Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Industry certification

Certificate programs affiliated with professional associations, trade organizations, or private vendors may be considered for credit at PCC. PCC may award credit based on licensure or certification by approval from appropriate departments. However, PCC cannot guarantee that credit will be awarded for all certificate programs.

• CDA
• CPR
• Journeyman
• Professional licensure

How to request credit for certification

1. Submit documents

   Submit your transcripts, certificates, or licenses: submit training documentation. Student Records will work with the appropriate faculty to determine if credit can be transferred.

2. Check your PCC email

   We may need additional info from you – check your email for requests and updates.

3. Transcript updated

   You’ll get an email when the evaluation is done and your transcript has been updated.

Military, CLEP, etc.

The American Council on Education (ACE) reviews and recommends credit for college-level credit based on workforce training, military training or occupations, and other sources of learning outside the college classroom, such as national exams and certifications. PCC may award credit based on these ACE recommendations as well as approval from appropriate departments. However, PCC cannot guarantee that credit will be awarded for all ACE recommendations.

• Corporate courses or exams
• Military Occupations (Joint Service Transcript, also called JST)
• Military courses (JST)
• CLEP / DSST / other ACE-recommended credit

How to request credit for ACE

1. Submit documents

   Send your ACE transcript, JST, or CLEP scores to:

   PCC Student Records
   PO Box 19000
   Portland, OR 97280-0990

   Have electronic JST transcripts sent directly to records@pcc.edu.

2. Request evaluation

   Once we get your transcripts, request a transfer credit evaluation in MyPCC.

3. Watch your email

   You’ll get an email when the evaluation is done and your transcript has been updated.

How we evaluate ACE-recommended credit

PCC grants credit equivalencies based on ACE recommendations based on the following guidelines:

• Only subject areas taught by PCC will be considered.
• For credit in professional/technical programs, the department chair determines equivalencies.

Military students who do not have a JST transcript may be granted three credit hours of Physical Education for military training. Send a copy of your DD 214 to Student Records.

Course challenge

If you have experience that aligns with a course at PCC, you may be eligible for an assessment for college credit. Assessment methods vary, and may take the form of a portfolio, an exam, or a demonstration of knowledge and skills.

How to challenge a course

1. Submit an inquiry

   Complete the course challenge inquiry.

2. Forms and fees

   We’ll let you know if a course can be challenged and send you a form to complete.  Return the form and pay the associated fee. Courses can only be challenged once, and the fee is non-refundable.

   • $100 for a course worth 1-4 credits
   • $150 for a course worth more than 4 credits

3. Demonstrate knowledge

   Once you’ve returned the form and paid the fee, a faculty member will contact you about your exam, performance, or portfolio review.

4. Transcript updated

   When the faculty member has approved your review, we will update your transcript to reflect credit for prior learning.