Portfolio
Individual Assessment via Portfolio
Bucks uses the Portfolio to provide you with opportunities for Individual Assessment of your college-level learning. You will need to obtain authorization from the Academic Department in which the course is taught in order to pursue this assessment method, or Pathway. The PLA Office will facilitate the authorization process for you.
Preparing your Portfolio
A portfolio is a written presentation, on paper or online, that demonstrates and verifies your knowledge of the course material. You will need to explain and document your mastery of each published course objective, as though you had successfully completed the course.
A major part of the portfolio involves cross referencing the syllabus of the course being challenged with your explanation of how you have mastered the material. Your portfolio will need to include a narrative that explains and describes your mastery of the course material along with documentation of your having done so. Examples of the types of documentation that you may submit include work samples to demonstrate competencies and reference letters from those who have observed you demonstrating the competencies.
Your portfolio must reflect college-level ability and writing skills. It is strongly recommended that you successfully complete COMP111 or a similar course with a major research paper requirement before attempting to challenge a course with a portfolio.
Receiving College Credit for your Assessment Results
There is a fee charged for the assessment of your portfolio, due upon submission and regardless of whether or not credit is awarded.
The work submitted must abide by the College rules concerning plagiarism and academic integrity. Any attempt to practice deception concerning information in a portfolio is grounds to eliminate the portfolio from consideration for credit.
The subject-matter expert who will evaluate your portfolio will be a Bucks faculty assessor who teaches the course being challenged. Equivalent credit will be awarded for a portfolio that demonstrates at least “C” quality work; however, no letter grade is awarded. The code “LE” will be indicated on your Bucks transcript where the grade would be.
Transferability
Credit based upon Individualized Assessment via Portfolio may not be transferable. You should work directly with your transfer school and follow their process to request consideration of your portfolio for credit.
Application Process
If you think that you would like to construct a portfolio to challenge a Bucks course(s), go to FastPathBucks to begin the process to obtain authorization to do so. You will need to obtain authorization from the Academic Dean of the Academic Department in which the course is offered in order to challenge the course(s) with a portfolio. The PLA Office will facilitate this process for you; obtain advising from the PLA Office and wait to receive authorization before beginning to prepare your portfolio.