Military Credit for Prior Learning
Commonwealth University’s Military Credit for Prior Learning program is a student-focused initiative that evaluates each student’s military training and experience using the American Council on Educations' guidelines to award the most appropriate and advantageous academic credit, ensuring military-affiliated students receive fair recognition that supports their educational and career goals.
Your Service, Your Credits
- All current and former military members are welcome to participate in the MCPL review. Active CU students will receive priority, while prospective students may request an unofficial, preliminary review.
- The MCPL process supports service members at all stages — not only long-term or senior personnel. Reviews will begin with eligible students in order of academic credit seniority.
- While many military students hope their training and occupational experience will translate into substantial transfer credit, outcomes vary. Every participant will receive a clear, individualized explanation of how decisions were made.
- By launching the MCPL review, CU affirms a simple message to U.S. military personnel: your service and experience are recognized and valued.
The MCPL program ensures that your military service and experiences are evaluated fairly and translated into academic credit wherever appropriate—always with your educational and career goals in mind.
Using the American Council on Education (ACE) Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services, the board reviews formal military training and occupations from all service branches. These ACE credit recommendations appear on your Joint Services Transcript (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) record.
MCPL uses the ACE Guide as the initial tool to determine how your experience aligns with CU’s academic programs. A faculty-driven academic review will follow to align ACE recommendations with the appropriate CU course equivalency.
For more information on ACE’s military credit recommendations, visit The ACE Military Guide.
To get started, you will need to provide documentation that verifies your military service:
- DD-214 (Member 4) – Required
- JST / CCAF transcripts – Required
You can download your Joint Services Transcript at the Joint Service Transcript home page or request your Community College of the Air Force transcript from the Air University home page. - Email your DD-214 and military transcripts to transcripts@commonwealthu.edu
Graduates of Basic Training and Advanced Training / AIT can expect to receive 12 credits right away while those with additional time in service, deployments, specialized certifications, or military schooling are encouraged to apply for additional academic credit. Send an email to cshiffer@commonwealthu.edu stating you would like to participate in the MCPL review process. We will call you in to the military office for an initial review of your military education and help you package your supporting documentation for submission to the Credit for Prior Learning office.
The Office of Military and Veteran Resources is standing by to help guide you through each step!
Example of Academic Credit for Military Experience
Army Human Resources Specialist (42A10) – E-1 thru E-4
- Basic Combat Training:
- EXER 261 – First Aid and Safety – 3 credits
- HLSC 199 – Health Sciences – 6 credits
- Human Resources Specialist Advanced Individual Training:
- MGMT 380 – Human Resource Management – 3 credits
- PHIL 102 – Critical Thinking – 3 credits
Total Credits: 15
