Degree Completion Program
If you enter the Degree Completion Program with fewer than 60 semester hours or if you must still meet general education requirements, you could earn additional semester hours through Life Learning Credit .
These credits can be from a number of different sources, including military training, workshops, seminars, self-study, noncredit classes, licenses, training programs, work/ministry experiences and by examination. Please note that it is the learning from these sources that is evaluated and results in credit hours being awarded.
In the admission process, the Degree Completion Program will provide you with an opportunity to obtain an estimate of the number of Life Learning Credits you might receive when you enter the program. To begin the process, complete the Credit for Prior Learning Worksheet. (For a printable version of the Credit for Prior Learning Worksheet, click here).
Prior learning experiences will normally fall within one of the following areas.
- Credit for Military Training
Active service members and veterans of the United States armed services may receive college credit for their military training and occupational specialties. Lancaster Bible College follows the credit recommendations established by the American Council on Education (ACE) for courses and occupations from the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Army Reserve, and National Guard. The Community College of the Air Force maintains academic records for members and veterans of the U.S. Air Force. ACE recommendations and CCAF credits are treated as transfer credits, and not as Credit for Prior Learning.
In order to determine the academic credit for your military experience, the DCP Office will need to review one or more of the following documents:
• Army and Army National Guard members should request an AARTS transcript from the AARTS Operation Center, 415 McPherson Ave, Ft. Leavenworth, KS 66027-1373.
• Community College of the Air Force transcripts are available from the CCAF Registrar at CCAF/RRR, 130 W. Maxwell Blvd., Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6613 .
• Members of other branches should submit separation report DD 214 , DA Form 2-1 Personnel Qualification Record, or DD Form 295 Application for the Evaluation of Educational Experiences During Military Services.
Veterans unable to locate their original military records may request copies from National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132.
- Credit for Prior Learning
Lancaster Bible College recognizes that collegiate level learning may occur outside the college/university classroom and has established specific procedures and policies for evaluating and granting credits for prior learning. Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) may be earned only for documented and currently held learning. It is not granted simply for experience. "Prior Learning" may result from reading, travel, work experience, workshops or seminars, military training, or other professional or vocational experiences.
College-level learning is defined by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) as (a) learning that includes a conceptual as well as a practical grasp of the knowledge or competence acquired; (b) learning that is applicable outside the specific context in which it was acquired; and (c) learning that falls within the domain usually considered appropriate to college credit as represented in the catalogs and practices of the colleges and universities
The guidelines recommended by CAEL will generally be followed, except where they might conflict with existing policies of the College.
To request non-military credit for prior learning, a student is required to prepare a portfolio to document the learning involved. Such documentation typically will involve:• Submission of a certificate or license issued for a classroom-based learning experience for which college credit equivalency has been determined through evaluation by the American Council on Education (ACE), Program on Non-collegiate Sponsored Instruction (PONSI), or other recognized evaluation organization.
• Submission of a Technical and Professional Training (TPT) worksheet that demonstrates learning attained through workshops or other training experiences that have not been evaluated by ACE, PONSI, or another nationally recognized evaluation organization.
• Submission of a life-learning essay, at least eight pages in length, developed according to the Kolb model and based on experiential learning that may or may not have resulted from formal instruction. In the life-learning essay, you must demonstrate how the outcomes of the experiential learning are similar to those of a particular course, or are appropriate to be considered as a topic within a particular subject area.
• Submission of some other form of suitable documentation mutually agreed upon by the student and evaluator.
Completed materials are submitted to the Degree Completion Program Director. An appropriate faculty member, possibly assisted by an additional evaluator, will evaluate life-learning essays. Faculty evaluators may request additional documentation, a restructuring of the student's essay, and/or an interview with the student before awarding credit.
Credit for Prior Learning is limited to 30 semester hours total per student. Up to nine (9) credits may be sought per TPT worksheet or life learning essay. The posting of Credit for Prior Learning on a student transcript will be in a category labeled as "validation." The course title will be chosen by the faculty evaluator and the student.
Students will be charged an evaluation fee for this process that is based upon the evaluation process, not the number of credits being sought. Payment of the fee in no way guarantees that credit will be awarded.
For more information concerning Credit for Prior Learning policies and procedures, prospective students may request access to a copy of the Assessing Prior Learning Handbook from the Degree Completion Program office. - Credit by Examination
Credit by Examination is a way to validate learning in an academic area by taking a standardized test. The following examination programs are recognized by LBC's Degree Completion Program. A prospective student should consult with the Degree Completion Program Coordinator before taking any examination to see how the subject matter will fit his or her educational goals. Exams that duplicate or overlap previous college credit or courses required to be taken within the DCP will not be accepted.
Advanced Placement (AP) -- a score of three or better is required to receive credit for any of the Advanced Placement exams.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) -- a national set of exams on selected topics. Millersville University is the closest testing site to LBC. For additional CLEP testing sites, click here for the CLEP Test Center listing .
Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support (DANTES) -- introductory college level exams in more than 50 subjects. Penn State Harrisburg Campus is the closest DANTES testing site to LBC. For additional DANTES testing sites, go to http://www.getcollegecredit.com/ .
In-house Examinations -- to receive credit for prior knowledge and skills in specific LBC courses. Must be recommended by the respective academic division and approved by the Education/Curriculum Committee. Currently approved courses are:
- LA 104 Public Speaking
- SE 101 Typing I