Credit for service
Get college credit for your military experience
Credits earned through specific military training and national testing programs can help you complete your undergraduate degree even sooner.
Each of the military services has developed methods for documenting military training that the American Council on Education (ACE) has evaluated for college credit and that you may be able to apply to your University of Phoenix undergraduate degree program.
For information about obtaining your military transcript, simply select your branch of service below:
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The Army uses the Army/American Council on Education Registry Transcript Service (AARTS) for documenting military training. If you are interested in obtaining a personal copy for a pre-evaluation, you can print one from the following website: http://aarts.army.mil/.
To forward an official copy to University of Phoenix, visit the website and choose 'Get an AARTS Web Transcript' and 'Official Transcript.' Enter your information, and choose University of Phoenix from the drop down menu. The transcript will be sent electronically. -
The Navy uses the Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART) for documenting military training for all active duty Sailors/Marines, and for those who have separated or retired after October 1, 1999.
If you are interested in obtaining a personal copy for a pre-evaluation, you can print one from the following website: https://www.navycollege.navy.mil.You should review a copy of your personal transcript BEFORE requesting it be sent to your institution. This will allow you to have any changes made and provide the institution with the most accurate, up-to-date information regarding your experience and training. Visit https://smart.navy.mil to print or view your individual (unofficial) transcript.
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The Air Force uses the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript for documenting all college credit-worthy training received. Air Force enlisted personnel should complete an AF Form 2099, Request for Community College of the Air Force Transcript, at the base education office, and have the transcript sent directly to their University of Phoenix Military Enrollment Representative (transcripts sent directly to students are unofficial copies and will be stamped "Issued to Student").
If you are not located near an Air Force Base, you can send a written transcript request including your full name, Social Security Account Number, current address including ZIP Code, and your Military Enrollment Representative's address. The letter must include your original signature, because that is the legal authorization for CCAF to release a transcript.
Since the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) regionally accredits CCAF, the Office of Admissions will evaluate the transcript just like any other transfer credits would be evaluated. For more information, contact the CCAF at https://www.au.af.mil/au/ccaf.
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The Coast Guard uses the Coast Guard Transcript for documenting all college-credit worthy training received. Before you may request a Coast Guard Transcript, you must first complete an Application for Voluntary Education Services (CGI 1561). A copy of this form is available from the following website: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cgi/.
Additional information about military transfer options can be found in our military programs.
Associate of Arts in Professional Focus
University of Phoenix also offers servicemembers the Associate of Arts in Professional Focus (AA/PF). This online degree program is exclusive to students in our military community who wish to use their military experience and credit toward an associate degree with a professional focus. Contact an Enrollment Advisor at 866.766.0766 to learn more about this program.
Personal and professional training
Do you have documented prior college-level learning or professional experience outside of the military? Find out if your experience is eligible for college credit through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Learn more about PLA below.
Did you know that you may earn as many as half of your credits toward your associate or bachelor’s degree, at less than half of the cost per credit? University of Phoenix allows you to apply relevant non-military learning, work and life experiences toward college credits through the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) process.
Eligibility criteria for PLA credits:
- You must be an undergraduate student who has already been accepted into University of Phoenix.
- You must have submitted your transcripts to the University.
- You must have remaining general education or elective credits required to earn your degree.
Application to the PLA process does not guarantee that credits will be applied, so please read the qualifications carefully. Before submitting an application, contact your Academic Advisor to discuss whether or not PLA would be beneficial to you and how credits can be applied to your degree program.*
*PLA credits cannot be applied to associate and bachelor's degree programs in Education.
Get credit for your professional experience
What experience is eligible?
- Professional training such as seminars and courses provided by the military or previous employers
- Licenses, certificates and transcripts from colleges and institutions
- Certain types of experience through writing an experiential essay
Maximum earned credits by degree:
- Bachelor’s degree students: Earn up to 60 PLA credits (30 for professional training, 30 for experiential essay).
- Associate degree students: Earn up to 30 PLA credits (15 for professional training, 15 for experiential essay).
Additional state restrictions may apply.
PLA credit costs
There is a one-time submission fee and a fee per credit assessed and applied to your program. The one-time submission fee is $150, and the fee per credit assessed is $75.
How to qualify for credits
Once you meet the eligibility requirements, there are two ways to qualify for PLA credits:
Create a professional training portfolio.
Your professional training portfolio describes an institutional or corporate training course you took, the completion date, number of training hours and other essential information, such as a course description. Learn more about the portfolio, including the types of training that qualify.Write an experiential essay on an approved topic.
Experiential essays must be selected from a list of approved topics and written in the David Kolb experiential learning model.
Need more information about PLA? Contact us at 866.440.4707 or plac@phoenix.edu.
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