Trident University International recognizes that many of our students have acquired knowledge through their employer, military service, or other pursuits. Our goal is to maximize your prior academic experience into transfer credit at Trident. Trident goes the extra mile to evaluate military training and traditional academic credit to maximize credit transfers. We also offer several non-traditional ways to earn academic credits that can accelerate your ability to meet graduation requirements. Finally, we have unique program structures that are more transfer credit friendly and often enable you to complete a second degree faster than you thought possible. Students are encouraged to submit all prior learning credit* for review upon admission.
Further Your Education Faster
*Transfer credit is evaluated on an individual basis. Not all credits are eligible to transfer. See the University Catalog for transfer credit policies.
12 Options Available to Accelerate Your Path to Graduation!
Get Credit for Non-Traditional Learning
Maximize Your Academic Credit
Take Advantage of Unique Programmatic Structures
Undergraduate / Graduate PLA
Trident may award undergraduate and graduate credit for professional training and certifications. Students may submit the request for Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) during the admissions process. For questions or assistance contact an Admissions Advisor at admissions@trident.edu.
Doctoral Prior Learning Assessment
Trident may award doctoral credit for professional experience in the discipline. Students may submit an experiential portfolio for assessment to the appropriate Doctoral Studies Director. The request can be submitted during the admissions process using the Doctoral PLA Request Form. For questions or assistance contact an Admissions Advisor at doctoraladmissions@trident.edu.
College Level Testing
Trident awards credit only for AP test scores of “3” and higher, if the test is equivalent to current course offerings. AP exam scores must come directly from The College Board in a sealed envelope to be considered valid. Other exams considered: College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST/DANTES), Excelsior College Examinations.
Challenge Exams – Test out of select courses!
Trident challenge exams are a series of online exams students take to earn proficiency credit, if successfully passed, toward an undergraduate degree. The challenge exam is an opportunity for undergraduate students to demonstrate college-level learning through course-related institutional examination. The exams test students on similar outcomes and objectives taught in the respective Trident courses. There are no fees to attempt the exam and no penalty if the student does not pass the exam. All exams will be taken by the student through MyTLC portal.
*The ability to reduce time in school and/or reduce tuition varies by campus and depends on the number of Trident Challenge exams successfully passed. Trident Challenge exam credits are unlikely to transfer. Not all programs are eligible for a reduction in time and money. Courses eligible are subject to change.
Traditional / International Transfer Credit
Trident will review and consider students’ prior coursework from any regionally/nationally accredited institution or international credits for transfer with appropriate international credential evaluation by a recognized agency for transfer. Where permitted by third party institutions, Trident will request these transcripts on a student’s behalf. Students may refer to www.naces.org to select an evaluation agency. International credit will be posted to the undergraduate student’s permanent record only if applied to meet degree requirements.
Military Credit Transfer
Trident grants undergraduate credit for military education as recommended by the American Council on Education’s (ACE) Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. This is in accordance with transfer credit policies at Trident. Students may request evaluation of military credit by submitting official JST’s to the Office of Admissions.
Annual Evaluation of Military Credit
Trident will automatically request an updated Joint Service Transcripts (JST) each year on the student’s behalf and may apply credit if it fulfils remaining graduation requirements at Trident University International. A student’s JST should be kept up to date.
Articulation of Military, Law Enforcement, and Professional Training
Trident University recognizes course work completed at accredited institutions and carefully evaluates all traditional academic credit to ensure maximum transfer of credit into the student’s program of study.
Beyond traditional academic credit, Trident faculty also independently assess credit from select law enforcement academies and military service schools to recognize the learning that occurs through these trainings to maximize credit. Trident University faculty will conduct individualized reviews of professional training, certification, licensure, and apprenticeship learning for credit. Credit may be awarded if the learning is equivalent to a required Trident course on the student’s degree plan.
Trident may award credit for professional training and learning programs with credit recommended in the ACE Credit National Guide or National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS). Students are required to submit the Prior Learning Assessment Submission form and official documentation of the completed training program to the Office of the Registrar.
Trident also has several articulation agreements with other institutions and has standard credit evaluations for many of the training programs completed in military schools.
Articulation and Evaluation Agreements
Colleges, Schools, and Professional Training
- Army Leadership Training Courses (BLC, ALC, SLC, FSA)
- Army University
- Command and General Staff College Office Course
- Advanced Operations Course
- Sergeant Majors Academy
- Community College Air Force
- Defense Acquisition University
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy
- Law Enforcement Training (IL, TX, UT, IA)
- Quartermaster School (MOS92)
- Recruiting and Retention College (MOS79)
- Warrant Officer Courses
Industry Certificates
- CCNA Certified Network Associate
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) – National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) AMF
- Certified Logistics Associate
- Certified Manager (CM)
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) – National Healthcareer Assoc. (NHA)
- Certified Network +ce
- Certified Paralegal Exam – National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
- Certified Professional Coder (CPC) – American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
- OR Certified Coding Associate (CCA) – American Health Info. Management Assoc. (AHIMA)
- OR Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) – National Healthcareer Assoc. (NHA)
- CompTIA A+ce
- CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) ce
- CompTIA CASP+ ce
- CompTIA Network +ce
- CompTIA Security +ce
- National Certification Exam – Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)
- Professional in Human Resources (PHR)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Resilience-Building Leadership Professional-Trainer (RBLP-T)
- Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
- SHRM – Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)
- USPA A License
Stackable Programs and Dual Credit
Stack your degree programs and transfer courses from one Trident program into the next. Options are available for associate to bachelors, bachelors to masters, and masters to doctoral programs. Take classes that will earn credit at two-degree levels. Options are available for both bachelors to masters and masters to doctoral programs.
Fastrac 10 and 12 Months
Trident’s Fastrac10 and Fastrac12 are structured course pathways for select masters programs which may allow students to successfully complete a degree in as few as 10-12 months. In the 10-month track students will take two courses per session and in the 12-month track students will take two courses three out of the six sessions.
4 Semester Credit Hours
At Trident, most courses offered are four credit hours. A credit hour is the amount of work required to earn a course credit and is based on a 50-minute hour of active learning. As an example, an 8-week session requires 18.75 hours of coursework per week to meet the 150 hours requirements for a 4-credit hour course.
Stackable Programs and Dual Credit **UPDATE***
********UPDATE*******Stack your degree programs and transfer courses from one Trident program into the next. Options are available for associate to bachelors, bachelors to masters, and masters to doctoral programs. Take classes that will earn credit at two-degree levels. Options are available for both bachelors to masters and masters to doctoral programs.
Be an Accelerator
Students can complete their path to graduation sooner! With 8-week sessions beginning every four weeks, bachelors and masters students have the option to take courses in overlapping sessions. Quality is not compromised and flexibility is still built in. Begin your academic journey with Trident Today!
