Alternative Credit

Non-Course Credit Options

• Advanced Placement
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
• International Baccalaureate Program (IB)
• Prior Learning Credit
• Graduate College Credit for Prior Learning Experience

Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement Credit will be accepted for scores of three (3) or higher. The amount of credit accepted will be determined by the appropriate department/program. All credit accepted will be recorded on the student’s transcript as credit (CR) only. No grade points will be assigned.

Credit earned by means of Advanced Placement will fulfill the Liberal Arts Requirements providing that such credit has been designated by the appropriate department/program chairperson as fulfilling Liberal Arts requirements.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Siena Heights University awards credit for successful completion of CLEP as established by the University. For information about the CLEP program, please contact the Advising Office.

1. Siena Heights University allows a maximum of 36 credit hours of CLEP credit toward the baccalaureate degree and 18 toward the associate degree.
2. Siena Heights University awards three to nine credit hours (see below) for each CLEP subject matter examination passed at a scaled score of 50 or higher.
3. Students may not receive CLEP credit for subjects for which they have already received college/university credit or for which they are in the process of earning college/university credit.
4. Siena Heights University records the name of the CLEP examination on the student’s transcript along with the notation “CLEP Examination.” The grade of “CR” (meaning Credit) is also  recorded. No letter grades or honor points are awarded for CLEP credit.
5. A student who passes a CLEP examination which is analogous to a program requirement may be given a written waiver for that requirement by the program director but may be required to take a substitute course in that program. 
6. Credit earned by means of CLEP will fulfill the Liberal Arts requirements provided that such credit has been designated by the appropriate department/program chairperson as fulfilling Liberal Arts requirements.
7. See Liberal Arts requirements for which CLEP exams satisfy Liberal Arts requirements.
8. Liberal Arts Credit will be granted for successful completion in Calculus and Pre Calculus.
9. Spanish Language Level I & II with a high score of 69 will receive 16 hours of credit equivalent to SPA 101  SPA 140  SPA 240  & SPA 241 .
10. CLEP credit will be accepted within an Associate degree with transfer credit.

Credit Awarded for CLEP Examinations 

International Baccalaureate Program (IB)

Siena Heights University awards 24 credits to students who earn the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Alternatively, the University awards credit for IB Higher Level (HL) examinations or IB Standard Level (SL) examinations in some subject areas. These transfer credits are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Below is a list of IB classes that have been reviewed and will be accepted as credits for applicants who have applied.

Prior Learning Credit

Prior to beginning a formal education at Siena Heights, students may have had significant learning experiences through work, non-university courses or training, community service, or other accomplishments. These learning experiences may be worth academic credit if (1) the learning is university-level, (2) the experience can be documented by a third party, and (3) the student can present documentation which gives evidence of the learning experience and thereby persuades the University of its value. Academic credit is awarded for university-level learning, not for the experience itself. The appropriate site director will provide assistance with guidelines and procedures for developing the petition. The final petition is evaluated by University faculty.

Credit earned by a Prior Learning Credit petition (1) counts as elective credit, (2) does not count toward residency, (3) may be awarded at a junior/senior level, (4) may fulfill a liberal arts requirement if approved by the appropriate department. There is a maximum of 9 credit hours for an Associate Degree and 18 credit hours for a Baccalaureate Degree.

Graduate College Credit for Prior Learning Experience

The graduate student who has prior learning experiences through work, non-college courses or training, community service, or other accomplishments, may be eligible for prior learning experience credit. The experiences must have provided graduate level equivalent learning outside the university classroom, with documentation to demonstrate the learning. The documentation for the petition for prior learning experience credit is evaluated by graduate faculty with expertise in the field or discipline in which credit is sought. All prior learning experience credit is noted as “CR” (credit) on the Siena Heights University transcript. No grade points are awarded. Due to state licensing restrictions in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, credit for prior learning experience can only be granted for electives.

Prior learning experience credit is typically added to the Siena Heights University transcript after the graduate student has completed a minimum of nine (9) credit-hours in a planned program at the university. Prior learning experience credit forms can be found on the Registrar’s Office site.