Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who may apply for credit through the portfolio assessment process?
Only students who are matriculated in UMA degree and certificate programs may apply for credit through the portfolio assessment process.
2. For what courses may a student receive portfolio assessment credit?
Students may apply for portfolio assessment credit for most UMA courses that do not have a testing option already established. There are also some exclusions pertaining to education courses (ex: Student Teaching). Students may not use the portfolio assessment process to apply for general elective credit; portfolios can only be submitted for courses listed in UMA's most current course catalog.
Students may not earn portfolio assessment credit for any course for which they have previously been graded at a regionally accredited institution. Learning experiences and/or documentation based on experiences gained in other college courses for which credit has already been received may not be used to support portfolio assessment submissions.
3. What kind of experiences will be considered for credit? What kinds will not?
Students may apply for portfolio assessment credit for any post-secondary experiences from which they derived significant learning experiences which are comparable in quality to the expected learning outcomes of the UMA courses in question. Credit will not be awarded for experiences which are part of any elementary or high school curriculum or extra-curricular activity.
4. Is there a maximum number of credits which may be earned through the Portfolio Assessment process?
Students in bachelor's degrees can receive up to 30 credits through portfolio assessment, and students in associate's degrees can receive up to 15 credits. Students in certificate programs are also eligible to apply for credit, however permission from the appropriate College Dean is required.
5. Will credit earned through the Portfolio Assessment process count toward the UMA residency requirement?
Yes.
6. What is the cost of the Portfolio Assessment process?
There is a $50 per credit hour charge (ex: a one, 3-credit course will cost $150) that is due upon submission of the portfolio. No refunds will be given if the student is not awarded portfolio credit.
7. Will Portfolio Assessment credit transfer to other colleges?
Portfolios are evaluated differently at all schools. It will NOT automatically transfer to other schools and colleges. Students should review the portfolio assessment policies at the schools in question. If the school awards portfolio assessment credit, it is likely that a new portfolio will need to be submitted and evaluated according to that school's established procedures.
Portfolio credit awarded by one University of Maine System institution should transfer to any other UMS institution as equivalent to the course for which credit was awarded. The new UMS institution may want to re-evaluate the portfolio if there's a possibility of awarding credit for a course not available at the original institution.
8. How will my portfolio be evaluated?
Your portfolio submission must be complete before it can be evaluated. Haley Brown will review the application for completeness and for compliance with the above-mentioned guidelines. Once the portfolio is ready for review, a UMA faculty member will review the portfolio.
Once the faculty member has reviewed the portfolio, they will forward their decision back to Haley Brown, and if credit is to be awarded, she will send your application to the appropriate College Dean for their signature. Once signed, Haley will post the credit to the student's transcript. If the portfolio is rejected or suggestions are made for improvement, Haley will forward a copy of the faculty member's evaluation sheet, including their suggestions for improvement or reasons for the rejection of the submission to the student.
9. Are there other ways to earn credit or meet degree requirements outside the Portfolio Assessment process?
Yes - please visit the UMA Credit for Prior Learning website for more details.
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