Skip Main Navigation

Alternative Credit & Prior Learning

College Credit to Jumpstart Your Otero Program

Alternative Credit Project ™ (ACP)

Have you taken some college courses but haven't earned a degree or certificate yet? The Alternative Credit Project ™ (ACP) provides a pool of online courses that Otero College will accept towards your degree (up to 75% of the credits required for a degree or certificate). A national program of the American Council on Education, supported by a generous grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the ACP is designed to help adults finish what they started; get a degree, or a post-secondary certificate.

American Council on Education (ACE)

ACE has engaged 40 colleges and universities and three systems with a strong commitment to access and attainment in this alternative credit consortium. Several of these institutions helped to identify high-demand lower division general education subject areas, agreed-upon quality course and provider criteria and identified high-quality online education providers across the selected subject areas.

Selected courses have undergone ACE’s credit recommendation process throughout spring 2015 which will lead to a pool of about 100 low-cost or no-cost online courses. Participating institutions agree to accept a large number of these courses and visibly communicate their acceptance of the courses to students. Institutions also agree to provide anonymized data to ACE regarding the amount of credit their institution accepts through this project as well as retention and attainment rates of students transferring in courses from this project.

American Council on Education (ACE) is engaged in an Alternative Credit Project ™ to encourage greater acceptance of students’ alternative credit and create a more flexible pathway towards post-secondary education attainment for the more than 32 million non-traditional students who may have some college credit but no degree.

Otero College will accept these ACP courses as transfer credits:

This is a list of Alternative Credit Project ™ courses that the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) have approved. It is a general list and subject to change as courses are further reviewed. Be sure to check with Otero Student Services for the most recent course information.

All ACE credit recommendations are eligible for evaluation for credit at Otero. If you don’t see your course on this list, contact us to learn about our ACE evaluation process and your opportunities for credit.

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Accounting Accounting I Straighterline ACPE-0086 ACC 1021 4
  Accounting II Pearson ACPE-0087 ACC 1022 4
  Accounting II Straighterline ACPE-0088 ACE 1022 4
  Intro to Financial Accounting Saylor ACPE-0113 ACC 1001 3
  Managerial Accounting Ed4Online ACPE-0117 ACC 2026 3
  Principles of Accounting 1 Ed4Online ACPE-0132 ACC 1021 4
  Principles of Accounting 2 Ed4Online ACPE-0133 ACC 1022 4

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Algebra College Algebra Saylor ACPE-0016 MAT 0250 3
  College Algebra Straighterline ACPE-0018 MAT 1340 4

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Anatomy and Physiology Anatomy and Physiology Ed4Online   Pending Review  
  Anatomy and Physiology Pearson ACPE-0090 BIO 1006 4

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Art Introduction to Art History Sophia ACPE-0105 ART 1110 3
    Sophia ACPE-0105 ART 1111 and 1112 6

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Business, General Introduction to Business Saylor ACPE-0107 BUS 1015 3
  Introduction to Business Straighterline ACPE-0108 BUS 1015 3

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Business Tech Intro to Business Info Systems Pearson ACPE-0109 CIS 2067 3

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Calculus Calculus I Saylor ACPE-0015 MAT 2410 5
  Pre Calculus Straighterline ACPE-0019 MAT 1440 5
  General Calculus I Straighterline ACPE-0040 MAT 2410 5
  General Calculus II Straighterline ACPE-0041 MAT 2420 5

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Communication Corporate Communication Saylor ACPE-0006 BUS 2017 3
    Saylor ACPE-0006 COM 1105 3
  Business Communication Straighterline ACPE-0009 COM 1105 3

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Critical Thinking Introduction to Literature Pearson   Pending Review  

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
English Composition English Composition I Straighterline   ENG 1021 3
  English Composition II Straighterline ACPE-0026 ENG 1022 3
  Composition and English Lab Pearson ACPE-0003 ENG 0091 (sl) 1

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Human Resources Human Resource Management Ed4Online ACPE-0102 MAN 2000 3
  Human Resource Management Pearson ACPE-0104 MAN 2000 3

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Law and Ethics Business Law Pearson ACPE-0097 BUS 2016 3
    Pearson ACPE-0097 BUS 2018 3
  Business Law Straighterline ACPE-0098 BUS 2018 3
  Business Law and Ethics Saylor   Pending Review  

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Management Principles of Management Pearson ACPE-0122 MAN 2026 3
  Principles of Management Saylor ACPE-0123 MAN 2026 3
  Principles of Management Straighterline ACPE-0124 MAN 2026 3
  Project Management Sophia ACPE-0128 MAN 2041 3
  Business Management Ed4Online ACPE-0135 MAN 2026 3
  Organizational Behavior Pearson ACPE-0120 MAN 2015 3
  Organizational Behavior Straighterline ACPE-0121 MAN 2015 3

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Marketing Introduction to Marketing JumpCourse   Pending Review  

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Nutrition Introduction to Nutrition Straighterline   Pending Review  

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Philosophy Business Ethics Straighterline ACPE-0095 PHI 2005 3

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Physics General Physics (and Gen Physics Lab) Straighterline ACPE-0038 PHY 2111 5
  General Physics Lab (and Gen Physics) Straighterline ACPE-0039 PHY 2111  

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Religion Approaches to Studying Religion Straighterline ACPE-0061 Pending Review  

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Spanish Spanish I Straighterline ACPE-0129 SPA 1011 5
  Spanish II Straighterline ACPE-0130 SPA 1012 5

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Statistics Statistics Pearson ACPE-0014 Pending Review  
  Introduction to Statistics Saylor ACPE-0017 MAT 1260 3
  Introduction to Statistics JumpCourse ACPE-0032 Pending Review  

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Student Development Professional and Career Development Ed4Online ACPE-0051 MAR 1006 3
  Student Success Pearson ACPE-0054 AAA 1001 1
  Student Success Straighterline ACPE-00564 AAA 1009 3

Discipline Course Title Provider ACE Transc CCNS Eqiv Credit
Technology Computer Basics Ed4Online ACPE-0100 CIS 1015 3
  Managing Info Systems Ed4Online ACPE-0118 CIS 2067 3

Services for You at Otero College

We're Focused on Your Future!

Coming back to school has its own challenges, and we have professional staff ready to guide and advise you. For more information contact:

Student Services

Student Services Office
1802 Colorado Avenue
La Junta, CO 81050 Phone: 719-384-6800

E-mail: information@otero.edu

Or contact the Otero Student Specialist in these areas:

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)

At Otero College we realize significant learning happens outside of the formal classroom setting and often in the workplace or through your interest in independently learning about a subject. You may be working through a career change after many years in the workforce or you may be leaving high school with AP or IB test scores. You might have a national certification in a technical field or perhaps you received training in the military.

The objectives of Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) or Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) programs are to award credit in three ways:

  1. For prior learning through the use of published guides
  2. Standardized testing programs
  3. Portfolio assessment.

The learning must be demonstrable and must have both a theoretical and applied component; it must also be college-level, currently applicable, and be equated to a specific course or courses in the College curriculum. Through the Prior Learning Assessment Credit  process, you can have your learning evaluated regardless of where, when, or how you acquired it as long as you can document your learning and it can be verified at a college level.

Military Training

Students who have military training and experience can earn credit based on the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations on their Joint Services Transcript. For further information please see:

Note: A student at Otero College may receive credit for prior learning only if the learning is evaluated through formal procedures, meets the standards of specific courses at the college and relates to the educational program in which the student is enrolled.

Please Note: A student must have completed a minimum of 6 credit hours at Otero before CPL credit will be awarded.

©