Earn Credit for What You Know

CUNY SPS’s Credit for Prior Learning Program Recognizes Dual Language Proficiency

CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) is an online school designed for working adults, and we understand that college-level learning can happen outside of a traditional classroom. That’s why we award credit for language proficiency through over 50 college-level exams. For example, about 40% of CUNY students speak a language other than English at home and more than 170 languages are spoken across the university, but too often multilingual students have to take upper-level language courses instead of earning credit for their existing fluency through credit for prior learning (CPL). Not so at CUNY SPS!

Through Credit for Prior Learning, CUNY SPS students can receive credit for the knowledge they bring with them to college. This means you can save time and money toward completing your degree! Last year 39 CUNY SPS students from linguistically diverse backgrounds earned an average of 4.5 credits and saved an average of $4,084 dollars by taking exams in Spanish, French, Lithuanian, Mandarin, German, Polish, Russian, Cantonese, and Arabic.

Studies have shown that adult students who earn CPL credit have a 22% higher credential completion rate than those without CPL credit. Just look at our graduating classes: last year over 27% of our 2020 -2021 grads received some form of CPL. At CUNY SPS, we know that earning a college degree can be difficult, especially when you’re balancing work, personal life, and school. Our goal is to smooth your path to graduation by awarding credit for what you already know.

For more information, contact pla@sps.cuny.edu.