Earn college credit for work & life experience

Did you know trainings, certifications, and other things you’ve learned at work — or in life, may count as credit towards your degree? That’s right! Complete a Prior Learning Assessment with us to see if your experiences can give you a head start on your degree – at absolutely no cost to you.

Did you know trainings, certifications, and other things you’ve learned at work — or in life, may count as credit towards your degree? That’s right! Complete a Prior Learning Assessment with us to see if your experiences can give you a head start on your degree – at absolutely no cost to you.

Other students saved with work & life experience credits [1]

$1k-$5k

Other students saved with work & life experience credits [1]

1-6 months

[1] Savings based on the 25th and 75th percentile of work and life experience credits awarded to University of Phoenix undergraduate students in 2022.

What can I get credit for?

Examples of work and life experiences that may qualify for college credit:

Begin your search by typing your relevant work and life experiences in the box below.

How do I get started?

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1. Search

Review work and life experiences that may apply to you.

3 step checklist

2. Save

Note applicable work and life experiences to reference later.

Completed checklist with button

3. Contact us

New students must be admitted to the University before submitting work and life experiences.

Current Students: Log in and visit MyPhoenix today to learn more about opportunities, and next steps, to save time and money on your degree.

How will my prior work and life experience be assessed?

Marisol L. MA-IL, one of University of Phoenix PLA Evaluators, helps break it down:

Potential college credit for work experience

Submit up to 10 years of professional documentation.

  • Credit may be granted for valid licenses, on-the-job training documents and certifications approved by our faculty evaluators.
  • You can submit one or more professional documents for potential credit through work experience.*

Potential college credit for life experience

You’ll write from first-person experience — no research, citations or references are needed.

  • You may submit more than one journal for potential credit. Earn up to a maximum of 30 credits towards a bachelor's degree, or 15 credits towards an associate degree.*
  • If your journal is denied credit, you may rewrite and resubmit it one time.

*Certain states limit cumulative degree program credits awarded through work and life experience. For details, please contact University of Phoenix.

student testimonial

Multiple resources were shared with me that led me to finding alternative ways to save money and time within my program.

Jahmar R. ’21

Bachelor of Science in Correctional Program Support Services

Multiple resources were shared with me that led me to finding alternative ways to save money and time within my program.

Discover ways to save with the Savings Explorer® tool

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved:

$11,000

1 year

Off their undergraduate degree with University of Phoenix.

Smiling student takes a break in her art studio to proof her assignment before uploading it.

Your employer may help cover your tuition

We work with hundreds of organizations to help their employees earn degrees at a reduced cost. See if yours is on the list.Type in the first 3 letters of your employer’s name to find out! 

Questions other students are asking