2024-25 Undergraduate Catalog

Credit for Prior Learning/Experiential Credit

Credit for prior learning includes any mechanism in which a currently enrolled UT Southern student may be granted college-level credit in non-credit or experiential settings. This includes the granting of credit for nationally recognized examination programs (College Level Examination Program [CLEP], Advanced Placement [AP], DANTES Subject Standardized Tests [DSST], American Council on Education endorsed examinations, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning [CAEL]); state approved certification programs combined with appropriate work experience; course-specific examinations (challenge or by-pass) designed by faculty; or portfolio review, candidate interview, performance assessment; or a combination of these methods documenting competence.

Credit will be awarded only for comparable courses awarded at the University of Tennessee Southern. Students seeking credit for prior learning experience should direct initial inquiries to the Provost, who will confer with appropriate faculty to determine if the student has met requirements necessary to apply for review for prior experience credit. If approved, the student must complete an Application for Credit for Prior Learning, and meet with the designated faculty to determine the method to be followed in seeking the credit. This group will also review the student’s performance or documentation of competence and will determine if credit is to be granted. Faculty then notify the Registrar via the form. Documentation remains with the faculty member recommending the credit.

A student may earn up to 30 hours of prior or experiential learning.

Course credit earned for prior learning experience will be recorded on the student’s transcript with the grade of “P.”

Students may not seek prior learning experience credits for courses that they have previously enrolled in and dropped, or for courses that they have failed.

A fee of $100 per credit hour is charged for successful completion of a challenge examination or for credit through a portfolio. There is no charge to sit for a challenge exam.

Advanced Placement

Students may be granted credit on the Advanced Placement examinations administered by the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Advanced Placement Program. All official scores should be sent to the Registrar’s Office. Hours apply toward the total hours required for graduation. Grades of satisfactory (P) will be assigned. Credit will be awarded in the various subject areas as follows:

AP Exam AP Score Hours Credit Course Equivalency
American History 4 or higher 6 HIS 201, 202
Art History 3 or higher 3 ART 121
Art 2D Design 3 or higher 3 ART 111
Biology 4 or higher 8 BIO 111, 112
Calculus AB 4 or higher 4 MAT 142
Calculus BC 4 or higher 4 MAT 241
Chemistry 4 or higher 4 CHE 111
Computer Science A 3 or higher 3 CS 110
Computer Science Principles 3 or higher 3 CS 110
English/Language & Composition 4 or higher 6 ENG 101, 102
English/Literature & Composition 4 or higher 6 ENG 201, 202
Environmental Science 4 or higher 4 Science 100-level
European History 4 or higher 6 HIS 111, 112
French, Spanish, German 4 or higher 6 FLG 100 level
Macroeconomics 3 or higher 3 BUS 201
Microeconomics 3 or higher 3 BUS 202
Music Theory 4 or higher 3 MUS 101
Physics C: Mechanics 4 or higher 4 PHY 251
Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism 4 or higher 4 PHY 252
Psychology 3 or higher 3 PSY 113
Statistics 4 or higher 3 MAT 231
US Government and Politics 4 or higher 3 HIS 221
World History 4 or higher 6 HIS 111, 112

Statewide Dual Credit

Course

Course Minimum Score UT Southern Credit
American History II 80

HIS 202

Criminal Justice 80 CJ 101
Introduction to Agriculture Business 80 LL Elective
 Introduction to Business 80 BUS 101
Introduction to Education 80 LL Elective
Introduction to Plant Science 80 LL Elective
Introduction to Sociology 80 SOC 211
 Introduction to Statistics 80 MAT 231
Precalculus 80 MAT 141
Principles of Marketing 80 LL Elective
Psychology 80 PSY 113
Speech and Communications 80 COMM 221
World History 80 HIS 112

Campus Change Policy

Students who wish to transfer from one University of Tennessee (UT) campus to another campus within the UT System are known as “campus-change” students. UT campuses welcome and seek to accommodate campus-change students as they go through the transfer process.

Campus-change students who apply for transfer within the UT System will have completed general education requirements for the UT campus to which they are transferring, provided that the student:
  1. has previously earned an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree from a TBR institution, or
  2. has been certified by the institution from which they are transferring as having completed all the general education requirements of that institution.
If a campus-change student transfers from one UT campus to another within the UT System before completing general education requirements, then the student will receive credit for having completed general education blocks or categories that correspond to those at the campus to which they are transferring. Campus-change students who meet these specifications will not be required to take any additional coursework to meet general education requirements at the campus to which they are transferring; however, specific general education courses may be required to satisfy the requirements of the major or degree program. As such, transcripts of campus-change students will be evaluated on an individual basis.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Credit may be awarded for acceptable scores on certain subject area examinations of the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) of the College Entrance Examination Board. These examinations may be taken at any of several testing centers in the surrounding area. Fees are set by CLEP, and the student is responsible for scheduling such examinations. Interested students should check with the Provost and the appropriate school chairperson before arranging to take such an examination. Credit will be given only in those areas in which comparable courses are offered at The University of Tennessee Southern. Transfer students must have copies of CLEP scores sent by the CLEP Testing Center to the Registrar’s Office at The University of Tennessee Southern for evaluation. For subject exams, a minimum score of 50 is required; in some areas a written essay is required in addition to the subject examination.

By-Pass or Challenge Examinations

Departmental examinations are available to students who qualify to attempt to by-pass courses. Requests to by- pass a course will be considered for students who document prior experiences that would justify a by-pass attempt. Up to six hours may be earned in this manner. A grade of “P” is entered on the transcript when credit is earned. Interested students must petition the appropriate faculty member to request the examination(s). The student also must have approval of the School Chair and the Provost before such a test may be given. The student must earn a grade designated by the program area or better on the examination(s) to receive credit. Students may not take a by-pass examination for a course which they are currently enrolled or for a course which they have failed. Students must furnish evidence of laboratory or field experiences if required. A fee of $100 per credit hour applies if a challenge exam is successful (see Credit for Prior Learning).

Experiential Learning

Students who have had work or life experiences that may qualify for course credit should discuss these with the appropriate faculty member. The student must furnish evidence, usually in the form of certificates or portfolio, that document learning competencies and outcomes. The faculty member must approve the credit, with approval also needed by the School Chair and Provost. (See Credit for Prior Learning.)

International Baccalaureate Credit

Credit may be awarded for acceptable scores on certain subject area examinations in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. A score of 5 or above is required for college credit.

Consortium Credit

In addition to its regular online offerings, The University of Tennessee Southern is a member of Regis University's Higher Learning Partners Consortium and UT Online. These partnerships allow UT Southern students to enroll in select online courses, found through the Taawun Platform. Designated consortial courses are taken at other schools but transcribed on the student’s UT Southern transcript as UT Southern credit.

Credit hours through the consortium accrue an additional fee in addition to tuition. Students who enroll in a course offered through the consortium should pay close attention to important dates, which may NOT follow the normal Tuition Refund Policy. The dates for the consortium course may be DIFFERENT from other courses at UT Southern. The student assumes responsibility for following these consortium course dates.