Apprenticeship College Credit: Turning Training Into a Degree

Does an apprenticeship count as college credit?

Often, yes. Apprenticeship college credit is real, and for some trades it covers most of an associate degree. But it isn't automatic. A college has to agree to count your training, and how it does that depends on who taught your related instruction and whether anyone has formally evaluated your program.

The payoff can be large. An associate degree can help if you later want to move into estimating, project management, inspection, teaching apprentices or a bachelor's program. If you plan the credit early, you may finish the degree for a fraction of the usual time and cost.

The three ways apprenticeship hours become credits

1. The college delivers your related instruction

In many states, a community college teaches the classroom part of the apprenticeship. Those courses are already college courses with a transcript. The apprenticeship and the degree are designed together, so you collect credits as you go.

2. A third party has evaluated the program

The American Council on Education reviews workplace training and recommends how many college credits it is worth. Colleges can link those recommendations to their own degree programs. ACE describes this as connecting working and military learners to credit, competencies and badges. Learners can request a transcript to show a college what they earned.

3. Prior learning assessment

If neither of the above applies, many colleges let you earn credit by portfolio, challenge exam or a skills demonstration. This is the slowest route and the least predictable. It can still turn a completed apprenticeship into real credits when there's no formal agreement.

Real credit numbers from real programs

Credit varies a lot by trade and by program. Here are verified examples.

The electrical numbers come from the electrical training ALLIANCE college credit page. Its partners are the Community College of Allegheny County for an associate degree and Rowan University's online Construction Management bachelor's. The residential program isn't listed as eligible for the Rowan credit.

Indiana's model is different. Ivy Tech partners with building trades JATCs across the state in 13 trades, from boilermaker and bricklayer to plumber and pipefitter, sheet metal and telecommunications. Accepted apprentices are registered with DOL and enrolled at Ivy Tech at the same time. Each program leads to an AAS or a long-term technical certificate plus the DOL completion certificate. Ivy Tech says it comes with no out-of-pocket costs.

What an apprenticeship associate degree usually requires

Most trade-linked degrees are an Associate of Applied Science. The structure at Salt Lake Community College is typical. You need 30 to 70 credit hours of apprenticeship core courses, depending on the trade. You need 13 to 19 credits of general education, and the program's required apprenticeship math can satisfy the quantitative requirement. If you're still short, 0 to 20 additional credits bring you to the 63-credit minimum. SLCC teaches the classes, but you need your own sponsor for the on-the-job side. It also requires a C or better in core courses to earn clock hours.

That gen ed block is where most apprentices get stuck. Plan for an English composition course, a communication or speech course, and perhaps a social science or humanities elective. Many colleges offer them online or in the evening.

When to start: during the apprenticeship or after

There's no single right time, but each choice has a cost.

A practical middle path is to take one general education course per term in your final year or two, when trade school feels routine. Many apprentices find an online English or communication course easier to fit in than an in-person class after a long day on site.

Programs that send you to a different college

If your related instruction is taught by a union training center or a contractor association rather than a college, you can still earn credit. You just have more steps. Your training center may already have an agreement with a nearby college. Ask which one. If it doesn't, the national training body for your trade may have an ACE evaluation or a partner school, the way the electrical training ALLIANCE does. Bring the course outlines, hours and grades from your training center to the college's credit evaluation office.

How to claim apprenticeship college credit: a checklist

1. Ask your training director first. Find out whether your program has a college partner or an ACE evaluation. Many apprentices never ask.
2. Get your records together. You need related instruction transcripts, course outlines, your DOL completion certificate or current status, and any industry certifications. Our explainer on related technical instruction covers what those hours include.
3. Pick the college before you pick the degree. Credit acceptance is decided college by college. A recommendation from ACE is just that, a recommendation.
4. Request a written credit evaluation. Before paying tuition, get a list of which courses count and what you still owe.
5. Check funding. Some programs bundle tuition. If you're a veteran, read our post on the GI Bill and apprenticeships. Ask your employer about tuition help.
6. Map the gen ed gap. Count the remaining credits and decide whether to take them during the apprenticeship or after you top out.
7. Keep everything. Save the evaluation letter. If you switch colleges, you may have to make the case again.

Is the degree worth it for a tradesperson?

For many people who stay on the tools, a degree adds little to day-to-day pay. Your license and journey-level card do that work. Where a degree helps is in moving off the tools or up the ladder: estimating, project management, safety, inspection, teaching related instruction, or a business of your own where you deal with general contractors and owners. It also gives you options if an injury ends your time in the field.

The cost math is what makes it worth considering. If your apprenticeship already earns 25 to 60 credits, you could be close to halfway or nearly done with an associate degree. Few people get that much college for so little extra cost.

Common pitfalls

• Assuming hours equal credits. Colleges count course outcomes, not on-the-job hours. Job time alone rarely becomes credit without a formal evaluation.
• Waiting until you top out. Course outlines and instructors are easiest to track down while you're in the program.
• Ignoring grade rules. Programs like SLCC's require a C or better in core courses. Low grades can cost you credit and clock hours.
• Not checking the residency of credit. Many colleges require a minimum number of credits earned there, so plan to take some courses at the school awarding the degree.

Questions to ask the college

• Do you accept ACE credit recommendations, and for which programs?
• Do you have an articulation agreement with my apprenticeship program or training center?
• How many credits must I take here to earn your degree?
• Which general education courses can I take online or in the evening?
• Will the applied degree transfer to a bachelor's program, and which ones?
• Is there a fee for evaluating prior learning, and how long does it take?

Bottom line