Prior learning is an academic term describing learning gained outside of a traditional academic environment. This learning may have been acquired through work experience, employer training programs, military training, independent study, non-credit courses, and volunteer and community service.
PLA awards credit for learning, not credit just for your experience. What is being evaluated for college credit is not your learning experience, but the knowledge you acquired and how that knowledge translates into specific college-level courses.
Adams State uses Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) to determine whether a student’s prior learning can be used for college credit.
