Earning Credit for What You Know

SUNY Ulster recognizes many nontraditional modes of learning, including credit for life experience and proficiency examinations. If you use these opportunities to earn credit, you must still meet the residency requirement (a minimum of 30 credit-bearing semester hours of academic course work at SUNY Ulster for the associate degree and 15 credit-bearing semester hours for the one-year diploma). Any course for which alternative credit is given may not be repeated at the College for credit. If you intend to transfer to four-year institutions you should be aware that any credit received from alternative modes will be subject to re-evaluation by the four-year institution. These credits will not be used in calculating your cumulative average. Options that provide alternative credit are:

Advanced Placement
SUNY Ulster recognizes college-level courses taken by students while still in high school. Advanced Placement (AP) examination score of 3, 4, or 5 will normally earn college credit for corresponding courses.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
CLEP is a nationally recognized credit by examination program that enables individuals who have acquired knowledge in nontraditional ways to demonstrate their academic achievement.

Collegiate Level learning Experience (CLLE)
Credit may be granted for Collegiate Level Learning Experience (CLLE). Credit may be granted for life experience which can be equated with the knowledge and skills acquired by and expected of students who successfully complete college-level courses. Prior experience that may be applicable to college-level credit course work includes employment in related areas, previous independent study, military experience and training, distance-learning courses, volunteer activities, or other special experiences.

Prior learning experience cannot be assumed to be equivalent to course work offered at the College, and the granting of credit is not automatic. The appropriateness of the experience must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the faculty and the Vice President and Dean for Academic and Student Affairs before any college credit may be granted.

Application forms are available in the Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs office.

Credit By Examination (CBE)
Credit may be earned through Credit by Examination (CBE). The privilege of earning CBE is granted to all matriculated students who have earned 12 or more credit-bearing semester hours and have maintained a 2.0 or better cumulative average.

National College Credit Recommendation Service
SUNY Ulster accepts the recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) and will grant credit in accordance with the recommendations of the New York State Education Department for certain courses listed in the National Program on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction (formally PONSI). Many noncollegiate courses offered by the Armed Forces, industry and governmental agencies have been evaluated for college credit as well.

Contact the Admissions Office for more information.

Excelsior College & DSST Examinations
The College grants credit for Excelsior College Examinations and DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) when these examinations cover material parallel to that given in courses at the College and when a grade of at least a C is achieved.

For further information on the acceptance of a particular Excelsior College or DSST Examination contact the Admissions Office.

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