Alternatives for Acquiring Credit

By taking advantage of the following options, you can save tuition costs and reduce classroom time as you progress toward your degree. Detailed information is available at the Adult Center.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

CLEP is a national system of credit by examination offered by the College Board in conjunction with Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N.J. CLU is a "Limited Test Center" which means there is a test administration schedule available only to CLU students. A maximum of 32 credits can be earned through CLEP and credit by exam. Exams are graded Pass/No Credit. There is a processing fee of $30 due to CLU at the time of registration for the exam. A $70 exam fee is due at the time of the exam (credit card preferred). Questions regarding testing at CLU should be referred to the Center for Academic and Accessibility Resources at (805) 493-3260 or the ADEP Office at (805) 493-3325.

CLEP tests are administered monthly at several hundred test centers around the country. CLU does not grant credit for CLEP General Examinations; however, CLEP Subject Examination credit is awarded for the following approved courses, scores and credit values:

SUBJECT EXAMINATION
MINIMUM SCORE
CREDIT VALUE
Composition and Literature
    
American Literature
50
6
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
50
6
English Literature
50
6
Freshman College Composition
50
3
     
Social Sciences and History
    
American Government
50
3
History of the U. S. I: Early Colonizations to 1877
50
3
History of U.S. II: 1865 to the Present
50
3
Human Growth and Development
50
3
Introduction to Educational Psychology
50
3
Principles of Macroeconomics
50
3
Principles of Microeconomics
50
3
Introductory Sociology
50
3
Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East 1648
50
3
Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present
50
3
     
Science and Mathematics
    
Biology
50
6
Calculus
50
3
Chemistry
50
3
Pre-Calculus
50
3
     
Business
    
Principles of Accounting
50
3
Introductory Business Law
50
3
Information Systems and Computer Applications
50
3
Principles of Marketing
50
3

Principles of Management
50
3
Upcoming CLEP examination dates and times:

Testing will be held in Library Room 7 (lab), please visit the link below for testing dates:

http://www.callutheran.edu/car/undergrad/exams.php

Credit by Examination

Students in good standing may challenge for credit a course offered at CLU upon the approval of the department chair and the dean. They may not challenge for credit a course in which they have previously received a grade of F, NCR (No Credit) or audited. Students may challenge a maximum of eight credits of upper division coursework. Applications must be made through the Registrar or ADEP office and signatures of the academic dean, department chair, and instructor must be obtained. Credit earned by examination will be grade Pass/No Credit and will be recorded at the end of the term in which the examination is taken. The $250 examination fee must be paid in advance.

NOTE: A maximum of 32 credits may be earned through credit by examination (CLEP, AP, and institutional challenge exams). A maximum of 8 of the 32 credits may be upper division. Residency requirement: 30 of the final 40 credits must be completed in residency at CLU. This requirement cannot be met using credit by examination.

Independent Study

Independent study opportunities are available for students to work independently, in consultation with a faculty member, on in-depth research in particular areas of academic interest. A student wishing to undertake an independent study must have attained junior status (58 units) and be in good academic standing. A student may not substitute an independent study for a course listed in the university catalog unless specific approval is given by the dean for academic affairs. A student may earn no more than four units of independent study credit in any given semester and may count no more than eight units of independent study credit toward the total number of units required for graduation. Any exceptions must receive approval by the dean for academic affairs. A student must have his or her independent study contract approved and signed by the sponsoring professor, the chair of the department in which the study is taken and the registrar before the final date to add a course. Forms for registration and the independent study contract form are available at the ADEP office. Letter grade only.

Field Study

Field Study is a field experience course designed to apply academic knowledge to an actual work environment. The student must have attained sophomore status (28 units) and be in good academic standing. Departmental approval is required for participation. During any semester, a maximum of two units may be taken. The course may be repeated for different experiences, but a student may earn no more than eight units in field experience courses. Contact the Adult Degree Program Office for field study contract form. Graded Pass/No Credit only.

Credit for Prior Experiential Learning
  1. Credit for prior experiential learning is available to all students enrolled at CLU who possess relevant prior learning experiences.
  2. Experiential learning credit may be awarded for courses listed in the current university catalog. However, experiential learning credit is not awarded for field studies, internships or independent study courses.
  3. The maximum number of credits that may be awarded to a student is fifteen (15).
  4. All students seeking experiential learning credit must enroll in LR 300, Adult Experiential Learning, in the semester they seek experiential learning credit.
  5. The full-time faculty in the discipline where credit for prior learning is requested will conduct the evaluation of the student portfolio.
  6. Transcript entries for experiential learning will be made only after the student has completed 30 units in residence.
  7. Tuition and fees for students seeking credit for experiential learning include:
    • LR 300, Adult Experiential Learning - one unit at the current university tuition rate.
    • Assessment fees for portfolio evaluation - $250.00 per course.
  8. Graded Pass/No Credit only
For Further Information

If you would like further information about alternatives for acquiring credit, you are invited to contact:

The Adult Degree Evening Program
California Lutheran University
60 West Olsen Road #2200
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-2700
(805) 493-3325