Alternative Ways to Earn Credit
RBA Portfolio Development Guidelines 2025-26
The RBA portfolio option allows enrolled students to receive credit for demonstrated
college-level knowledge that has been learned in environments and agencies outside
the classroom. Therefore, knowledge gained though work experience or other training
may translate to college credit if students can demonstrate knowledge of learning
objectives equivalent to our courses. To develop a portfolio for review, the first
step would be to identify the college course or courses for which college-level learning
can be demonstrated so that we’d be able to obtain the course syllabi and learning
objectives to help structure the portfolio development. I’ve attached the portfolio
preparation guidelines.
The fee for portfolio evaluation is $300 regardless of whether or not credit is awarded.
If credit is awarded, then an additional $10 per credit hour processing fee is required
to transcript the credit.
Portfolios evaluations are completed by faculty members who teach the courses for
which credit is sought. The portfolios should be submitted prior to semester midterm
to ensure that sufficient time is available for the evaluation. We can also submit
portfolios to other institutions in the West Virginia State System of Higher Education
(i.e., WVU, Marshall, Concord, Bluefield, etc.) if credit is sought in a subject area
that is taught at those institutions and not at Fairmont State.
Alternatively, if you have obtained any professional, state, or national licenses
or certifications, we can review them to determine if you would be eligible to receive
credit. The review of licenses and certifications for standardized credit does not
include any additional fees.
If you do have any professional, state, or national licenses or certifications, you
would need to send me copies so that I could begin to analyze them for possible credit.
However, official evaluation and/or posting of credit via the portfolio option will
not occur until after RBA students successfully complete at least one full semester.
Credit earned via portfolio or prior learning assessment does not count toward meeting
the state or institutional residency requirement for the RBA program.
Students intending to develop a portfolio must complete RBAS 3350 (Portfolio Development),
which is offered during the 1st 8 weeks of Spring or Fall semester.
