The following are University-level requirements that must be met to receive CPL(Challenge or Experiential Credit):

1. Student must be active (taken a course in the last 7 semesters or currently registered at UVU) or a student must be admitted to UVU and have at least one credit successfully completed and transcripted.
2. Student must not have been enrolled in the course at UVU or another institution even with a “W”.  If currently enrolled in the course, the student must drop the course before the first drop deadline where the course does not show up on the student’s transcript. (No need to drop the course to take the exam.)
3. All prerequisite courses must be completed, either by taking the course or receiving CPL.
4.  A student must be accepted or matriculated into a declared major or program of study for which the CPL credit is applicable.  If a student changes majors or programs, previously awarded CPL credit may not apply to the new major.
5. A student shall not receive CPL for learning that has occurred through activities that are related to UVU academics, community outreach, distance education, non-credit offerings, or any other UVU service or entity.  (CS Dept: Does not accept boot camp learning.)

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.

There is a $15 non-refundable fee for the CPL process.  This fee is charged to your UVU account.   In the end, as soon as your UVU account is paid in full, the course credits will be applied to your transcript and show in Wolverine Track.  

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.

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

• work experience: at least 1 year’s work experience is required with a job focused on the material for the requested course, or
• your knowledge: usually demonstrated by Challenge Exam if one is available.

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.

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 find the coordinating instructor: Please contact the CS admin for a current list at 801-863-8218 or [email protected].

How to contact the coordinating instructor: All instructor office hours are posted on our website, 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.

4. 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, and once your UVU account has been paid in full, credit for the course will be applied to your transcript and Wolverine Track.

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. Be sure there is enough time to schedule, take and grade the exam before the deadline.
3. 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.
4. If I fail the challenge exam, can I take it again?  No.  The CS Dept allows only one attempt.
5. 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. 
6. If I had dropped the course and failed the exam, how do I get back in the course? Re-register 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.
7. 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.

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 coordinator 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. 

How to find the coordinating instructor: Please contact the CS admin for a current list at 801-863-8218 or [email protected].

How to contact the coordinating instructor: All instructor office hours are posted on our website, outside the CS Dept (CS520), outside their office door to be reached face to face, MS Teams or they can be reached by email.

- 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.

- University 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). There is a $15 non-refundable fee for the CPL process.  This 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.

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. You must have everything worked out with the instructor and additional paperwork submitted before this deadline.
3. 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.
4. If I had dropped the course and Experiential Credit was not awarded, how do I get back in the course? Re-register 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.