Life/Work Portfolio
The portfolio system is designed to award college credit where it is applicable for college-level learning acquired through non-academic experiences. Learning documented in the portfolio must be equivalent in scope and complexity to what students in college classrooms learn. Hence, the portfolio system is a way of recognizing experiential learning which is genuinely equivalent to college learning. All credit earned through portfolio assessment is considered transfer credit and must be measurable or verifiable by a qualified, formally appointed assessor.
While a significant amount of knowledge is learned from life’s experiences, these experiences do not automatically translate into college credit. A portfolio must present what the student has learned in such a way that the assessor can identify the academic discipline to determine the appropriate credit award. While most adults can perform many complex tasks such as complete income tax forms, balance household budgets and participate in local politics, the College of Graduate and Professional Studies will not award academic credit for normal adult competencies.
Students who consider presenting a portfolio are required to enroll in and satisfactorily complete PORT 101/BLST 101: Portfolio Development. This course carries one semester credit and is offered several times a year. The course defines the kind of learning a portfolio can present successfully, provides a detailed outline of the portfolio format, and offers each student specific instruction on the assembly of the initial stages of his/her portfolio. Also outlined in the course are additional methods, other than the portfolio, of providing documentation of experiential learning for college credit. Further information about the course can be obtained from the Office of Advising Services at the College of Graduate and Professional Studies.
The usual ceiling for portfolio credit awards is 15 semester credits; in exceptional cases the award can be as high as 30 semester credits but exceptional cases are just that, exceptional. Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Professional Studies program, due to the nature of the program and changing technology, should not include knowledge and experiences older than six years (exceptions will be considered on an individual basis). Students may submit as many portfolios as they like. Portfolios should not exceed 250 pages. Currently, the assessment fee for each portfolio is $100.
Portfolios must be submitted prior to accumulating 90 semester hours of transfer credit. Transfer credits (including a combination of credits from accredited institutions, standardized tests, portfolio, military, CLEP and ACE) may not exceed 90 semester credits.
Portfolios must be submitted within 12 months of completion of the portfolio course, but may not be submitted during the student’s final semester of the degree program. Credits awarded may be used to satisfy general education credit requirements, elective credit requirements, and selected core and concentration credit requirements. The student’s faculty advisor along with the Office of Advising Services at the College of Graduate and Professional Studies will determine proper application of portfolio credits toward the degree.
Because there is a significant amount of work involved in preparing a portfolio, with no guarantee of successful outcome, students should discuss the prospect at some length with their faculty advisor and/or with an advisor in the CGPS Office of Advising Services. If the decision is made to pursue credit awards through the portfolio process, permission to enroll in PORT 101/BLST 101: Portfolio Development must be secured from the Office of Advising Services at CGPS.
For more information please visit the website at: http://www.umw.edu/cgps/advising/bps_life_work_portfolio_in1/faqs