Sources of credit for work & life experience
Your accomplishments matter. We recognize the academic value of your professional achievements. We give credit for work experiences such as technical training, professional licensure and certification.
Your accomplishments matter. We recognize the academic value of your professional achievements. We give credit for work experiences such as technical training, professional licensure and certification.
The American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT®) connects workplace learning with colleges and universities. CREDIT® helps adults gain access to academic credit for formal courses and examinations taken outside traditional degree programs.
For decades, colleges and universities have trusted ACE to provide reliable course equivalency information to facilitate credit award decisions. Participating organizations include corporations, associations, schools, training suppliers, labor unions and government agencies.
To see if any of your professional development courses will potentially yield college level credit, please contact your advisor.
The Columbia College Partners in Corrections Program is designed to give students interested in becoming correctional officers at least 24 semester hours in course equivalencies for successful completion of the corrections basic training academy. To qualify, students must successfully complete a departmentally mandated corrections academy in any of the 50 states or U.S. territories. The academy must be a departmentally-mandated basic training academy with a minimum 275 hours in length. Academies complete over five years prior to applying for equivalency credit will not be considered unless the applicant can demonstrate adequate work experience in the field since completion of his or her academy. An approved demonstration of work experience is a letter on appropriate letterhead from a supervisor or human resources administrator confirming employment in the field; the letter should include employment dates/history and current position. The specific course equivalencies are listed below:
Course code | Course title | Credit hours |
---|---|---|
CJAD 101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice Administration | 3 lower level |
CJAD 144 | Criminal Justice Elective | 6 lower level |
CJAD 320 | Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice | 3 upper level |
CJAD 350 | Corrections and Penology | 3 upper level |
ELEC 144 | General Electives | 9 lower level |
The equivalency policy is based on the following provisions:
Note: Completion of the corrections academy within the last 36 semester hours of a student’s degree program may reduce the number of hours applied under the Partners in Corrections Program.
Many students who participate in learning experiences outside the classroom wish to earn college credit for their work. Columbia College offers a number of ways students may earn such credit. CLEP tests, ACE credit and course test-outs are preferred because they require a theory base, have national norms/criteria or both. If none of the above credit-awarding methods are an option, Columbia College awards credit for prior learning.
Please see the credit for prior learning page for more specifics.
A student may receive credit for an EMT program based on the number of hours on the certificate.
Credit is granted as follows:
Credit hours | Instruction type |
---|---|
6 maximum |
ELEC 144 |
110 | Total instruction hours |
Credit hours | Instruction type |
---|---|
6 maximum |
ELEC 144 |
175-225 | Classroom / practical lab |
50-75 | Clinical |
75-100 | Field Internship |
300-400 | Total instruction hours |
Credit hours | Instruction type |
9 | ELEC 144 |
1000-12000[2] | Total instruction hours |
For students desiring to become law enforcement officers (or if already in law enforcement), Columbia College offers Partners in Law Enforcement. This collaborative initiative between Columbia College and the state’s police academies is designed to give students up to 24 semester hours in course equivalencies for successful completion of the academy. To qualify, students must successfully complete a minimum of 400 hours at a state certified, basic police academy. Academies completed over five years prior to applying for equivalency credit will not be considered unless the applicant can demonstrate adequate work experience in the field since completion of the academy. An approved demonstration of work experience is a letter on appropriate letterhead from a supervisor or human resources administrator confirming employment in the field. The letter should include employment dates/history and current position. The specific course equivalencies are listed below:
Course code | Course title | Credit hours |
---|---|---|
CJAD 101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice Administration | 3 lower level |
CJAD 144 | Criminal Justice Electives | 6 lower level |
CJAD 201 | Criminal Investigation | 3 lower level |
CJAD 301 | Criminal Law | 3 upper level |
CJAD 311 | Police in a Democratic Society | 3 upper level |
ELEC 144 | General Electives | 6 lower level |
The equivalency policy is effective based on the following provisions:
Note: Completion of the police academy within the last 36 semester hours of a student’s degree program may reduce the number of hours applied under the partners in Law Enforcement Program.
For student that have completed the DAF Law Enforcement Academy program to become security officers for the Air Force, Columbia College offers a special Partners in Law Enforcement program. This collaborative initiative is designed to give students up to 24 semester hours in course equivalencies for successful completion of the academy. To qualify, students must successfully complete of the Civilian Defenders Program (GS-0083 Police Series). The specific course equivalencies are listed below:
Course code | Course title | Credit hours |
---|---|---|
CJAD 101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice Administration | 3 lower level |
CJAD 144 | Criminal Justice Electives | 3 lower level |
CJAD 201 | Criminal Investigation | 3 lower level |
CJAD 215 | Private Security | 3 lower level |
CJAD 301 | Criminal Law | 3 upper level |
CJAD 311 | Police in a Democratic Society | 3 upper level |
CJAD 415 | Criminal Procedures | 3 upper level |
HSEC 250 | Homeland Security: An Introduction & Overview | 3 lower level |
The equivalency policy is effective based on the following provisions:
The transfer hours are specifically identified for use to complete the following programs:
Certificate in Homeland Security (6 credit hours applied to certificate)
Associate in Science in Criminal Justice Administration (21 credit hours applied to degree)
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration (24 credit hours applied to degree)
Submit your official Law Enforcement Training Center student transcript to Columbia College, along with any other college transcripts, for review and credit awarding to the Office of the Registrar at EvalTrans@ccis.edu or Columbia College, Office of the Registrar, 1001 Rogers Street, Columbia MO 65216
You may be eligible to receive college level credit from other sources of non-traditional education. Please contact your advisor if you have questions regarding credit from sources not listed on this page.
Students pursuing a Master of Science in Criminal Justice with Management track in Corrections Administration (MSCJ.CA) or with the dual track option of Management tracks in Corrections Administration and Law Enforcement Administration (MSCJ.CA.LE) are eligible to receive credit for completion of the NIC’s Management Development for the Future Series.
There is no restriction on home campus or course location. Any student pursuing an MSCJ that includes the Management track in Corrections Administration is eligible for this credit.
Completion of the training qualifies the student for:
Course code | Course title | Credit hours |
---|---|---|
MSCJ-550 | Readings in Criminal Justice Administration | 3 |
MSCJ-587 | Corrections Administration | 3 |
MSCJ-589 | Community Corrections | 3 |
To receive credit the student must submit a certificate of completion from the National Institute of Corrections that includes the following information:
If any of the above information is missing, the student must submit supporting documentation (letter from supervisor on certified letterhead with a signature) in order to receive credit.
This credit can be transferred in whole or in part. If the student has already completed one or more of the requirements that completion of this training would provide, they can still receive credit for the other(s) via completion of this training, without losing previously earned credit.
This credit can be completed at any time during the student’s academic career, but Evaluations will not apply it to the student record until the degree is posted. Once the training has been reviewed for credit, a notation will be added to the student's degree audit indicating the receipt of credit and its future application.
A Pilot’s License has been institutionally evaluated as a former course here. The student must submit a copy of his Pilot’s License for evaluation.
Credit is granted as follows:
Credit awarded | Columbia College equivalency | Credit hours |
---|---|---|
Ground School/Intro to Aeronautics/Pilot Training | ELEC 144 | 6 |
Transfer equivalency credit will be granted for students with a current, state-issued real estate agent's or broker's license.
A photocopy of the license, which must list dates of validity indicating the student's current licensure, will be accepted as official documentation for credit-granting purposes.
Credit awarded | Columbia College equivalency | Credit hours |
---|---|---|
Real Estate Agent / Real Estate Broker | FINC 397 | 3 |
Note: This credit will be granted to students with an RN or LPN license that are not pursing a nursing degree at Columbia College.
Nursing school graduates will be awarded credit upon completion of the nursing program when a copy of the license is provided along with an official transcript from the nursing school. The license verifies state approval and therefore will be given credit as follows:
Credit awarded | Columbia College equivalency | Credit hours |
---|---|---|
Medical Terminology | ELEC 144 | 2 |
Sociology | SOCI 111 | 3 |
All students having an RN License get the following 30 hours. Additional credit is granted based on the 2-year or 3-year program.
Credit awarded | Columbia College equivalency | Credit hours |
---|---|---|
Chemistry | CHEM 110 | 5 |
Microbiology | BIOL 312 | 4 |
Sociology | SOCI 111 | 3 |
Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 |