Life Experience Credit is granted by the Academic Board of VCBCS.  A student is eligible for consideration of advanced standing on the basis of life experience if the student meets the following criteria:

 

1. The student applicant is at least 28 years of age.

 

2. The applicant has at least eight years of leadership experience in the Christian ministry.

 

3. The applicant has provided a life experience portfolio including a curriculum vitae and letters of recommendation.  
  
4. The applicant has never received equivalent credit for life experience in any other degree program.  

Summary: Experience is a prerequisite for consideration for Life Experience Credit, but years of experience are not adequate in and of themselves to guarantee credit.  Life Experience Credit depends on the ability to analyze one’s experiences and to identify learning derived from them. Experience does not warrant credit.  Credit is granted for the learning derived from the experience. Moreover, an experience, which was judged, and actually was a failure, may be a more helpful learning experience.  This illustrates the fact that Life Experience Credit is more closely related to learning from the experience than it is to the experience itself.