Special Programs
Exceptional Opportunities to Accelerate Your Degree
Credit for Prior Learning
Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) is academic credit that is awarded to students who can successfully demonstrate college or university-level learning achieved through informal or experiential learning outside of the classroom. You could have your learning evaluated for academic credit, saving you time and money towards earning your degree. Find out by contacting your advisor. Advisors and many faculty play a role in helping you recognize and identify your learning that might have potential for college-level assessment.
Minnesota State colleges and universities may have different guidelines and processes for granting credit for your prior learning through standardized CLEP examinations, military training or service, Advanced Placement exams, International Baccalaureate diplomas, and (in some cases) college course credit by examinations, individualized assessments, portfolio reviews, or competence demonstrations. Our Veterans Education Transfer System (VETS) shows how many academic credits you can receive for military occupations prior to admissions.
Dual Enrollment Programs
Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to earn college credit at no cost.
Over 30,000 high school students participate in dual enrollment programs across Minnesota each year, making college education more accessible, more affordable, and can decrease the time to degree completion.
PSEO
The post-secondary enrollment options (PSEO) program allows high school students to take college-level courses on a college or university campus to earn credits simultaneously towards their high school diploma and their college education at no cost.
Concurrent Enrollment
The concurrent enrollment program allows high school students to take college-level courses offered at their high school to earn credits simultaneously towards their high school diploma and their college education at no cost.
* To be eligible for PSEO or concurrent enrollment with a Minnesota State college or university, high school juniors must be in the upper one-third of their class or earn a score at or above the 70th percentile on a test such as the ACT or SAT. Seniors must be in the upper one-half of their class or earn a score at or above the 50th percentile on a test such as the ACT or SAT. Students who do not meet these requirements may still be eligible if they can meet other college readiness standards determined by the college or university. Students in 9th or 10th grade may also be eligible to take PSEO or concurrent enrollment courses if they rank in the upper one-tenth of their class or attain a score at or above the 90th percentile on a nationally standardized, norm-referenced test, or if they have a favorable recommendation from designated high school officials. All high school students enrolling in PSEO or concurrent enrollment, regardless of grade level, must also meet all college course prerequisites.