Credit for Prior Learning
Central Lakes College recognizes students have diverse life experiences which may be applicable towards their educational goals. Credit for Prior Learning provides options for students to earn college credit in the following ways:
- Credit for prior learning (CPL) – external assessments
- Credit for prior learning (CPL) – internal assessments
Credit for prior learning (CPL) – external assessments
Advanced Placement (AP)
Central Lakes College will award credit for Advanced Placement exams if the student earned a score of 3 or above. The credits awarded will not exceed the credits for an equivalent CLC course or course sequence.
View a full listing of AP Exam score requirements and their CLC equivalents
Request your official AP transcript be sent to CLC Records and Registration.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Central Lakes College awards credit for prior learning to high school students who participated in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. The International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program is an educational program taught in one of three languages – English, French, or Spanish and is intended for students in their final two years of secondary school, often before entering university. The program, administered by the International Baccalaureate Organization, is one of the most widely recognized pre-university educational programs in the world. A student may present a full IB diploma or a certificate recognizing specific higher level or standard level examination scores for evaluation.
Central Lakes College will award credit for scores of four (4) or higher on individual IB examinations or successful completion of the IB diploma. Students who attain an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma shall be granted six (6) lower division course credits for scores of four (4) or higher on each Higher Level IB examinations and two (2) lower division course credits for scores of four (4) or higher on each Standard Level IB examination. Students who do not complete an IB diploma may have their individual examinations evaluated. A student shall receive three (3) or more course credits for scores of four (4) or higher on individual Higher Level IB examinations and two (2) or more credits for scores of four (4) or higher on individual Standard Level IB examinations.
View a full listing of International Baccalaureate exam score requirements and their CLC equivalents
Request your official IB transcript be sent to CLC Records and Registration.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
CLEP examinations, prepared and administered by The College Board, are designed to assess student knowledge of lower division college and university course material in specific subject areas.
View a full listing of CLEP Exams that have CLC equivalents
CLEP testing is offered at CLC.
Request your official CLEP transcript be sent to CLC Records and Registration.
DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)
The DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) program is an extensive series of examinations in college subjects that are comparable to the final or end-of-course examinations in undergraduate courses.
View a full listing of Dantes exam score requirements and their CLC equivalents
Request your official DSST transcript be sent to CLC Records and Registration.
World Language Seals and Certificates
Central Lakes College awards college credit to enrolled students with Minnesota bilingual and multilingual seals and world language proficiency certificates. Students must request college credit within three academic years of graduation from high school by providing CLC with an official final high school transcript. Upon submitting your transcript, please notify transfer@clcmn.edu of the high school where the seal or certificate was earned and the year of high school graduation.
View a full listing of World Language Seals and Certificate Proficiency Levels
Credit for Military Experience
An enrolled student may request an evaluation of military experience and education for college credit from an official military transcript. For more information on military credit transfer for veterans and service members, please visit https://www.minnstate.edu/military/index.html
Credit for Advanced Standing/Articulated College Credit
Advanced Standing Articulation Agreements award credit for prior learning to high school students who complete certain Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses. CLC instructors collaborate with participating high school instructors to identify course content and outcomes that are common at both the high school and college levels. Advanced Standing courses are taught by high school CTE instructors.
To be eligible for this credit, students must create an account on CTE CreditMN during high school and work with their high school teacher(s) to fulfill the Advanced Standing/Articulated College Credit requirements.
Advanced Standing credits are nontransferable and must be applied to a CLC degree within two years of graduating high school. To obtain college credit, a student must first apply to CLC. The student then goes online to retrieve the Minnesota Articulated College Credit Record and emails the record to transfer@clcmn.edu or presents the record to CLC’s Welcome Center, Attention: Transfer.
Credit for prior learning (CPL) – internal assessments
Credit for Prior Learning (Credit for Life/Work Experience)
Competency-based education allows students to present nontraditional learning as competencies to be evaluated for credit by qualified faculty members toward their educational program. These competencies must be equivalent to what would have been learned through college coursework.
Students who feel they have the competencies needed to meet the objectives may request an evaluation by completing the Credit for Prior Learning Evaluation form. Students pay for the opportunity to be evaluated prior to the evaluation. Payment does not guarantee credits will be awarded.
Central Lakes College complies with Minnesota State System Policies and Procedures for evaluating prior learning, including Credit for Prior Learning (Policy 3.35) and applicable procedures and Transfer Rights and Responsibilities (Policy 3.39).
Have questions on prior learning? Email transfer@clcmn.edu.