Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Through Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of materials that document learning that has occurred outside of a classroom and provides evidence that the learning equates with related coursework and associated academic credits. Prior learning outside of a classroom can be gained from a variety of sources including: job experience and training, non-credit courses, workshops and seminars, volunteer work, military service etc. A portfolio also includes a written paper that summarizes the materials included in the packet and articulates how the prior learning experiences relates to college-level learning/experience.

Note - Internships and most upper division undergraduate courses will not be approved for PLA.  These are courses/experiences that must be completed within the department for most majors.

1. Review the information on this webpage carefully to determine which PLA program applies to you and to ensure you meet the qualifications/criteria for PLA credit.
2. If requesting PLA credit for a specific undergraduate course, consult the course descriptions in the university catalog to find a course that aligns with your life experience.
3. Meet with your academic advisor to confirm they support your PLA request and that the PLA credits will count towards your degree requirements and/or credits needed to graduate.
4. Submit the PLA Request Form (Dynamic Forms, requires login). A separate PLA Request Form must be submitted for each course you are requesting credit for. A professional resume is required. The review process can take up to 10 working days to process.
5. If your PLA Request Form is approved, you will receive a confirmation email from SGOCE with your Faculty Reviewer assignment and course syllabus (if applicable).
6. The Registrar’s Office will register you for the course. You must make payment within 24 hours of being registered.
7. Upon registration and payment, you will be enrolled in the online PLA course through Blackboard. Please note: You will be enrolled in 2 PLA courses in Blackboard. One is an empty shell that is auto-assigned with your registration which you can ignore. The other Blackboard course will have the PLA content and information to assist with the portfolio process.
8. After you have submitted your portfolio, inform your Faculty Reviewer. Your portfolio should be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the end of the semester in which it was started.
9. The Faculty Reviewer will review your portfolio. If it is satisfactory, they will give you a passing grade in Blackboard and assign an S for your final grade.
10. If your portfolio is unsatisfactory, you will have one opportunity to make revisions and resubmit it.

PLA credits are assessed per-credit tuition, excluding fees. You must make payment within 24 hours of being registered.

The grade will be pass or fail. The credits earned are included in your overall credits but are not calculated into your GPA.

Students are limited to the number of credits they are allowed to register for in a given semester. If the PLA credits will "overload" your registration, you may need to complete a student petition. Please consult the university catalog for details.

If you have questions about the PLA process or the PLA Request Form, contact SGOCE at gce@fitchburgstate.edu or at 978.665.3182.

• You must be a matriculated student in an undergraduate degree program at Fitchburg State University.
• You must be in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
• General Education requirements and graduate-level courses are not eligible for PLA credit.
• You cannot request PLA credit for a course that you have already completed.
• The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education prohibits PLA credit for the Criminal Justice program.

You may earn up to 30 credits per undergraduate degree.

• Cover Page – The cover page should include the introduction, Prior Learning Assessment through Portfolio, your name, student ID number, email address, and the course name for which you are seeking credit for.
• Table of Contents – The table of contents includes the portfolio page numbers, supporting documents properly cataloged and noted.
• Current Resume – Provide an updated resume that includes education and work experience. Detail significant activities, dates, accomplishments in the workplace, and all non-formal and work related training.
• Introduction Statement – Contains a brief overview of the work and/or life experience for which the student is seeking credit for. The statement should include a summary of how the experience acquired relates to the course for which the student is seeking credit for. This should be a minimum of one page and not more than 2 pages.
• Course Objectives Summary Form – This is a worksheet to help organize, categorize and reflect on your life experiences as they directly relate to the course objectives. The completed worksheet must address the outcomes of the course for which credit is being requested. For each category under each learning outcome, list what the student has done, how much time was involved and describe the activities. Each learning outcome described must refer to the related documentation provided. Course Objectives Summary Form must tie the experience to a specific learning objective and the student must be able to indicate how the experience met the objective.
• Narrative of Knowledge Acquired– From the information and supporting documentation outlined on the student’s Course Objectives Summary Form they will develop an essay to summarize how the learning from their experiences relate to each course learning outcome. The narrative should include both an introduction and a summary section to describe broadly.
  • Use the course objective to guide the discussion regarding accomplishments.
  • Pull in details from the Course Objectives Summary Form to explain where, why, and what experiences were involved.
  • Discuss how the theories that are part of the course for which the student is seeking credit relate to the work and life experiences presented in the portfolio. Include examples of how work and life experiences relate to the concepts described in the course learning outcomes.
  • The narrative should be a minimum of 4 pages in length and a maximum of 10 pages.
• Documentation – Evidence of the student’s experiences and competencies includes items such as the following:
  •  Certificates showing the completion of training programs
  • Letters from an employer confirming the experience or training gained
  • Evidence showing the completion of workshops such as a certificate of attendance or completion
  • Job descriptions or copies of employee reviews
  • Samples of work

You may earn up to 12 credits for trade/teaching experience. The credits will be applied as a block and will not be linked to a specific course.

• You must be a matriculated student in the BS in Occupational/Vocational Education program at Fitchburg State University.
• You must be in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
• You have earned at least 80 completed credits towards your degree.
• You must meet the PLA criteria below for the appropriate number of credits requested.

1. Trade/Program experience (Evidence: resume and letter of references)
2. Teaching experience (Evidence: a letter of appointment from administration)
3. Skills acquired from documented professional enhancement or development workshops, seminars, and other training programs (Evidence: certificates or award letters) 
4. Evidence of leadership, services, and examinations
   • Community service (Evidence: documents)
   • Activity within professional organizations
   • Relevant experience gained via outside activity
   • Proficiency or competency examination other than those required and/or applied elsewhere with a candidate’s degree program (Evidence: a record of the exams) [Optional]
   • Military service courses, tests, occupational specialties (Evidence: a record of the military discharge and tests documents) [Optional]

• Cover Page – The cover page should include the introduction, PLA Portfolio, your name, student ID number, email address.
• Table of Contents – The table of contents includes the portfolio page numbers, supporting documents properly cataloged and noted.
• Current Resume – Provide an updated resume that includes education and work experience. Detail significant activities, dates, accomplishments in the workplace, and all non-formal and work related training. 
• Introduction Statement – Contains a brief overview of the work and/or life experience for which the student is seeking credit for. This should be a minimum of one page and not more than 2 pages. 
• Learning Experience Summary Form – This is a worksheet to help organize, categorize and reflect on your life experiences as they relate to higher level learning. For each type of learning experience (workshops, certificates earned, licenses held, volunteer service performed or other) provide a description of the experience/learning that occurred and outline what supporting documentation you plan to provide to document this experience. For examples of learning experiences and types of learning see the bottom section of the Learning Experience Summary Form.
• Narrative of Knowledge Acquired – From the information and supporting documentation outlined on the student’s Learning Experience Summary Form they will develop an essay to summarize how the learning from their experiences relate to each course learning outcome. The narrative should include both an introduction and a summary section to describe broadly.
• Documentation – Evidence of the student’s experiences and competencies includes items such as the following:
  • Certificates showing the completion of training programs
  • Letters from an employer confirming the experience or training gained
  • Evidence showing the completion of workshops such as a certificate of attendance or completion
  • Job descriptions or copies of employee reviews
  • Samples of work

You may earn 3 credits for life-long construction industry experience. These credits can substitute for a graduate elective course in the MS in Construction Management program.

• You must be a matriculated student in the MS in Construction Management program at Fitchburg State University.
• You must hold an active Certified Construction Manager License OR meet the PLA credit criteria below.
• You must be in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Students in the 4+1 Construction Management program are not eligible for this PLA opportunity.
• The only graduate program that offers a PLA option is the M.S. in Construction Management.

1. Industry experience: Minimum of six years of professional construction experience (as a Responsible-In-Charge (RIC) role of a minimum of 4 years). (Evidence: resume and letter of references)
2. Teaching experience: Minimum of two years of teaching experience in high school (Evidence: a letter of appointment from administration) [Optional]
3. Skills acquired from documented professional enhancement or development workshops (at least 100 hours), seminars and other training programs (Evidence: certificates or award letters) [Optional]
4. Evidence of leadership, services, and examinations (minimum of one year)
   • Community service (Evidence: documents with minimum of one-year of service)
   • Activity within professional organizations
   • Relevant experience gained via outside activity
   • Proficiency or competency examination other than those required and/or applied elsewhere with a candidate’s degree program (Evidence: a record of the exams) [Optional]
   • Military service courses, tests, professional specialties (Evidence: a record of the military discharge and test documents) [Optional]

• Cover Page – The cover page should include the introduction, PLA Portfolio, your name, student ID number, email address.
• Table of Contents – The table of contents includes the portfolio page numbers, supporting documents properly cataloged and noted.
• Current Resume – Provide an updated resume that includes education and work experience. Detail significant activities, dates, accomplishments in the workplace, and all non-formal and work related training.
• Introduction Statement – Contains a brief overview of the work and/or life experience for which the student is seeking credit for.  This should be a minimum of one page and not more than 2 pages.
• Learning Experience Summary Form – This is a worksheet to help organize, categorize and reflect on your life experiences as they relate to higher level learning.  For each type of learning experience (workshops, certificates earned, licenses held, volunteer service performed or other) provide a description of the experience/learning that occurred and outline what supporting documentation you plan to provide to document this experience. For examples of learning experiences and types of learning see the bottom section of the Learning Experience Summary Form.
• Narrative of Knowledge Acquired – From the information and supporting documentation outlined on the student’s Learning Experience Summary Form they will develop an essay to summarize how the learning from their experiences relate to higher level learning.  The narrative should include both an introduction and a summary section to describe broadly.
• Documentation – Evidence of the student’s experiences and competencies includes items such as the following:
  • Certificates showing the completion of training programs
  • Letters from an employer confirming the experience or training gained
  • Evidence showing the completion of workshops such as a certificate of attendance or completion
  • Job descriptions or copies of employee reviews
  • Samples of work