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Accelerate Your Degree with Prior Learning Assessment

At Hood College, your experience matters.

Whether you’ve built skills on the job, completed professional training, served in the military or earned industry certifications, you may already have the knowledge needed to move toward your degree faster—and save money while doing it.

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Our Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) program evaluates your real-world learning and converts it into academic credit that counts toward your graduate degree. If you’ve learned it, you shouldn’t have to learn it again.

Why Choose PLA at Hood College?

Save Time and Graduate Sooner

Skip courses you’ve already mastered and focus on what’s next in your education or career.

Lower Your Tuition Costs

Every credit awarded through PLA reduces the number of credits you pay for—helping you finish your degree affordably.

Honor Your Experience

Your training, certifications and on-the-job leadership are valuable. Hood makes sure that value counts.

Flexible and Streamlined Process

Our team works with you to identify eligible learning, guide you through what to submit and help you earn the maximum possible credit.

What Can Earn You Credit?

You may be eligible for PLA credit if you have:

  • Professional certifications
  • Leadership training programs
  • Military coursework or service experience
  • Apprenticeships and technical training
  • Portfolio-based experiential learning
  • Industry licensure

Not sure if your experience qualifies? We’ll review it with you.

The Hood Difference

Affordability

Our tuition rates are some of the lowest in the region.

Expert Faculty

Our distinguished professors are practitioner-based and maintain industry connections in their respective fields.

Diversity & Inclusivity

Our graduate school population comprises more than 1,000 students from 19 states and 25 different nations.

Convenience & Location

Our proximity to the I-270 corridor connects students with the greater metro area, including Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Your Future is Worth the Work.