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Earn college credit for work & life experience

Did you know trainings, certifications, and other things you’ve learned at work — or in life, may count as credit towards your degree? That’s right! Complete a Prior Learning Assessment with us to see if your experiences can give you a head start on your degree – at absolutely no cost to you.

Find work and life experience

Did you know trainings, certifications, and other things you’ve learned at work — or in life, may count as credit towards your degree? That’s right! Complete a Prior Learning Assessment with us to see if your experiences can give you a head start on your degree – at absolutely no cost to you.

Find work and life experience

Other students saved with work & life experience credits [1]

$0k-0k

Other students saved with work & life experience credits [1]

0-0 months

[1] Savings based on the 25th and 75th percentile of work and life experience credits awarded to University of Phoenix undergraduate students in 2022.

What can I get credit for?

Examples of work and life experiences that may qualify for college credit:

A few examples of credentials:

  • Certificates
  • Licenses
  • Training & on-the-job training
  • Professional/vocational courses

A few examples of approved experience topics:

  • Parenting
  • Weight management
  • Interviewing
  • Communication in management
  • Family relations
  • Introduction to applied ethics
  • Language and culture
  • Working women and family
  • Bible literature
  • Yoga

Begin your search by typing your relevant work and life experiences in the box below.

How do I get started?

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1. Search

Review work and life experiences that may apply to you.

Search opportunities
3 step checklist

2. Save

Note applicable work and life experiences to reference later.

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3. Contact us

New students must be admitted to the University before submitting work and life experiences.

Current Students: Log in and visit MyPhoenix today to learn more about opportunities, and next steps, to save time and money on your degree.

Contact us

How will my prior work and life experience be assessed?

Marisol L. MA-IL, one of University of Phoenix PLA Evaluators, helps break it down:

Potential college credit for work experience

Submit up to 10 years of professional documentation.

  • Credit may be granted for valid licenses, on-the-job training documents and certifications approved by our faculty evaluators.
  • You can submit one or more professional documents for potential credit through work experience.*

Potential college credit for life experience

You’ll write from first-person experience — no research, citations or references are needed.

  • You may submit more than one journal for potential credit. Earn up to a maximum of 30 credits towards a bachelor's degree, or 15 credits towards an associate degree.*
  • If your journal is denied credit, you may rewrite and resubmit it one time.

*Certain states limit cumulative degree program credits awarded through work and life experience. For details, please contact University of Phoenix.

student testimonial

Multiple resources were shared with me that led me to finding alternative ways to save money and time within my program.

Jahmar R. ’21

Bachelor of Science in Correctional Program Support Services

Multiple resources were shared with me that led me to finding alternative ways to save money and time within my program.

Discover ways to save with the Savings Explorer® tool

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved:

$11,000

1 year

Off their undergraduate degree with University of Phoenix.

Explore ways to save
Smiling student takes a break in her art studio to proof her assignment before uploading it.

Your employer may help cover your tuition

We work with hundreds of organizations to help their employees earn degrees at a reduced cost. See if yours is on the list.Type in the first 3 letters of your employer’s name to find out! 

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There are other ways to save on tuition, like scholarships, transferring eligible credits and having your prior experience evaluated for potential credit. Learn more about these options by calling 844-937-8679 to speak with an enrollment representative.
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Questions other students are asking

Examples of experiences that may qualify for credit include:

Work Experiences

  • IT certificates

  • Policy Academy Training 

  • Real Estate License

Review the full list of work experiences

 

Life Experiences

  • Interviewing 

  • Communication and Management

  • Parenting

Review the full list of life experiences

University of Phoenix will work with you to maximize your prior learning credits. However, submitting for Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) evaluation does not guarantee credits will be awarded. If you have questions about the Prior Learning Assessment process submit a request to have one of our knowledgeable Enrollment Representatives contact you.

Work and life experience credits are an evaluation of your learning experiences outside of the classroom.  Upon evaluation, the review of these experiences can lead to credits earned toward a degree.  For every 3 credits earned through work and life experience you can graduate 5 weeks faster and save nearly $1200 in tuition.

You must first be admitted to the University and be enrolled in a program that is eligible for work and life experience (a limited number of programs are not eligible. Please speak with your Enrollment Representative to learn more. If you’re already student, you can visit the work and life experience page on your student portal to start the process.

You may be able to earn college credit for previous work experience. After becoming a student, you will be assigned an academic counselor, reach out to them to find out how you can apply your work experience to your program.

Gather your credential(s) and reach out to your academic counselor, one will be assigned upon becoming a student, to determine if your credentials are eligible for submission.

Life experience is just that, knowledge and experience you’ve gained outside the classroom. University of Phoenix will assess your prior life experience for potential college credits. Chat with your academic counselor today to see how you can apply your life experience to your program.