By Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.
It has probably happened to you. You spent a week in an intense and in-depth training seminar for work, amassed a small library of books and articles on the topic, passed a test, and received a certificate for the course. Sometime later, you reviewed your course requirements for the degree of choice. The titles sounded familiar. In fact, they had the same names as the training courses you took for work. When you actually take the course, you find that the training seminar had the same readings (and perhaps even a few more), and that, in many ways, the seminar was identical to the course you’re now taking. However, you did not get college credit for the course you took for work. Further, when you took the training seminar, your employer paid for your training but now, you’re having to pay for your own tuition. You start to think that the system is really inefficient and that there should be some way to avoid such a duplication of effort.
Training offered through one’s employer, on the job, or in short courses or seminars, is increasingly similar to college course work. As colleges and universities expand their offerings to respond to student demand, and training deepens and expands, the gap that once existed between training and education is narrowing.
Is corporate training equivalent to college courses? You might be surprised how training has changed in the last few years. When and where is corporate training the same as credit-bearing courses? When is it not?
For years, the American Council of Education (ACE) has evaluated training to determine college credit-worthiness and equivalency. They generate recommendations, which they then publish online and in books. Many colleges and universities accept the recommendations for college credit and will allow students to transfer in training courses that have been ACE approved. The number of transfer credits accepted depends on the individual college, their transfer policies, and the degree plan the student has selected.
In some cases, colleges will accept a training course even if it has not been reviewed by ACE. Usually in these cases, the courses have been evaluated by the state department of education, or have been accepted by other accredited colleges. In other cases, the college itself puts together a committee of faculty members who review the courses to see if it merits college credit, either as a part of a portfolio, or as individual courses. Each college has its own transfer guidelines which have been reviewed by its accrediting body.
Characteristics of corporate training accepted in transfer for college credit:
Equivalent content: In some cases, the instructional materials (textbooks, readings, articles, diagrams) are exactly the same as a college course. For example, a petroleum engineering seminar in well log interpretation may be exactly the same as a course offered by a university’s engineering department. In fact, if the course in well log interpretation is offered by the logging company, the materials and course content may even be better than those in the college course. The logs could be more up-to-date, the computer programs can be the full version (not an academic version), and the case studies more helpful and realistic.
Equivalent assessment strategies: For-credit training should provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned in the course. The assessment could be in the form of quizzes, a final, papers, and group projects and/or presentations. In any case, the assessments should be graded, and the student should receive a minimum passing grade in order to pass the course.
Equivalent learning outcomes: While the training course may involve the acquisition of a skill, the hallmark of college instruction is the engagement of the student in “deep learning,” which includes critical thinking skills, problem-solving, knowledge of underlying theory and concepts, understanding of categories and schema, and the ability to describe and otherwise communicate the course concept.
Transcripted and archived record of successful completion: In order to accept a training course for college credit, most colleges require that the student send an official transcript that records the grade, the name of the student, the instructor, the name of the organization that presented the training, and the dates. It is also often necessary to provide a copy of the syllabus, or at minimum, a course description.
Awarding college credit for corporate training that is equivalent to college coursework is a trend in higher education, and it offers many benefits to working adults. In addition to acknowledging that their training is rigorous, of high quality, and valuable, it motivates and encourages individuals who may otherwise feel discouraged about what appears to be a duplication of effort when they take college courses that replicate the corporate training they have already taken.