Credit for Prior Learning

Students do not pay any fees to receive credit for a course using the CPL process. 

Students must complete the Credit for Prior Learning Student Petition before the end of the sixth (6th) week of the semester or the second (2nd) week of the summer session. Petitions received after that deadline may be processed for a future semester. Learn more about Important Dates for Credit for Prior Learning. 

The list of courses that offer a CPL option continues to grow as faculty develop assessment methods. You can access the Credit for Prior Learning page in the SWC Catalog for a list of approved courses. There is also a list of approved courses at the bottom of this page.  

There are several eligibility requirements students must meet to be awarded course credit for prior learning:

• Students must be in good academic standing (minimum 2.0 GPA); for Credit by Exam, students cannot be on academic probation
• Students must be admitted to or have prior academic history with the College District
• Students must have a Student Education Plan (SEP) on file (for current students)
• Students must petition for a course listed in the current Southwestern College Catalog
• Students must not be currently enrolled in the course for which they seek credit
• Students must not be enrolled in or have completed a more advanced course in the discipline (unless waived by the department)

You can read all the eligibility requirements and limitations in SWC Administrative Procedure 4235 Credit for Prior Learning. 

 Complete the Credit for Prior Learning Petition Form to get started. You'll be required to log in to the MySWC portal to access the form. 

You do not have to be enrolled in a course to submit a petition; however, student must have an academic history with the College District. This means you must have previously earned credit or noncredit from the College District or be admitted to the College District to petition for CPL. Students may not be currently enrolled in the course for which they seek credit.

Credits acquired by CPL are not applicable to meeting unit load requirements of Selective Service deferment, Veterans, or Social Security benefits. Also, credits acquired by CPL are not counted in determining the 12 semester hours of credit in residence required for an associate degree or to meet Cooperative Work Experience requirements.

You can use the SWC Credit for Prior Learning Student Petition request credit for your external exam scores (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, College Level Examination Program, or Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support ). Students should request their scores and transcripts be directly sent to the Admissions and Records Office by the College Board, 888-225-5427, or other agency. Review the full list of courses approved for external exam credit on the External Exams page in the SWC Catalog.

Absolutely! In fact, CPL was designed with our current and former military students in mind. CPL honors the learning and experience our military students bring to the college based on an analysis of your Joint Services Transcript and the American Council on Education Military Guide. Be sure to discuss your decision with the Office of Veterans Services. 

California regulations require that any course credit earned by credit for prior learning must be indicated that way on your transcript. If your petition for CPL for a course is approved, the course and units will appear on your transcript along with a notation indicating that the credit was earned by CPL and the assessment method used. For example, you might earn four units for ENGL C1000 by successfully completing a Credit By Examination process. All this information is included on your transcript. 

If you would like to earn units for a course using CPL and to use that course to meet a prerequisite requirement in order to enroll into an advanced class in the same semester, you can fill out a Requisite Challenge Petition form. This allows you to take the advanced class, while you are completing the CPL process – so you don’t have to delay your education. The Requisite Challenge Form is available in the Assessment Office. Students can email the Prerequisites Faculty Coordinator Ryan Lennon, jlennon@swccd.edu, or Joni Ontiveros, jontiveros@swccd.edu, for the appropriate forms and help in filing your challenge. Learn more about challenging a requisite on the SWC Prerequisites Website.

After you submit your petition and complete the requirements of the CPL process, you’ll be emailed and prompted to provide a final signature on your petition before the credit is added to your transcript. This is your opportunity to reject the credit if you decide it’s not right for you. You’ll have 14 days to accept or deny your credit after you receive the email requesting your final signature.