442: Critical Inquiry and Reflective Writing to prepare the Portfolio. In the Experiential Learning Portfolio a student documents the learning situation, describes and analyzes the learning experience, and demonstrates the knowledge and practical skill competencies as required by the awarding academic department(s).

University credit is granted only for college level learning (minimum ‘C’ level of proficiency) which links the prior learning experience with the theoretical constructs of the appropriate academic discipline. Credit for experiential learning cannot be awarded for duplicate courses completed through other learning sources. Prior to enrolling in English 3442, a student must meet with an academic advisor to determine the applicability of Portfolio units within the student’s degree plan.

A student may complete two submissions of the Experiential Learning Portfolio. The first is prepared in English 3442. The instructor reviews the Portfolio, awards a grade for the course, and forwards the Portfolio for evaluation by the appropriate Dominican University faculty. Up to 12 units of academic credit (usually 1-3 units per course) is awarded by course number, title and academic department and may be upper or lower division. The proficiency units earned through Portfolio may be applicable as electives, as electives in selected majors, and for some General Education areas.

The second Portfolio submission must be prepared in conjunction with English 3443 Portfolio Redevelopment Workshop. The second submission may include new experiential learning essays or revisions of essays as recommended by the evaluator(s) of the original essays. Up to 12 additional units of academic credit may be awarded by course number, title, and academic department and may be upper or lower division. 

A student planning to use the Portfolio process is advised to enroll in English 3442 at least three semesters prior to expected graduation. This gives sufficient time for the preparation and evaluation of two portfolio submissions.

Experiential Learning Credit is posted to the student’s transcript as proficiency units after the student has completed the 30-unit residency requirement. Up to a 12 unit maximum of a combination of Challenge and/or Experiential Learning may apply toward residency.

Eligibility for the courses ENGL 3442/3443 and for the Experiential Learning and Assessment program requires that students have a minimum of six years professional life experience since completing high school.

Approved Areas for Experiential Learning Essays 
(Other areas may be approved on an individual basis by the appropriate academic department chair):