The Credit for Prior Learning course is designed to provide students who have previous work experience the opportunity to assess their academic and experiential learning in lieu of taking the required internship. Like an internship, this 3-credit hour course allows students to assess and articulate the theories, competencies, and skills acquired through academic and previous experience.
HLSC-H 489 (Credit for Prior Learning) can be taken as alternative to HLCS-H 475 (Internship) if a student meets the below criteria and is approved by the course instructor.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for consideration, the student must meet all of the following baseline criteria:
- Work Experience Threshold
- Must have completed at least 1 year of consistent employment in a relevant health sciences occupation.
- Employment must have occurred within the last 5 years.
- Experience may be full-time or part-time (minimum 1000 hours total), but must demonstrate consistent, ongoing responsibilities in a relevant setting.
- Must provide documentation of hours worked (i.e. pay stubs, W2, or DD214 with confidential information blacked out).
- Submission of Application Form
- Student must submit the CPL application available (below) and attest that all materials are accurate and complete.
Verification Components (Evidence of Competency)
Students must submit at least 4 verification items attached as PDFs to their CPL application.
- Letter of recommendation or supervisor evaluation: Should include job title, date, and address job duties and skills.
- Resume or CV: Must clearly describe responsibilities and relevant experience
- Reflective essay (2 pages): Describe your job duties, skills used, populations served, and examples of application to program learning objectives.
- Professional license or certification
- Professional development certificates: Provide documentation of training related to patient care, safety, communication, etc.
- Core competency verification: Submit a document that aligns your work duties with each of the Health Sciences Program Learning Objectives.
- Interview with course director: Email Jessica Isom (jessisom@iu.edu) to schedule.
- DD Form 214 for those with military experience