College Degree based On Life Experience

by Andrea Taylor

Did you know you can earn a college degree based on life experience? Life has changed, and so is the education system. As the world goes digital, education too has shifted from traditional class formats to e-learning. This has provided adults who wish to further their education with an opportunity to do so, without compromising on their job and family obligations.

Life credits can help accelerate your e-learning time while making it able for you to earn a fully recognized and accredited college degree based on life experience. They are earned through the military, workplace, community or public experience.

Before you are admitted to an institution to earn a college degree based on life experience, you have to demonstrate that you actually have the knowledge. You can prove your knowledge by use of various sources like:

  • Work experience and Work samples Licensure or certifications
  • Attendance of seminars/workshops/conferences
  • Community service
  • Professionally authored books or papers
  • Military service
  • Specialized training
  • Awards earned
  • References from former employer
  • Multimedia e.g. videos and photographs,
  • Newspaper/ magazine clippings
  • Job descriptions

Types of Life Experience Credits

  • CLEP (College Level Examination Program) entails a series of exams that a learner undertakes to show college-level achievement in certain courses. One gets an academic credit upon passing CLEP hence are able to reduce the time and cost to complete a degree program.
  • DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs) are another type of credit-by-exam program where upon completion you will be bestowed with widely recognized credits which will accelerate your learning duration towards earning a degree. Each DSSTs passed is worth 3 credit hours. As such, if you’re able to prove that you know the material, you earn credits.
  • Work Experience – this is whereby if you’re able to prove your long-serving working experience say by bringing letters of your employers, or anything that will explain your job description, you earn your credits, after which you will reduce the time it takes to earn a college degree.

Simply put, life credits enable you to earn a college degree based on life experience without necessarily having to undertake the entire coursework required.