Grays Harbor College (GHC) in accordance with applicable Washington State law and State Board for Community and Technical Colleges policy, awards non-traditional academic credit for prior learning. Credits for non-traditional learning are granted on a case-by-case basis, consistent with requirements established by The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Students granted non-traditional credit must meet GHC degree requirements.
GHC accepts equivalency credit awarded for prior experiential learning or by approved testing methods which reflect previous training, private study, work completed at other institutions, or other bona fide qualifications that indicate the student has the knowledge or abilities equivalent to course completers. Prior learning credit is not awarded for experience, but for college-level learning that entails knowledge, skills, and competencies that students have obtained as a result of their prior learning experience. No more than 25% of required credits for a degree or certificate may be satisfied by prior experiential learning.
The Grays Harbor College website contains additional information concerning credit for prior learning at https://www.ghc.edu/admissions/credit-prior-learning/
Methods of assessment include but are not limited to:
- Credit by examination (CLEP)– College Level Examination Program (CLEP) – Grays Harbor College covers credit by testing.
- Prior Experiential Learning (Portfolio)– Knowledge and skills acquired through experience alone, evaluated by faculty via evaluation of a compilation of work. Each program will define the components for evaluation of the work.
- Extra-Institutional Learning (Military and Industry Training)– Knowledge and skills acquired outside the institution and verified through third-party certifications, industry-recognized testing/training, or crosswalks. Refer to Operational Policy 323 for the Military Credit Acceptance.
Certain conditions apply:
- High school completion programing does not impart college credit.
- The student must be registered at the college for the quarter in which non-traditional credits are requested.
- Credits awarded are identified as such on the student’s transcript and are not calculated into the GPA.
- Non-traditional credits do not count toward residence requirements.
- The number of non-traditional credits awarded cannot exceed 25% of the total number of credits for a degree or a certificate.
- Transferability of these credits will be subject to the policies of the receiving institution.
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