Credit for Prior Learning
Southern Utah University is proud to support students in earning academic credit through a multitude of options, including work they have completed before they arrived at SUU. On this website students will find information for all of the methods through which they can earn degree-applicable credits and accelerate their time to graduation.
Credit by Examination
- ACT / SAT Scores
- Advanced Placement (AP)
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
- Departmental Test-Out
- DSST
- International Baccalaureate
- Foreign Language Credit
- NCLEX
Credit by Portfolio
Other Credit Opportunities
Important Information
Credit by Examination
ACT / SAT Scores
High school students who earn particular minimum score on their ACT or SAT exams are eligible to earn specific SUU credit in English:
| ACT English Subscore | SAT Verbal Score | SUU Course | Credits | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29+ | 640+ | ENGL 1010 Introduction to Academic Writing | 3 | Pass (P) |
Students are also able to earn general Mathematics/Quantitative Literacy General Education credit through specific ACT/SAT scores. See "More Information" below for details.
Advanced Placement (AP)
Students may receive university credit for each Advanced Placement Examination or Portfolio with a score of 3 or higher. Credits earned through AP may be used to fill some of the General Education and/or major requirements of the University.
More Information on Advanced Placement Credit
$0 (College Board may charge)
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Students may earn credit and complete some General Education requirements by successfully completing selected CLEP exams. CLEP exams are administered through the Testing Center and are fee-based.
More Information on CLEP Credit
$93/exam to College Board + $25/exam to SUU
Departmental Test-Out
Departments may offer test-out options (or "credit by exam") based on student need. A maximum of 16 semester credit hours can be acquired in any one academic discipline by this method. Permission to take special examinations for course credit must be obtained from the instructor, but students are not eligible for test-out for the purpose of changing a grade if the student has already taken the course.
More Information on Test-Out Credit
$6/credit
DSST
Information coming soon.
TBD
International Baccalaureate (IB)
High school students may receive credits for IB exams with scores of 4 or higher for higher level (HL) exams or scores of 5 or higher for standard level (SL) exams. Please note that students cannot receive the same credit through Advanced Placement in the same subjects as IB.
Students should request the posting of eligible credit through the Registrar's Office.
Foreign Language Credit
Students who have learned a foreign language (other than English or American Sign Language) have the option to test out of or skip several of the lower-division language courses at Southern Utah University. You may choose to either enroll in an upper-division course in one of the three languages SUU currently offers--French, German, or Spanish--or take a test in one of over 50 languages offered through the Brigham Young University FLATS program. If your first language is not English, you are also eligible to test out of your native language and earn up to 16 credits!
Testing out of even one lower-division language course provides enough credit hours to satisfy the General Education Humanities Knowledge Area. Testing out of all 16 credits will fulfill the Bachelor of Arts degree requirement.
More Information on Foreign Language Credit
$6/credit at SUU; $25 to SUU + $50-75 to BYU for FLATS
NCLEX
Students in the RN to BSN program will be awarded 20 credit hours of lower-division coursework for successful completion of the NCLEX exam and 10 credit hours of upper-division coursework. Awarding of this credit will be completed during NURS 3141 Foundations of Professional Nursing for the RN to BSN.
Credit by Portfolio
Credit by portfolio is designed specifically for people who have experience manifested by a portfolio and documented as their personal work by records or letters from those aware of the activity.
Aviation (Federal Aviation Administration)
Credit for previous FAA pilot certificates will be awarded upon presentation and review of said certificate by the Department of Aviation. The associated ground school and flight lab will no longer be required once the pilot certificate has been reviewed and accepted. (For example: If a student presents a private pilot certificate, the private pilot ground school and the two private pilot flight labs will no longer be required and will be considered complete.)
$0-6/credit
Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)
Those who have completed a certified Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) program are eligible to receive 18 credit hours from SUU under certain conditions. These credits can be applied toward an associate or baccalaureate degree.
Other Credits
Individual/Independent Study
Individual (often also called "Independent") study can be available for students who need a particular course for graduation and a schedule or other conflict necessitates it. Individual studies can also be arranged for students who wish to study particular subject matters under faculty guidance but there is not enough interest by other students to support a full class.
Students interested in completing individual studies should contact their instructors with the appropriate expertise, or the department chair over the course if they do not know the faculty member.
More Information on Independent Study Credit
$67/credit
Internship Credits
Internships are available to students who are enrolled in a degree program, have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher, and have completed a minimum of 30 semester hours. Other departmental or employer requirements may apply, such as a higher GPA or more earned credits. Students should check with their departmental Internship Coordinator for specifics.
Southwest Technical College
SUU and Southwest Technical College (STECH) have created a Dual Enrollment Program which allows students from each institution to benefit from the educational offerings of both institutions. Course equivalencies have been identified through a series of articulation agreements so that students can combine coursework from both institutions to reach their educational goals. Complete list of up-to-date STECH course equivalencies.
Because the agreement allows for SUU students to enroll at STECH and receive SUU credit, students have access to a broad spectrum of courses and programs that are currently not offered at the University. Areas of study such as welding, culinary arts, automotive technology, and others that are not taught at SUU can now be taken for SUU credit. Students may choose to take one or more of these courses as an elective for their major, or they may choose to pursue an STECH certificate alongside their SUU diploma.
Likewise, STECH students can enroll in a certificate program at STECH, opt-in to the Dual Enrollment program, and earn university credit at SUU for articulated courses completed at STECH. This allows students to pursue an STECH certificate and earn university credit at more affordable rates.
Transfer Courses
Southern Utah University accepts credit from institutionally accredited colleges and universities in the United States, as long as such credits have been earned through university-level courses and the college/university is in good standing with its accreditor. (For accepting credit from outside of the U.S., please contact International Admissions directly.)
Students who have earned an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree at a public Utah institution will have their General Education requirements met at SUU. If you have not completed an A.A. or A.S. but have completed all your institutional General Education coursework, a Letter of Completion issued by your previous institution confirming General Education completion or a Certificate of General Education are also acceptable.
Transfer credit is evaluated at the department level through a process facilitated by the Registrar's Office called "course articulation." These articulations then set a precedent of how particular courses will be accepted in the future. Students can access how previous coursework has already been articulated through the "More Information" link below.
For further information on transfer credits, see Policy 6.47 Transfer Credits.
More Information on Transfer Credit
$0 at SUU (prior institution may charge for official transcript)
Important Information
Financial Aid Implications
Information coming soon.
How Credits are Transcribed
Information coming soon.
How Credits Will Transfer Out of SUU
Unfortunately SUU is not able to determine how other institutions will accept the above types of credit; each college and university has their own policies and procedures. Please contact the institution you're planning on transferring to for more information on your specific courses and situation.