Wichita State University encourages students to seek credit for knowledge they may have acquired in a variety of ways through the Credit for Prior Learning program (CPL). Students who have had college-level education through traditional or nontraditional means, and can demonstrate achievement, may be eligible to earn credit by following WSU’s Credit for Prior Learning process. Departments have varying policies as to any CPL that will be deemed equivalent to their courses. Once the equivalency is determined and posted to the student’s record, it is acceptable in any department/program in which that course meets a degree requirement. CPL credits are posted as transfer work and not counted as hours earned at Wichita State. For more information, visit the Credit for Prior Learning webpage¹.

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Credit by Examination

Undergraduate course credit may be obtained by examination. The credit by exam program at Wichita State University is designed to enable those who have achieved college-level education through independent study, correspondence, television instruction, past experience, advanced high school classes, or other traditional or nontraditional means to demonstrate their level of achievement.

No graduate course credit is available by examination. Credit by examination will not be awarded for duplication of credit or to replace course grades. More information on tests available and scores accepted for credit is posted on the Testing Services website¹. Students should check with their academic advisors before attempting any test. There are several means by which such credit may be earned:

1. Credit may be earned through Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams administered through a student’s high school. AP and IB exam credit is awarded for specific courses in many areas at Wichita State. The titles of the specific courses for which credit is granted and the AP or IB scores necessary for such credit are available on the WSU Credit for Prior Learning website¹. For specific questions about AP or IB credits, please contact the registrar's office at 316-978-3055.
2. Credit may be earned through the College Board’s College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or DSST exams. Both kinds of exams are administered by the Office of Student Accommodations and Testing. General CLEP exams are intended for entering freshmen; a student with divisional credit will not receive additional hours by taking general CLEP exams. Information about the dates and times CLEP and DSST exams are administered is available at the Office of Student Accommodations and Testing, 316-978-8378.
3. High scores on the English and math sections of the ACT or SAT will earn credit in English and math classes at WSU. Math credit may also be earned with a high score on the GED math section. Scores submitted to WSU will be reviewed, and earned credit posted to the student’s record.
4. Individuals admitted to Wichita State may earn credit by departmental examination. In general, students may earn credit by examination for many undergraduate courses not covered by the tests listed. If a student has taken the class and failed, they may not take any departmental exam and must repeat the course. Students may only take the exam one time. Students should apply directly to the chairperson of the department offering the course and consult with the Office of Student Accommodations and Testing before taking the exam. The chairperson will be responsible for ensuring that students are informed of the scope of the course, the text used, and other information relevant to taking the department exam. For more information on the department exam procedure, visit the departmental exam webpage¹.

The grade recorded for credit earned by examination is TCrE and it is recorded on a student’s transcript after enrollment in the university. It is recorded as transfer work because it is credit for learning that did not occur through enrollment in a WSU course.

Students may not take a credit by examination test for credit in a course in which they have previously enrolled unless they received a W for the course. They may not retake any such examination.

Students may not request an examination for course credit in a course for which they do not have the stated prerequisite credit.

Fees are assessed to cover the costs of administering examinations and must be paid before the examinations are taken. A schedule of fees for the various examinations is available from Testing Services.

All credit by examination is subject to university policies and will be reviewed by the Office of the Registrar before being placed on the transcript.

Credit awarded by examination is determined by the department offering the course, which has sole jurisdiction.

Credit by examination from all accredited institutions of higher education is evaluated in the same manner as regularly graded coursework from these institutions. The credit awarded is adjusted to the credit by examination policies of Wichita State. Every attempt is made to ensure that credit by examination applies to both a student’s degree program and university requirements for graduation. However, in no case may a transfer student receive more credit than the credit available to students at Wichita State.

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Credit for Life Experience

Wichita State University encourages students to seek credit for knowledge they may have acquired through life experience. In order to receive credit for life experience, students must be fully admitted to WSU. Credit for life experience is granted only when a student’s learning from life experiences duplicates the content of a course described in the catalog. The faculty member who teaches the course must certify that the life experience is the same as the content of the course. Students pay for Life Credit on a course by course basis.

Credit for life experience is posted to a student's transcript as transfer credit as soon as the paperwork is received/validated and posted to the academic record by the registrar's office. Credit for life experience will not be awarded for duplication of credit or to replace course grades.