Credits: Number and Kind

Typically, college credits are assigned based on the number of hours a class meets and the expected amount of work outside of the classroom. Since experientially-based learning cannot be measured by class time, you need to think in terms of what a student would learn from taking a course or from specific learning outcomes.

Evaluator Credit Recommendations

The number and type of credits requested by the student may or may not match what the evaluator recommends. As the evaluator, you might recommend more credit than requested, less credit, or no credit.

You also might also recommend a different title, level of credit, description of learning, liberal studies designation, or general education designation.

• If the student’s knowledge is similar to the knowledge acquired in a college course, you might use the number of credits typically assigned to that course.
• If the student’s knowledge includes general/theoretical as well as practical knowledge, the learning may support more credits than is typically assigned to a course in this area.
• Empire State College uses mostly a 4-credit model for coursework. You are not tied to that model and should recommend the number of credits that you feel best represent the student's learning.
• Large numbers of credits (typically more than 8 credits requested under a single title) do not differentiate the learning enough. In situations where students have considerable learning on a topic, consider breaking it apart into sequential learning (e.g., Accounting I, Accounting II) or find more than one title to describe the learning (e.g., Supervision, Leadership).