Frequently Asked
Questions
General
Contracts
Prior Learning
General
Can I do all my coursework at a distance or do I have to come
to the University of Alabama campus periodically?
You are required to come to campus only once for the Foundations
of Adult Learning Seminar (orientation). Although there is
no requirement after the initial three-day stay, we hope that
you will plan to visit the campus as often as you can, for
group weekend or summer contracts, for football games, just
to stay in touch, and, of course, for graduation. Students
who are able visit campus periodically have a higher success
rate than those who do not maintain that personal contact.
How many ways are there to earn credit toward my degree with
the External Degree Program?
In addition to transferring credit from other institutions,
EXD students can earn credit through EXD faculty-designed contracts,
student-designed contracts, prior learning portfolio, University
of Alabama on-campus courses, and University of Alabama Independent
Study courses.
Contracts
What is the difference between a faculty-designed contract and a student-designed contract?
A faculty-designed contract is an academic study that has already been designed for you. The learning goals, methodology for learning, academic resources and evaluation methods are pre-set. You simply review the contracts available either on this site or on the “Groups” site of MyBama.ua.edu. If you decide to enroll it, just fill it out the Enrollment Form and send it to your EXD Advisor as and email attachment or by snail mail. Your Advisor will “permit” you for the course and contact you by email with the current enrollment procedures. You may then enroll on the MyBama.ua.edu website. You will also pay for the enrollment on the same website. A student-designed contract is an academic study that you design. You are responsible for proposing and crafting the learning goals, methodology, resources and methods of evaluation for the study. Just send in your contract proposal to the EXD office, and we will begin the process of locating an appropriate U of A faculty member to supervise your study. Once a faculty member is assigned to assist you, your Advisor will contact you with enrollment information.
How many contracts do most students take at a time?
Typically, most students enroll two or three contracts at a
time, although EXD Program students may enroll a maximum
of 17 semester hours through The U of A at any given time.
Are there any contracts that do not require writing a paper?
Our introductory faculty-designed mathematics contracts require
extensive problem solving; therefore, no paper is required.
However, since this is a distance learning program, you should
expect to complete papers in almost all learning contracts.
Can I sign up for more than one contract at a time?
Yes, we would encourage you to fully maximize the contract
submission/response system. While you are waiting for response
from your Contract Director on one contract, you could be
preparing your next submission for another contract. Make "waiting" periods
work for you.
Can I stagger my contract enrollments?
Yes. The contract enrollment system is not dependent on the
university's traditional enrollment cycle. You can enroll
contracts anytime you wish. Initially, you may wish to enroll
one contract, see how your schedule goes and then decide
to add an additional contract later.
Can contracts be used anywhere in my curriculum?
Yes. You may utilize faculty-designed contracts or student-designed
contracts anywhere in your EXD Program curriculum.
How long does it take to finish a contract?
Typically, students finish a contract within 2 to 4 months,
but some students may take longer; however, all EXD contracts have to be completed within 6 months from the date of enrollment.
Are contracts regarded as acceptable undergraduate coursework
for admission to graduate school?
Yes! Several EXD Program graduates have reported that graduate
schools have looked favorably upon their EXD Program contract
work since successful completion of an independent project
reflects maturity, perseverance, and time management skills,
characteristics required for graduate level work.
Prior Learning
How do I get college credit for life experiences?
Through EXD, you can apply to receive college credit for the
college-level learning obtained through employment, volunteer
activities, hobbies, private study, and in-service training;
the credit is not awarded for the students merely having
the experiences. The process for applying for prior learning
credit is outlined in the Prior Learning Student Guide.
How does learning from experience relate to traditional classroom
learning?
Most classroom learning begins with theories or ideas; that
is, it is deductive, moving from the general to the particular.
Learning from experience generally occurs in the midst of work,
family or recreational situations; that is, it is inductive,
beginning with particular applications from which general principles
can be derived.
What kind of life and work experiences would be worth college-level
credit?
Many adults have had a variety of experiences from which they
have acquired college-level knowledge and skills. Business
people often know sales techniques, business law, bookkeeping,
supervision, inventory control and/or marketing. Secretaries
often know keyboarding, computer skills, business English and
office procedures. People who have written a great deal often
know English composition and technical writing. Many managers
know consumer economics. Many people have public speaking abilities.
Work with volunteer and human service organizations could lead
to credit for management and/or counseling. If the knowledge
and skills are at a college level, it is possible that college
credit could be awarded through portfolio evaluation.
What is a portfolio?
Just as classroom instructors use exams, papers, class participation,
etc., as indicators that learning has taken place, the evaluator
of experiential learning must be provided with evidence of
college-level learning. The evaluator of experiential learning
uses the portfolio, a formal written communication, to assess
learning. A prior learning portfolio is a document in which
learning from various life experiences is organized into
a manageable form for academic assessment.
Who awards prior learning credit?
A University of Alabama faculty member with expertise in the
field that is the subject of the portfolio assesses the college-level
learning demonstrated in the portfolio.
Is there help for students preparing portfolios?
Yes, students wishing to gain prior learning credit are advised
to use the Prior Learning Student Guide for portfolio preparation.
A helpful text is Earn College Credit for What You Know by
Janet Colvin (4th edition, ISBN 0-7575-2750-7 through Kendall
Hunt Publishing). The Prior Learning Coordinator will provide
guidance and bibliographic information on other texts about
portfolio development. In addition, the student's academic
advisor or the Prior Learning Coordinator can provide critiques
of the drafts of the various portfolio elements.
How long does the portfolio assessment take?
The amount of time needed to complete the portfolio assessment
varies, but it should be completed within six weeks after
it has been submitted to the faculty assessor. The length
of time may increase if the portfolio is submitted just prior
to scheduled campus vacations such as Christmas or Spring
Break. Every effort is made to get a timely evaluation.
How many semester hours will be awarded per portfolio submission?
If the student has invested time and care in the portfolio
preparation, it should elicit credit. The evaluator will
recommend the number of credit hours to be awarded and that
recommendation will be weighed against any credit duplication,
professional hours earned and prior learning credit limits.
What are the prior learning credit limits?
There is a limit of 30 hours (1/4 of degree) prior learning
portfolio credit that any one student can earn. There is
also a 45 hour cumulative credit limit for all types of prior
learning credit which includes ACE credit, PEP. CLEP, AP
credit, Dantes credit and portfolio evaluation.
Can prior learning credit be used anywhere in my curriculum?
Prior learning credit can be placed in any of the core requirement
areas, in the Depth Study or as elective credit. Portfolio
credit may not be applied to the Senior Project.
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