The portfolio option allows students to earn course credit for the knowledge and skills gained through work experience, cooperative (co-op) education and/or completed training programs. Lone Star College will not award credit based solely on years of employment. To receive credit, students must provide verifiable evidence that their experience meets the learning outcomes of the requested LSC course. In addition to documentation, students may be asked to display specific skills and/or complete an interview with faculty to assess content knowledge.

Advisors will verify that students meet the general criteria for PLA then refer them to a program contact (faculty, department, chair or dean). Throughout this process, students will work closely with the program contact to complete the following:

• Determine whether credit assessment through portfolio option is appropriate. 
• Identify eligibility requirements specific to portfolio assessment. 
• Review LSC course learning outcomes that must be mastered through the prior learning experience. 
• Receive guidance on documenting learning and collecting evidence. 
  
  Example documents are provided for guidance only: 
  Portfolio
  Portfolio Exhibits

Academic programs and classes approved for credit by Portfolio: 

Education

Eligibility Requirements:
Students must have successfully completed the following high school courses
1. Instructional Practices in Education and Training (INPREDTR)
2. Practicum in Education and Training (PRACEDTR)

Foreign Languages

Human Services
Eligibility Requirements:
1. Certificate from the Institute of Chemical Dependency Studies (ICDS)
2. Pursuing an AAS degree in Human Services
If you have successfully completed the following courses at ICD, you may qualify to apply for up to 15 credit hours by portfolio. Please contact your Human Services faculty or the department chair for more information.