Portfolio-Based Assessment
What is a portfolio-based assessment?
Portfolio-based assessment of prior learning is an opportunity for students to earn college credit by demonstrating mastery of the learning outcomes of an existing University of Utah course in the current university catalog that accepts portfolios.
A portfolio is a collection of materials that provides evidence of verifiable college-level learning gained and learning outcomes mastered through experience—not for the experience itself. Awarding of credit is determined by faculty. This process is available to current first degree-seeking undergraduate students at the University of Utah.
The Submission Process
Portfolio-based assessment (PBA) is for current first degree-seeking undergraduate students at the University of Utah interested in submitting a portfolio to be assessed for course credit.
To begin the process, students must have fully completed the experience as the basis for their portfolio, allowing mastery of the learning outcomes to be demonstrated through documentation.
Initiate Process
Student completes the PBA Intake Form and meets with the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Liaison to determine if PBA is a good fit. During this meeting, the student will also receive portfolio guidelines for selected course(s).
Develop Portfolio
Student prepares portfolio(s) using the course-specific guidelines provided by the CPL Liaison.
Pay Fee
Once ready to submit, student pays the $200 nonrefundable fee (per portfolio) at the Bursars Office using the chartfield provided by the CPL Liaison. Payment must be completed prior to submission.
Submit Portfolio
Student submits completed portfolio(s) to the designated departmental contact, as outlined in the portfolio guidelines, by the course withdrawal deadline for the semester.
Faculty Determination
Faculty assess whether the portfolio demonstrates mastery of the course learning outcomes.
Credit Recorded
If credit is awarded, the student submits the signed Faculty Determination Form to the Registrars Office by the last day of classes for that semester.
Credit Eligibility Guidelines
Faculty have discretion in determining what should be included in a portfolio. Portfolio requirements may include a variety of materials such as documents, reflections, narratives, or other artifacts that provide evidence of learning.
Before requesting credit through PBA, please consider the following:
Do you have current, college-level knowledge gained through work, community service, or other experiences outside the classroom?
Can you clearly explain what you've learned from your experience and how that learning aligns with the outcomes of a specific course?
Do you have evidence to support your learning—such as completed projects, presentations, software code, certifications, or other work samples?
Are you able to tell the story of your learning through a written narrative, performance, or presentation that demonstrates your mastery of course learning outcomes?
Can someone else speak to your experience? You may be asked to include letters of reference from supervisors, colleagues, or others who can verify your skills and learning.
Did your experience involve increasing levels of complexity or responsibility? Learning that builds over time—such as mastering advanced tasks on the job or deepening your knowledge through extended travel or volunteer work—can strengthen your portfolio.
Important Information
The materials submitted as part of a portfolio review will vary depending on the course a student is seeking credit for and the learning outcomes of that course. Faculty members are looking for evidence of learning, not simply evidence of experience. Students should focus on the skills and knowledge obtained through their experiences.
- Credit will be awarded based on a satisfactory review of a portfolio by qualified teaching faculty from the department for the course for which the student is requesting credit.
- If the student's portfolio has demonstrated mastery of the learning outcomes of the matched course, the student's transcript will reflect the University of Utah course for which the equivalency has been determined with a grade of OC (Other Credit).
- Credit by portfolio-based assessment shall not be awarded for:
- any course previously completed for which a quality letter grade has been assigned unless the course is designated as repeatable;
- any course for which the student has earned higher-level course credit of similar content;
- any course from which the student withdrew;
- any course completed under any grading basis;
- any course credit completed by transfer or at a previous degree-granting institution;
- any course taken via curriculum in K 12 curricula; or
- via credit earned by external exam or military experience (for which there are other existing mechanisms).
- The student may not enroll for credit in a course for which credit already has been granted via portfolio-based assessment.
Resources
Joint Service Transcript (JST)
The U of U accepts credit for some kinds of military training as listed on a Joint Services Transcript (JST). Posting JST credit can be helpful in some cases but not in others. For this reason the U of U requires a student to meet with an advisor in the Campus Advising Solutions to help them determine if and when they might post their credits.
How to Post JST Credits
- Send your JST to the Admissions Office.
- It will be evaluated and a JST Worksheet will be created showing possible transferrable credits. An email will be sent to you once your JST Worksheet has been created.
- Meet with the designated JST advisor in the Campus Advising Solutions to go over your JST Worksheet—Call 801-581-8146 for an appointment.
- The Campus Advising Solutions advisor will help you understand the pros and cons of posting credits, see if any credits can fill general requirements, and determine a timeline for posting.
- Meet with your major advisor to determine if any credits can fill major requirements.
- To post credits you and all your advisors will sign your JST Worksheet.
- Return the signed Worksheet to the Admissions Office.