Get ahead, right from the start.
Did you know you can earn credit for college courses by taking exams that measure your existing knowledge of a subject area? This gives you the opportunity to gain credit for the knowledge you already have.
Learn more at the links provided below (note: each partner has its own specific fees and testing procedures).
Advanced Placement Exams
These tests were originally developed by the College Board for AP High School courses, and have now become a pathway for you to demonstrate your knowledge for college credit. When registering for an exam, you should use SNHU's College Board code (3649) to have your score sent to the University.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Exams
You can also assess your knowledge of college-level material with CLEP exams, which are offered by the College Board. When registering for an exam, you should use SNHU's College Board code (3649) to have your score sent to the University.
Approved Partner Courses
ACE Alternative Credit Project
Supported by a generous grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the Alternative Credit Project™ (ACP), gives you access to a range of online courses at low or no cost to make your degree more attainable. SNHU will accept up to 90 ACP credits, saving you time and lowering the overall cost of your degree.
Saylor Academy
Saylor Academy is a nonprofit initiative that provides free, self-paced, college-level courses to students worldwide. So you can study as quickly or as slowly as you need to master the material. To earn credit, you can take a proctored exam from ProctorU ($25 fee) or by arranging your own proctor. Once you pass, request a transcript with your scores and submit it to SNHU to request credit.
Saylor Academy Courses accepted by SNHU
Sophia Learning
Designed to be completed in just 60 days, Sophia Learning’s free and low-cost courses are a great way to save time and money when earning your degree. And because there are no term starts, you can begin learning on your phone, tablet or computer whenever you want. After passing a course, Sophia will submit your transcript to SNHU.
Visit Sophia or download the Sophia course equivalency map to learn more about Sophia courses accepted by SNHU.
OnlineDegree.com
With OnlineDegree.com students can take a variety of free college-level courses on their own schedule, be better prepared for college-level coursework, and receive college credits toward their degree at SNHU. Once you pass a course, you can request a transcript and submit that to SNHU to request credit.
DANTES and DSST Exams
Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support (DANTES) Subject Standardized Tests (DSST Exams) exams are administered by Prometric. Although the DANTES and DSST exams used to be for active and retired military personnel only, these tests are now available to civilians as a pathway to demonstrate knowledge in your chosen subject area. When registering for an exam, you should use SNHU's school code (9245) to have your score sent to the University.
Experiential Learning
HEaRT - Higher Education and Real-world Training
Several times throughout the year the SNHU Academic and Career teams partner with organizations in various industries to identify critical problems they’re trying to solve. Students are assigned to a team and tasked with developing and presenting actionable solutions to the real-world problem being faced by the respective company. The HEaRT experience allows you to apply critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork skills, while networking with company representatives and peers under the mentorship of an assigned faculty member.
After successfully finishing each challenge, students will earn a badge of completion. By completing two challenges, (challenges I & II within the similar content area), students can then apply their badges and earn credit toward a SNHU Graduate course for a small fee. The challenge to SNHU course equation can be found below.
| Experiential Learning Opportunity | SNHU Course |
| Marketing, Communication Strategies and Outreach Challenge (I & II) | IHP-510 (Marketing, Communications Strategies and Outreach) |
| Health Policy & Law Challenge (I & II) | IHP-610 (Health Policy and Law) |
| Healthcare Finance and Reimbursement Challenge (I & II) | IHP-630 (Healthcare Finance and Reimbursement) |
Pathways to Math Success
Pathways to Math Success allows you to gauge your math skills – and earn credit for what you already know. Earn as many as 12 credits toward your degree for successfully demonstrating knowledge required in the following math courses:
| Calculus Pathway (Assessment) | Statistics Pathway (Assessment) |
| Quantitative Analysis (MAT-136) | Intro to Statistical Analysis (MAT-133) |
| Precalculus (MAT-140) | Applied Statistics (MAT-240) |
Fast Facts
- Earning college credits from these assessments can help you complete your degree faster, saving you the cost of up to 4 courses.
- The cost of either assessment with proctoring is usually less than $50.
- The assessment takes about 2 hours and can be taken up to 5 times at no additional cost.
- To help you prepare for an assessment, or improve your scores, you'll have access to resources like lessons, practice questions and math tutors.