Prior Learning Assessment

Prior Learning Assessment Fees

Maricopa Community Colleges do not charge any fees for the following PLA types:

Transfer credit from nationally recognized institutions
International coursework that has been officially evaluated by a foreign evaluator service (e.g., Educational Credential Evaluators)
Standardized college-level exams (e.g., CLEP, AP, IB, DSST, CIE)
GED exams
Industry/corporate training
Industry-recognized credentials
Military transcripts
ACE (American Council On Education) transcripts
Credit received through organizations and companies that offer nationally recognized credit evaluated by ACE, NCCRS, etc. (e.g., STRAIGHTERLINE, NOCTI, STUDY.COM, etc.)
Skill Center and clock hour transcripts

There is a $40 administration fee if transfer credit is awarded upon taking Departmental Challenge exams.

Institution Transfer Credit

Students who have attended other post-secondary institutions can have coursework evaluated for transfer credit. Coursework needs to have been completed at an institution that is accredited by a recognized accreditor at the time the coursework was completed. “Recognized” means that the accreditors have been reviewed by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), or both and meet the quality of standards of the respective organizations.

Equivalencies from several institutions are utilized by all of our campuses and can be viewed in the Transfer Evaluation System (TES). Although new equivalencies are added every day, you may not be able to locate all the courses you have completed. If you are unable to locate a specific equivalency or have questions about applicability, please consult with an Academic Advisor at your campus.

Processes for Evaluating Institution Transfer Credit

Maricopa Community Colleges have two different processes for evaluating transfer credit, based on the organization that your institution was accredited by at the time you completed the coursework.

When you're ready to begin the process of having your transfer credit evaluated, follow the steps for your former institution below.

Institutional Accrediting Organization

If your institution was accredited by one of the following Institutional Accrediting Organizations, the evaluation will be coordinated by the evaluator on your campus once an official transcript has been received.

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC); Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUS)

The turnaround time for these evaluations is typically six weeks from the time an evaluation is requested.

National Career Related, National Faith Related, Programmatic, or other Institutional Accrediting Organization

If your institution was accredited by a National Career Related, National Faith Related, Programmatic, or Institutional Accrediting Organization that is not listed above, the evaluation will be coordinated by the evaluator on your campus and the Transfer Credit and Articulation Services Department at the Maricopa Community Colleges District Office. These evaluations are performed by the subject specific Instructional Councils.

The turnaround time for these evaluations is typically six weeks from the time an evaluation is requested.

Evaluation Requirements

In order to perform an evaluation, you must first complete the evaluation request form for the college you wish to attend (listed below) and be able to provide official transcripts for prior coursework.

Coursework must appear on an official transcript from the source institutions and sent directly from that source institution to the Admissions and Records/Enrollment Services Department at the receiving institution. Please refer to our Transfer Credit Policy for additional information and conditions of transfer credit.

Note: Please meet with an Academic Advisor after your evaluation has been completed to discuss the applicability of your transfer credit.

Evaluation Process and Request Forms by College

Types of Prior Learning

Do you have a certificate or license you earned while working in a specific industry (barber, manufacturing, IT, etc.)? We offer transfer credit for industry-recognized credentials! See if your prior experience qualifies.

You may be able to earn credit for the following types of prior learning. Click on each type for additional information.

Post Secondary coursework completed outside of the United States can be evaluated for possible transfer credit if the institution was accredited by the Ministry of Education in that country, and a course by course evaluation has been performed by a foreign evaluator service company.

In order to be considered for transfer credit, an official transcript of the evaluation performed must be sent directly from the foreign evaluator service company to your campus' Admissions and Records Department. Please contact your campus Admissions and Records Department to obtain additional information.

International Credential Evaluation Agencies

It is the student’s responsibility to check with the Maricopa County Community College he or she is applying to and find out if XYZ Agency’s evaluation will be accepted. If unsure of where to start:

First, select an agency that is a member of the National Associate of Credential Evaluation Services(NACES).
Next, contact the Admissions and Records office of the Maricopa College you are applying to and find out if that agency’s evaluation will be accepted.

Maricopa Community Colleges accepts foreign transcript evaluations from members of the National Associate of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) as part of the evaluation process. However, the result of a foreign transcript evaluation does not guarantee that transfer credits will be awarded or applied toward the degree the student is pursuing.

If it is the student’s intent to transfer to another university or educational institution after completing coursework with any of the Maricopa County Community Colleges, we strongly recommend speaking with the university or educational institution regarding the use of any or all agencies. Maricopa County Community Colleges will not be held responsible for the transferability of the evaluations conducted by any or all agencies listed above.

Important

Professional evaluations must be done for the purpose of education and course by course.
Official academic records in the native language along with the certified English translations are also required in addition to the official professional evaluation. Official professional evaluations do not take the place of official academic records or the English translations.
If the professional evaluation agency includes academic records they used to complete their evaluation and indicates that the evaluation was based on official or authenticated records, we may accept those documents as official.

Translation Agencies

It is recommended by Maricopa Community Colleges to obtain the certified English word-for-word translation from an agency or translator listed with the American Translators Association. Maricopa Community Colleges does not recommend any one agency or translator over another. If it is the student’s intent to transfer to any of the state universities/colleges after completing course work with any of the Maricopa County Community Colleges, we strongly recommend speaking with the university/college regarding the use of any or all agencies or translators. Maricopa Community Colleges will not be held responsible for the translation conducted by any or all agencies or translators listed.

American Translators Association

www.atanet.org
Online Directory

Click on Translator Search
Enter Language From
Enter Language Into (English)
Enter in Zip Code
Click Search

This online directory will pull up all translators in the immediate area and you may select one on the list of your choosing.

Important

All official English word-for-word translations must be certified by a professional translator and include the translator’s signature/stamp and (if appropriate) be issued on the translation companies’ letterhead.
In some instances, the issuing institution may issue the official academic record in English or may provide an official English word-for-word translation in addition to issuing the official academic record in the native language upon the request of the student.

Maricopa Community Colleges offers seven exam placement options to help you determine the right courses for you. Select an exam placement option in the table below to view the equivalency requirements.

Note: Before credit is awarded, scores must be sent directly to your campus' Admissions and Records Department from the corresponding exam placement testing company below.

A limited number of our campuses offer one or more of the exams on-site. Please contact them directly for further information.

Educational experiences listed on a Joint Service Transcript can be evaluated for possible credit. We award credit based on ACE recommendations, which are posted on the ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.

Please note that the number of credits recommended by ACE are recommendations only. A college is not required to grant a specific amount of credit. Also note that training must parallel a discipline area offered through our colleges and the credit must meet a program requirement or have the ability to be used as elective credit. Refer to our Transfer Credit Policy to view additional information and the conditions of transfer credit.

Standard decisions are recorded in our Transfer Evaluation System (TES) under “American Council on Education”. View our current equivalencies on the TES Public View.

Note: Coursework from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) is listed in TES under “Community College of the Air Force.”

Students may apply for Departmental Credit by Examination in certain courses. Students must obtain the appropriate form from their campus' Admissions and Records Department, pay the required fee, and complete the examination and other requirements of the college.

Students may not:

request to challenge a course a second time
challenge a course while currently enrolled in the course
establish credit in a previously completed course
establish credit for a lower level of a course in which credit has been received

Refer to our Transfer Credit Policy for additional information (A.R. 2.2.4).

ACE evaluates training programs offered by businesses, industry, and government, and publishes its credit recommendations in The National Guide. If a student received training and/or completed coursework and exams that appear in this guide with credit recommendations, he or she can request an evaluation for possible college credit.

Maricopa Community Colleges Skill Centers

Gateway Community College offers clock hour career and technical training through our Skill Centers, located at their Central City, Deer Valley, Southwest Skill Center, and 18th Street campuses. These training programs are designed to offer students the skills necessary to quickly enter the workforce.

View program information.

You may be able to apply the courses you successfully complete at the Skill Centers to an Associate Degree at one of the Maricopa Community Colleges. Information regarding our standard equivalencies for this coursework can be accessed in our Transfer Evaluation System, under “Gateway Community College” (Phoenix location). Please contact an advisor on your campus to discuss the applicability of this coursework.

Programs Outside Maricopa Community Colleges

Clock hour programs completed outside of the Maricopa Community Colleges may also be evaluated for credit on a case-by-case basis. Evaluations are typically approved by faculty or the program directors associated with the degree or program you would like to apply the coursework to.

Contact your campus' Admissions and Records Department for additional information about the process.