Credit by Examination
Upon the recommendation of the Chief Academic Officer, credit may be earned for some courses in the current catalog through special examination. Credit earned in this manner will satisfy degree and certificate requirements. An academic officer can provide students with the direction and the forms necessary to apply for credit by examination.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The CLEP test is based on the premise that individuals acquire knowledge informally throughout their lives. The test allows them to convert this knowledge into college credit. This opportunity may be particularly useful to the occupational career student, adult student, and the student who did not graduate from high school but who has acquired some special expertise.
There are two types of CLEP tests available: the General Examinations, which measure knowledge in basic liberal arts areas (English composition, humanities, mathematics, and social science/history), and the Subject Examinations, which measure achievement in 37 specific college courses. When prior college credit has been earned on a formal basis in the subject area, no CLEP credit will be allowed. Credit is granted for tests with scores which rank at the 50th percentile or higher based on sophomore norms presented in tables of percentile ranks provided by the College Entrance Examination Board, which developed and standardized the CLEP test.
A maximum of one year of credit (30) credit hours may be allowed for pre-college learning. This credit will apply toward WCCCD degrees and certificates. Most examinations are given once each month and may be taken by WCCCD students at the Counseling and Testing Bureau of Wayne State University. Descriptive brochures and applications are available at Wayne State University, 5050 Cass Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48202.
Credit for Experiential Learning
If you wish to receive credit for learning you have achieved through experience but do not wish to use the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Credit by Examination, you may take advantage of our experiential learning program. To do this, prepare a portfolio which includes the following information:
- Courses for which you want to receive credit
- Learning goals that you have achieved
- Documentation of the achievement of the learning goals
This portfolio is then reviewed by faculty to determine if credit may be awarded. Several things about experiential learning are important to understand as students consider using this opportunity to earn credit. First, credit is granted for learning achieved from experience, not for the experience itself. In developing the portfolio, students will need to demonstrate that their experiences have helped them gain both theoretical and practical knowledge at the same level as they would have achieved by taking the course. Second, the process of developing a successful portfolio is as time consuming as taking a course. Therefore, we recommend that students consider this option only if they wish to receive credit for a group of courses. Credit for a single course is earned more efficiently through credit by examination or the CLEP program.
The fee for this service is an amount equal to half the normal tuition for the courses in addition to a fee* for processing. The Campus Chief Academic Officer can provide students with the directions and the forms necessary to receive credit for experiential learning.
Credit for Specialized Experience
Wayne County Community College District will grant four credit hours of credit, without fee payment, for the Fire Academy, Police Academy, Emergency Medical Training, military service, conscientious objector, Peace Corps, or Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) service and experience, subject to the following stipulations:
- Credit will be granted only for one of these training or service experiences.
- Credit for military service will be granted only for active duty service of one year or more.
- Credit for Fire and Police Academy experience will be granted only after completion of academy training, and one year of active duty with a public fire protection or law enforcement agency.
- Credit for Peace Corps and VISTA experience will be granted only after completion of the appropriate tour of duty.
- Credit for conscientious objector service will be granted only for those objectors who rendered service to the community as a result of their legally determined conscientious objector status.
- This credit will not satisfy any part of the 15 credits at WCCCD required for graduation.
- This credit is general elective credit and does not apply toward the fulfillment of any general education requirement for a degree.
- This credit will be recorded on the student’s academic record, without grade, as follows:
COE 999 … … … … … … . . 4 credits
Conscientious Objector Service
EMS 999 … … … … … … . . 4 credits
Emergency Medical Training
FAE 999 … … … … … … . . 4 credits
Fire Academy Experience
MSE 999 … … … … … … . . 4 credits
Military Service Experience
PAE 999 … … … … … … . . 4 credits
Police Academy Experience
PCE 999 … … … … … … . . 4 credits
Peace Corps Experience
VSE 999 … … … … … … . . 4 credits
VISTA Experience
- To obtain this credit, students must meet the following criteria:
- Be currently registered or have earned credit for at least one WCCCD credited course
- Present official certificates to the Registrar attesting to the Fire Academy training (diploma or other official verification); military service (DD 214 preferred); or Peace Corps, VISTA, Police Academy, or Emergency Medical Training experience. Contact 313-496-2862 for further information.
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