Department of Computer Science Approved Course List for CPL
|
Course |
Challenge Exam |
Experiential Credit |
Course Coordinator |
|
CS 1400 |
x |
|
Saikat Das ([email protected]) |
|
CS 1410 |
x |
|
Xi Chen ([email protected]) |
|
CS 2300 |
x |
|
Nathan Cordner ([email protected]) |
|
CS 2370 |
x |
|
Neil Harrison ([email protected]) |
|
CS 2420 |
x |
|
Frank Jones ([email protected]) |
|
CS 2810 |
x |
|
Imtiaz Parvez ([email protected]) |
|
CS 2550 |
|
x |
Saikat Das ([email protected]) |
|
CS 3660 |
|
x |
Saikat Das ([email protected]) |
|
CS 4230 |
|
x |
JP Tang ([email protected]) |
USHE (Utah System of Higher Education) Prior Learning Assessment information: https://ushe.edu/initiatives/prior-learning-assessment/
UVU Policy 525: https://policy.uvu.edu/getDisplayFile/5ef4dfa9bc6e2b201de3cfe3
Utah Valley University offers Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) to enable students to enrich or accelerate their programs of study. CPL is inclusive and validates the prior learning of students, making education more affordable and accessible. A basic understanding of CPL can be found here: https://www.uvu.edu/cpl/ If you wish to receive CPL for any of the CS courses listed above, please do not fill out their form. You will eventually be referred back here.
Each program of study shall widely communicate CPL course criteria and opportunities in a timely manner to prospective and admitted students. For further details on how the Computer Science department handles CPL, keep reading.
CPL University Requirements
The following are University-level requirements that must be met to receive CPL(Challenge or Experiential Credit):
All prerequisite courses must be completed, either by taking the course or receiving CPL.
The maximum amount of earned CPL credits allowed:
10 Credits toward a certificate
30 Credits toward an associate degree
50 Credits toward a bachelor’s degree
CPL may be applied toward courses in a certificate of completion, AA, AS, AAS degree, BS degree and BA degree programs only for the purpose of satisfying graduation requirements. CPL is not eligible for use in a certificate of proficiency.
CPL shall be awarded only for courses directly applicable to curriculum requirements in the program of enrollment and to the student's declared certificate or degree program as outlined in the university catalog.
CPL Fees
There is a $15 non-refundable fee for the CPL process. There is another $5 per credit fee when credit is applied. Both fees are charged to your UVU account. In the end, as soon as your UVU account is paid in full, the credit will be applied to your transcript and show in Wolverine Track.
CS Dept Requirements
The Computer Science department has processes and requirements beyond what the University specifies.
!!! If you are applying for the Master's in Computer Science and believe you need prerequisites for a particular course, please talk to the Master's Program Coordinator or Master's Advisor first!!!
Types of CPL Offered: The CS department offers Challenge Credit and Experiential Credit only.
All other forms of CPL are handled by the Transfer Credit office here: https://www.uvu.edu/cpl/ or search "uvu cpl"
CS Courses Approved for CPL
|
Course |
Challenge Exam |
Experiential Credit |
Course Coordinator |
|
CS 1400 |
x |
|
Saikat Das ([email protected]) |
|
CS 1410 |
x |
|
Xi Chen ([email protected]) |
|
CS 2300 |
x |
|
Nathan Cordner ([email protected]) |
|
CS 2370 |
x |
|
Neil Harrison ([email protected]) |
|
CS 2420 |
x |
|
Frank Jones ([email protected]) |
|
CS 2810 |
x |
|
Imtiaz Parvez ([email protected]) |
|
CS 2550 |
|
x |
Saikat Das ([email protected]) |
|
CS 3660 |
|
x |
Saikat Das ([email protected]) |
|
CS 4230 |
|
x |
JP Tang ([email protected]) |
The Computer Science Department is not obligated to provide nor allow CPL for any Computer Science course, including the ones listed above. Request for CPL credit for any course not on the list above will likely be denied for academic quality control. There are almost always fundamental gaps in the knowledge and skills of someone who is not formally trained.
Simply making the request for challenge credit or experiential credit does not guarantee that credit will be awarded. Challenge exams must be passed. In any request for experiential credit, the burden of proof is on the student not on the instructor nor the department. If experience is not obvious, the request will likely be denied.
Course coordinators (mentors) are the only instructors that can approve CPL for the course they coordinate (mentor) for. Other course instructors will need to refer the inquiring student to the course coordinator.
Prerequisite Course Work
All prerequisites for the requested course must be met. If not, the request will be denied.
!!! If you are applying for the Master's in Computer Science and believe you need prerequisites for a particular course, please talk to the Master's Program Coordinator or Master's Advisor first!!!
Please see the UVU course catalog for course descriptions and a listing of prerequisite requirements. Match the course descriptions to your
Example course prerequisites:
CS 1400: MATH 1010 or 1015 B or better or MATH above 1015 or ACT score 23+ or ALEKS score 38+. The student will have to provide proof of ACT or ALEKS score. *** As of Fall 2024, we are waiving the math prerequisite.***
CS 1410: Must have passed CS 1400 with a C+ or better or passed the challenge exam and fulfilled catalog prerequisites.
CS 2300: Must have passed CS 1400 & CS 1410 with a C+ or better or passed the challenge exam and fulfilled catalog prerequisites.
Issues with Transfer Credit: Should you have a course you have taken with another institution, and in the transfer credit process did not receive credit for the course you expected, please work with the Transfer Credit office at 801-863-8216 or [email protected] If this does not work out, work with your CS advisor. As a last resort, our dept chair can evaluate your request for credit. A copy of the course syllabus from the previous institution will be needed.
AKA : Testing Out
Challenging a course means you already know the content and the challenge exam is proof of that knowledge. There are no study guides available, and no syllabus will be provided. See the table at the top of this page for the list of courses that have Challenge Exams available and the respective course mentor.
- University Policy: CPL shall be awarded only for courses directly applicable to curriculum requirements in the program of enrollment and to the student's declared certificate or degree program as outlined in the university catalog.
Process:
1. Work with course coordinator (mentor).
Talk to the course coordinator for the course you wish to challenge. This will give both you and the instructor the information to decide if you are a good candidate to take the exam. If yes, the coordinating instructor will email the CS Admin giving their approval for you to move forward with CPL. This email will include the student's name, UVID and course number and name.
How to contact the coordinating instructor: All instructor office hours are posted on our website (uvu.edu/cs), outside the CS Dept (CS520), outside their office door to be reached face to face, MS Teams or they can be reached by email.
2. Eligibility check required.
Once the CS Admin receives the CPL approval, they or a CS advisor will check your eligibility (above CPL Requirements).
3. Taking the exam.
If you are eligible, the CS admin will arrange a day/time with you to administer the exam. The exam will be a written, paper exam (pencil or pen needed). No notes, calculators, phones, etc. are allowed during the exam. Arrive at the CS office, CS520, to take the exam. You will have 2 hrs to complete the exam. Since the office closes at 5pm, the latest an exam can start is 3pm. There is a $15 non-refundable fee for the CPL process. This fee will be applied to your UVU account.
3. Grading & Credit.
The exam is graded by the coordinating instructor within 3-5 business days (Mon-Fri). If you need results sooner, please let the instructor know. The instructor or CS admin will email you with the results. If you have questions about the exam, some instructors will go over the exam with you - others may just provide general feedback. The CS admin will process the paperwork with the registrar's office to advise if CPL was earned or not. An 80% or better is needed to pass a Challenge Exam.
If you passed the exam, another $5 per credit hour will be applied to your UVU account. Once your UVU account has been paid in full, credit for the course will be applied to your transcript and Wolverine Track.
Q & A
1. Do I need a placement score on ALEKS before taking the challenge exam? Only if you are relying on an ALEKS score for the prerequisite requirement.
2. If I am currently enrolled in the course, do I need to drop the course to take the exam? No. Just keep in mind the first drop deadline. CPL credit cannot be granted for a course that has been reported on your transcript. Check the drop deadline here: https://www.uvu.edu/schedule/ Be sure there is enough time to schedule, take and grade the exam before the deadline.
2. If I pass the challenge exam, how does that show on my transcript? Credit for the course is applied as earned credit, no grade, and is not calculated in your GPA.
3. If I fail the challenge exam, can I take it again? No. The CS Dept allows only one attempt.
4. If I fail the challenge exam, is it considered failing the course and show on my transcript? No. Only if you pass, you are awarded credit for the class, and it is included in your course work. It is pass/fail and as such, does not count toward your GPA.
5. If I had dropped the course and failed the exam, how do I get back in the course? Reregister or if late, there is the Late Add process that includes a $45 fee. If the course you were in is full, you will need to find another section with availability.
6. Can I coordinate challenge exams? Yes. For example: You can take CS 1400 and CS 1410 challenge exams consecutively but… you must first pass the CS 1400 challenge exam before you can take the challenge exam for CS 1410.
Experiential Credit is credit received for a particular course depending on proof of work experience. The course coordinating instructor or a designated course instructor will determine if your work experience encompasses what is taught in the course and if your request complies with any other requirements needed for proof of experience set by the instructor.
Experiential Credit is usually not awarded for upper division courses (3000-4000 level courses), only those listed at the top of this page. As stated earlier, the burden of proof is on the student not the instructor and any request for experiential credit that is not obvious will typically be denied.
- University Policy: CPL shall be awarded only for courses directly applicable to curriculum requirements in the program of enrollment and to the student's declared certificate or degree program as outlined in the university catalog.
Process
1. Eligibility check required.
The course coordinator will email the CS admin giving their approval for CPL eligibility check. This email will include the student"s name and UVID and course information (number and name). The CS admin will verify your eligibility (see above CPL Requirements).
2. Work with course coordinator.
The coodinator will verify your knowledge of all topics covered in the course in question. Documentation, in a form that can be stored/filed/retrieved/read (no links or reference to internet sites/pages), will be needed for proof of at least 1 year's work experience using this knowledge.
- University Policy: CPL shall not be awarded solely for experience; CPL shall not be awarded only for evidence of college-level learning that aligns with program and course learning outcomes.
- Univeristy Policy: All credit for prior learning evidence submitted by the student and the assessment evidence submitted by faculty may be retained by the University; therefore, it is recommended that students do not submit proprietary information for assessment.
3. The instructor will advise the CS admin (via email) their approval for experiential credit for a specific course(s) and attach all supporting documentation from the student's employer and student's proof of knowledge.
4. The CS admin will submit the paperwork for the Registrar's office to apply credit for the course(s). A $5 per credit hour fee will be applied to your UVU account. Once your UVU account has been paid in full, credit for the course will be applied to your transcript and Wolverine Track.
Q & A
1. How does the credit reflect on my transcript? It is applied as earned credit, no grade, and is not calculated in your GPA.
2. If I am currently enrolled in the course I want Experiential Credit for, do I need to drop the course to be awarded CPL credit? Yes. Keep in mind the first drop deadline. CPL credit cannot be granted for a course that has been reported on your transcript. Check the drop deadline here: https://www.uvu.edu/schedule/ You must have everything worked out with the instructor and additional paperwork submitted before this deadline.
3. If I had dropped the course and Experiential Credit was not awarded, how do I get back in the course? Reregister or if late, there is the Late Add process that includes a $45 fee. If the course you were in is full, you will need to find another section with availability.
