Earn Credit Outside the Classroom
Who says that all education happens inside a traditional academic classroom? Prior Learning Credit can be granted for other valuable experiences you've had such as volunteer work, military service, professional development, and more.
Earn Credit Through Testing
UW-Stout awards credit through standardized tests such as the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES, and departmental exams.
Departmental exams are given at the discretion of the program director.
Learn more detailed information about this process from the Registration and Records Office.
CLEP allows students to take examinations for college credit for knowledge gained through:
- independent study
- advanced high school courses
- noncredit adult courses
- professional development
Review our CLEP Exam/Course Equivalent Chart to determine which CLEP exams will transfer to UW-Stout credit. Students must score 50 or higher to receive credit.
UW-Stout's Advisement Center can provide you with more information on how to take a CLEP exam.
DSST/Dantes allows students to take examinations for college credit for knowledge gained through:
- independent study
- advanced high school courses
- noncredit adult courses
- professional development
Exams may be free to service members and veterans.
Review our DSST Course Equivalent Chart to determine which DSST exams will transfer to UW-Stout credit. Students must score 400 or higher to receive credit.
Earn Credit for Military Experience
Earn credit towards your degree through your military experience or military school training.
Students who have completed Basic Training or Boot Camp for any branch of the military may receive credit for HWF-340: Community CPR, ED, and First Aid.
For majors where there aren't specific requirements, HWF-340 fulfills General Education requirements in the Social Responsibility and Ethical Reasoning (SRER) category or may be used towards general education electives.
Additional credit may be awarded based on credit recommendations made by the American Council on Education (ACE) with receipt of a Joint Services Transcript or official transcript from the Community College of the Air Force.
To request your Official Joint Service Transcript, you will need to login or register for an account. Once you have your account follow the steps below.
- My Transcript
- Request Official Transcript
- School Search: University of Wisconsin-Stout
- Check the box: I have read and agree with the above consent statement
- Click on: SEND OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
- To receive credit, please send a copy of your DD214 and Joint Service Transcript to transfer@uwsout.edu.
To request your Official Community College of the Air Force Transcript. CCAF provides several options for ordering your official transcript as detailed below. Note they do not have the ability to send transcripts electronically at this time. All official transcripts are hard copy.
Allow three weeks for processing. Once the Transfer Admissions Office receives your JST, we will evaluate it and enter any ACE recommended credits onto your student record. You will be notified when these credits are applied.
Meet with your academic advisor. The vast majority of military credits will apply as general electives so it is important to determine if additional electives will have a positive impact on your degree progress. Your academic advisor will help to determine any impact.
If you have questions about how these credits are applying to your degree, please contact your academic advisor. Please note that you will need to work with your advisor or program director to determine if any military coursework may be used to fill any major or program requirements
Earn Credit for Work Experience
Academic credit can be earned for knowledge you've gained through your work experience, such as on-the-job training, community service, or other learning that's resulted from your career and personal experiences.
If you've received training or certifications that do not appear on your college transcripts, you can see if they're recommended as eligible credits through these resources:
Examples include American Red Cross, Dale Carnegie, Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), and Walt Disney Co.
To receive credit for any of these, please submit an official transcript from the service recommending credit.
To be eligible for credits, you must:
- be an undergraduate student who has already been accepted to UW-Stout,
- have submitted your transcripts to the university,
and - have remaining general education or elective credits needed to graduate.
You may qualify for credits by creating a Professional Portfolio in collaboration with your program director and the evaluating faculty/staff member. Review the Credit by Portfolio Assessment policy for more information.
Students in the following majors may also qualify for credits specifically toward your technical electives by creating a Portfolio:
- B.S. in Career, Technical Education & Training
- B.S. in Golf Enterprise Management
- B.S. in Management
- B.S. in Technology Education
Please contact your Program Director for further information.
Did you earn college credit while in high school?
UW-Stout also accepts credit from programs like AP, IB, ECCP, and dual enrollment. Learn how your credits may apply toward your program at UW-Stout.