Credit for Professional Training

Earning Credit for Professional Training

Thomas Edison State University can help you finish your degree faster by awarding you college credit for professional training programs you have completed through your profession.

Students may be able to earn credit for professional licenses and certifications; apprenticeships and courses taken at the workplace; through corporations, government agencies, professional associations or unions; or through specialized training programs that have been evaluated for college credit by the University’s Office of Professional Learning Review or an institutional member of the Consortium for the Assessment of College Equivalence (CACE). The University also accepts credits for reviews completed by the National College Credit Recommendation Service (National CCRS) of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York or by the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT) program.

The University is also a member of the Registered Apprenticeship College Consortium (RACC) that gives an opportunity for students who have completed a registered apprenticeship from one of the member programs to transfer assessed program credits. You can access a list of participating registered apprenticeship programs as well as learn more about the RACC.

At Thomas Edison State University, students may apply these credits to any part of a degree program, including the area of study, as long as they are appropriate, and provided they successfully complete courses and submit appropriate documentation.

For licenses or certificates, this documentation is frequently a notarized copy of the license or certificate and a current renewal card where appropriate. Additional documentation may be required. For Thomas Edison State University-assessed credentials, complete and submit the University’s Cover Sheet for Student Submission of TESU-assessed Credits with your documentation.

Office of Professional Learning Review

The mission of the Office of Professional Learning Review (OPLR) is to expand access to higher education to adult learners by creating a pathway from workplace and other non-college training to a college education. OPLR assesses prior learning on a programmatic rather than individual basis, evaluating courses, licenses, certifications, apprenticeships and exams offered by corporations, government agencies, labor unions and professional associations to determine college-level learning and awards credit for the college-level learning acquired through the completion of those programs.

Those interested in using their Thomas Edison State University-assessed training for college credit by enrolling in Thomas Edison State University should request the organization, where they took the training, to use these transcription requirements to send their records to:

Office of the Registrar
Thomas Edison State University
111 W. State St.
Trenton, NJ 08608

Students who wish to create a transcript of their training that has been evaluated for college credit for use with an employer or elsewhere, should submit a Nondegree Services Application for Individual Learning Account or by contacting the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services at 609-777-5680 or admissions@tesu.edu.

The application should be submitted to the Office of the Registrar, at the address listed above.

To contact the Office of Professional Learning Review, call 609-633-6271 or email plr@tesu.edu.

View a list of reviews conducted by Thomas Edison State University.

American Council on Education (ACE) and National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS)

Thomas Edison State University generally accepts the credit recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) CREDIT and the National College Credit Recommendation Service (National CCRS). The list of programs, licenses and certifications reviewed by these services are constantly being updated, and the University reserves the right to determine which recommendations it will accept.

Please refer to the ACE National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training. The University may also accept ACE recommendations for military training and experience as published in its online Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experience in the Armed Services.

The limit of ACE and National CCRS credits from all sources is 90 credits for a bachelor’s degree and 45 credits for an associate degree. The University reserves the right to determine how credit will apply to any of its degree programs. Application to one degree does not imply application to any other degree.

To be awarded college credit for ACE credit recommendations and create an official transcript to be sent to TESU, students must first establish a record of their courses or exams with the American Council on Education by using Credly’s Acclaim Platform. This applies to ACE recommended coursework with the exception of study.com courses. To be awarded credit for ACE recommended courses completed with study.com you must submit an official study.com transcript.

What are Credly and Acclaim?
Credly is a digital credential company that’s partnered with ACE to provide digital badges for learners who have completed ACE recommended courses. Acclaim is Credly’s online platform for managing your earned badges and requesting transcripts.

To have ACE credit recommendations considered at Thomas Edison State University, students should have an official Credily Acclaim transcript sent to: transcripts@tesu.edu or

Office of the Registrar
Thomas Edison State University
111 W. State St.
Trenton, NJ 08608

Students may also use their official Credily Acclaim transcript of ACE recommendations to create a Thomas Edison State University transcript for use at another college by submitting a Nondegree Services Application for Individual Learning Account or by contacting the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services at 609-777-5680 or admissions@tesu.edu.

The application should then be submitted to the Office of the Registrar at the address listed above.

Similar evaluations are conducted by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York under the National College Credit Recommendation Service (CCRS). These credit recommendations and descriptions are published online at www.nationalccrs.org. Steps for sending an official transcript can be found on the National College Credit Recommendation Service (CCRS) website.

To contact the National CCRS program office:

National College Credit Recommendation Service
University of the State of New York
New York State Department Education Department Building
89 Washington Avenue, 5EB West Mezzanine
Albany, NY 12234
518-486-2070
nccrs@nysed.gov