Northland Pioneer College seeks to expand the access of its students to a broad array of educational opportunities via the following specialized programs and services:
Alternative Learning Students may receive credit through a variety of means other than in-district course completion or transfer of credits from a regionally accredited institution. Those other means include the following, as permitted by the NPC District Governing Board:
- Credit by Evaluation
- National Standardized Examinations
- Departmental Credit by Examination
- Departmental Credit by Evaluation
- Transfer Courses (Nonaccredited Institution)
- Articulated Equivalent Course(s)
Once awarded, the institution to which a student transfers may handle acceptance of such credits upon transfer differently.
Students desiring to use such credits at other institutions are advised to check the policies of each institution. Normally a fee is charged for posting credits earned through Alternative Learning.
The following describes details on obtaining credit by these other means, through NPC’s Alternative Learning Program:
1. Evaluation of Prior Learning/Assessed Credits
To receive credit for prior learning, the student must provide evidence of the quantity and quality of the learning that has been achieved. The nature of this documentation varies depending on the topic or skill, but generally includes certificates of completion for noncollege courses in the private, government or military sectors. Additionally, the student must provide documentation of course content and classroom hours.
Students interested in the evaluation of their prior learning should first meet with an NPC academic adviser. This is necessary to receive a general overview of the options and processes that may need to be followed for any individual student’s situation. Students pay half base tuition rate for credits accepted for approved assessed credit evaluation. Assessed credits need to be paid for/applied for within the academic year they are requested to be evaluated by NPC. Students seeking evaluation of prior military training do not pay tuition charges for their assessed credits.
2. Credit By National Examination
Credits awarded through the following national examinations: College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge International Exams (CIE), DANTES Standardized Tests (DSST), and International Baccalaureate (IB) may be used at NPC to count toward the student’s degree program, including general education, major and elective requirements. The student does not have to take additional courses to replace the credits for which s/he qualified by national examination in order to accumulate 64 hours for graduation.
NPC establishes acceptable test scores for the awarding of credits based on recommendations from the state articulation task force for each discipline. Please see an academic adviser for minimum scores.
The national examination credits are not used in computing the student’s subsequent grade-point average. Credits are posted on the student’s transcript. A maximum of 30 semester hours of national examination credit may be used at NPC toward the associate degree requirements.
Specific information concerning test subjects, including general exams, equivalent NPC courses, acceptable scores and the number of credits that NPC awards for each test is available from the Records and Registration Office or academic advisers.
Credit will not be awarded twice in the event a student has met a specific NPC graduation requirement through NPC course credit or another institution’s transferable credit and the student is also eligible for the same credit through national examination test scores.
Students desiring to use national examination scores for satisfying requirements at institutions other than NPC are advised to check the policies of those specific institutions. The acceptance of prior learning credits or national examination credits may be handled differently by another institution upon transfer. Each institution reserves the right to set scores for passing, as well as which tests they accept as testing over the equivalents of their courses. It is possible that passing scores may be higher or lower at other institutions. National examination test scores, not necessarily courses, transfer for use between institutions and may be treated differently by the receiving institution.
No fees are assessed by the college for the credit earned through these standardized college-level exams (AP, IB, CIE, CLEP, DSST).
3. Credit By Department Examination
Credit by examination through NPC Departmental Examination will only be available in subjects for which CLEP is not available and for which testing arrangements can be made. Credit by Departmental Examination testing may not be available for all subjects.
An appropriate fee must be paid for the type of credit by examination selected as stated in the fees schedule, listed on www.npc.edu/tuition-fees.
Credit will not be awarded both for credit by examination and equivalent courses taken. In the cases where credit is available for the same course from multiple sources, NPC reserves the right to determine which of the credits will be used toward NPC graduation requirements.
Notification of credit award (or nonaward) by examination will be sent to the student and the Records and Registration Office.
4. Non-accredited Transfer Credit
Transfer credit from nonaccredited postsecondary institutions may also be awarded if NPC is satisfied that such credits represent equivalent or higher-level work and other measures of the quality of the work completed are evident. This provision applies to official transcripts from private-for-profit postsecondary institutions and postsecondary institutions operated under the auspices of an Indian tribe. Transcripts received from institutions for students who have not enrolled at NPC will only be kept on file for four (4) academic years, then destroyed if student has not enrolled at NPC. Transfer credits will NOT be applied toward the NPC Grade-Point Average.
5. Individualized Learning Contracts
The Individualized Learning Contract provides a method of independent study through learning objectives, individualized activities, and appropriate methods of evaluation to verify the objectives have been achieved.
A student completes a Learning Contract Application in consultation with an academic adviser. If approved by the appropriate division dean, the division dean will develop the course, and arrange for a NPC faculty member to act as a resource person and evaluator, while the student completes the contract.
Credit is awarded for the completion of learning contracts when the instructor has received evidence from the student that learning objectives have been achieved. Students assigned the ‘I’, or “Incomplete,” grade at the end of a semester for a learning contract enrollment must complete the learning contract within the initial grade policy time limit. After that time, any ‘I’ grade will be converted to an ‘F.’
6. Dual Enrollment
Many area high schools offer dual enrollment classes to their students through an agreement with NPC. Dual enrollment classes allow students to earn college credits for certain classes offered at the high school before they graduate from high school. Students can get a head start on college through dual enrollment. Occupational classes are accepted for credit at all state community colleges. Academic courses are accepted for credit by all state community colleges and state universities. For further information about dual enrollment, contact NPC’s Early College Coordinator at (800) 266-7845, ext. 6272.
7. Vocational High School Districts
NPC partners with several area vocational high school districts, including Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology (NAVIT) and Northeast Arizona Technological Institute of Vocational Education (NATIVE) to provide career-training courses. Students earn both high school and community college credits. Contact an NPC academic adviser or area high school counselor for enrollment requirements.
8. Experiential Education
Experiential Education may occur via different methodologies, including those defined by the Association of Experiential Education: “Non-formal education, Place-based education, Project based education, Global education, Environmental education, Student-centered education, Informal education, Active learning, Service learning, Cooperative learning and Expeditionary learning.”
Northland Pioneer College offers a variety of Experiential Education opportunities, which include Clinicals, Internships, and Practicums in various departments throughout the college. Students interested in pursuing Experiential Education should speak with an academic adviser.
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