1. Start by reviewing your myPath and remaining degree requirements. Make sure any course you want to complete a portfolio for will fulfill requirements within your current academic program.
2. The catalog is a great place to start looking for courses that align with your prior experience. Course descriptions provide information about the topics covered. The Registrar’s Office has a list of departmental abbreviations Undergraduate courses are numbered 100 – 499. Graduate courses are numbered 500+. Once you’ve identified a course that could satisfy a requirement and matches your experience, connect with your academic advisor to confirm any credit can be awarded. Be prepared to discuss how your past experiences might apply to the course or courses for which you wish to earn credit.
3. If your advisor supports your petition for credit, they can provide the learning objectives from the official syllabus. Learning objectives describe the knowledge and skills students earn throughout the course. You can also email the Center for Adult and Continuing Studies ([email protected]) for assistance.

Each department decides which of its courses may be eligible for credit through the Prior Learning Portfolio process. Some courses are not eligible because they include components or learning outcomes that cannot be demonstrated through prior experience.

You cannot complete a portfolio petition for a course if:

• equivalent credit can be earned through an alternative evaluation system that is already in place, including waivers, placement tests, challenge exams, or external exams such as Advanced Placement (AP) or the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).
• you have already received equivalent credit.
• it is a pre-requisite for a course you have already earned credit for.
• it is a graduate-level course (numbered 500 or higher), as these follow a separate review process.

Finally, courses you petition for must apply to a program you are currently completing, and you must be enrolled at GVSU during the semester you complete your portfolio. Credit is awarded and applied according to GVSU academic policy and any program-specific requirements. For more information, see Academic Policies and Regulations in the GVSU Catalog.

If you want to fulfill a general education requirement through the portfolio process, your portfolio should demonstrate that you have met the learning objectives for both the course and the general education category you wish to satisfy. A faculty assessor will first evaluate your portfolio for credit. If awarded, the general education program will also review it. A full list of general education courses and the associated learning outcomes can be found in the General Education Program Handbook.

Credit can be awarded for a general education course without fulfilling the general education requirement, except when an alternative evaluation system already exists for that course or category:

• Foundational Writing (WRT 150) can be completed through a CLEP exam and portfolio submission process administered by the Writing Department.
• One of the two required Supplemental Writing Skills (SWS) courses can be fulfilled through a waiver process.
• Credit for Issues courses can be earned but cannot be used to fulfill the General Education Issues requirement.

1. A short explanation of why you are petitioning for the course.
2. A current version of your resume that includes any relevant experience that supports your petition for credit.
3. A written statement that provides relevant context and explains how you have fulfilled the learning objectives associated with the course through your experience.
4. Supporting documentation that demonstrates or provides evidence for how you’ve met the learning objectives or provides support for your written statement. Examples include proof of professional licensure/certification, awards, job descriptions, media coverage, letters from supervisors or clients, or samples of work you have produced.

Any information you include in your portfolio should reflect experiences you have gained after successfully completing high school. However, the specific knowledge and skills you will need to demonstrate are defined in the learning objectives of each course. Depending on the department, topic, and course, learning objectives may be very practical or focused on a particular skill set, while other courses may require demonstration of advanced decision-making, communication, or achievements that could take years to develop. The portfolio process includes critically assessing your experience and skills, as well as effectively communicating your mastery of the learning objectives of the course.

You are not required to adhere to a particular style or formatting requirements. Typically, conducting additional research or incorporating outside sources is not necessary.

You are encouraged to make formatting, content, and organizational choices that clearly and succinctly demonstrate how you have met the learning objectives.

The GVSU Career Center can help you create or update your resume and reflect on your previous work experience. They offer in-person and virtual support through the Career Lab or by appointment with a Career Advisor. They also offer additional resume resources on their website.

The Fred Meijer Center for Writing & Michigan Authors is another great resource for getting feedback as you develop your portfolio. They offer both in-person and virtual support. A writing consultant can help at any stage of the process including brainstorming, organizing content, ensuring your message is clear, and polishing your final draft before submission.

The cost to have a portfolio evaluated is $150. The ccfasttrack system does not allow payment until you have received confirmation that the course you are petitioning for is eligible and a faculty assessor has been assigned. This fee covers the costs associated with the Prior Learning Portfolio process and must be paid even if your portfolio is not approved for credit.

1. Create an account at https://www.ccfasttrack.org/
2. Identify the course(s) you intend to build a portfolio for on the ccfasttrack website. If you plan to submit multiple portfolios, you should submit a separate application for each course. We highly recommend starting the petition process during a semester when you are confident you will have time to create and compile your portfolio.
3. The Prior Learning Specialist will work with the department to confirm that the course you selected can be completed through the Prior Learning Portfolio process. They will also arrange for a faculty member in the appropriate department to assess your portfolio. The Prior Learning Specialist will let you know if you are approved to move forward.
4. Once approved for portfolio review, please pay the $150 evaluation fee.
5. Build your portfolio and submit your materials on the ccfastrack website. This video walks you through the submission process.
6. Once the evaluation process is complete, the Prior Learning Specialist will notify you whether your portfolio has been approved. If credit is awarded, they will work with the Registrar’s Office to have it added to your transcript.

This process is very similar to the process used to evaluate transfer credit from another institution’s course description or syllabus. Credit is either awarded or not awarded based on the faculty evaluator’s assessment of whether you have successfully acquired and incorporated the majority of the skills and knowledge outlined in the learning objectives. Just like with transfer credit decisions, there is no process for faculty evaluators to provide specific feedback to students.

There is no process for students to appeal a faculty decision. All portfolio submissions, whether approved for credit or not, incur a $150 assessment fee.

You are encouraged to engage with GVSU resources before and during the portfolio creation process to ensure you feel confident that your prior experience aligns with the learning objectives of the course and that you have effectively demonstrated the associated knowledge and skills. These resources could include the Career Center, the Writing Center, or your academic advisor.

Faculty assessors may award either specific course credit or general credit, at their discretion.

If you are not awarded credit through the Prior Learning Portfolio process, you may be able to find another course to petition for or explore another prior learning opportunity that is better aligned with your current skillset.

GVSU offers multiple pathways to earn credit for Prior Learning. In addition to the Undergraduate Portfolio process, they include:

• Credit by Exam, which includes options developed and administered by nationally recognized boards if you earn a specific score. Some departments have developed their own placement and challenge exams to ensure you are enrolled in the class that best matches their current level of knowledge and skills.
• Experiential Credit can be awarded if you have completed professional learning or training that results in a current licensure or certification. Faculty review the learning outcomes associated with these achievements to determine whether GVSU course credit can be awarded. More information can be found here.
• Military Coursework and Training is evaluated through your Joint Service Transcripts or Community College of the Air Force Transcript, which should be sent to the Registrar’s Office at [email protected]. 
• Departmental Processes may exist. Contact your academic advisor to explore options available within your program.

• Earning credit through the portfolio process is not guaranteed. Faculty assessors evaluate portfolio submissions and determine whether credit can be awarded based on the learning objectives and your portfolio materials.
• Experiences gained after high school in which college-level learning occurred can be included in your portfolio submission.
• Faculty assessors are expected to provide a decision within 30 days of receiving portfolio materials.
• The Undergraduate Portfolio process may take time. You are strongly encouraged to submit any prior learning portfolios in the semester prior to graduation to ensure that any credit earned is reflected on the transcript before applying to graduate.
• Credit earned through Prior Learning is considered GVSU residential credit.
• Credit earned through Prior Learning is awarded on a Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) basis and does not affect your quality points, letter grades, or GPA calculation. For more information, please review the Credit/No Credit policies in the General Academic Policies section of the Catalog.
• Financial aid cannot be applied directly to the portfolio evaluation fee in the ccfasttrack system.
• You must be enrolled in at least one credit at GVSU while completing the Prior Learning process.