Prior Learning Experience
Your experience counts toward your MBA.
Years of leading teams, running projects or serving in the military? If you've already learned what a Windsor MBA course teaches, you can earn credit for it, finish sooner and pay less.
*Based on 12-month Accelerated MBA tuition of $360 per course. See exactly how we assess in our Prior Learning Experience Assessment Policy.
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Who it's for
If you learned it outside a classroom and can show it with documents, it can count.
Armed forces
Military service, training and leadership roles.
e.g., an officer who led a unit → Organizational LeadershipWork and on-the-job training
Paid or volunteer work, including company training programs.
e.g., 3 years as a project coordinator → Project ManagementApprenticeships
Completed, structured apprenticeships.
e.g., a completed supply chain apprenticeship → Logistics and Supply Chain ManagementLicences and certifications
Professional licences, certifications and structured professional training.
e.g., a professional HR certification plus HR experience → Human ResourcesNot counted: general life experience, hobbies, or experience you can't document.
How it works
Five steps, and it's free. Ask when you apply, and always before you start the course you want to skip.
Choose the course
Pick the Windsor MBA course your experience matches. Not sure? Tell us your role and we'll suggest one.
Send your documents
Your résumé, one proof document and a short statement, using the form below.
We confirm your experience
Admissions checks your documents and confirms them with your employer, military record or training provider.
Completeness check within 2 business daysA faculty member reviews it
An expert in the subject compares your experience with each learning outcome of the course.
You get a written decision
What was awarded, what wasn't and why, and your updated study plan and tuition.
Within 10 business days of a complete request
What to send
Four things. Work samples are optional, but they help us decide faster.
- 1The course you want credit forChosen in the form below.
- 2Your résuméEach role, employer, and start and end dates (month/year).
- 3One proof documentAn employer letter on letterhead, a military record (Joint Services Transcript, DD-214 or service record), or a certificate of a completed apprenticeship, licence or training.
- 4A short statementAbout one page per course: for each course outcome, what you did, where, and an example. Plain language is fine.
What a strong employer letter includes
- Company letterhead, signed by a manager or HR
- Your full name and job title(s)
- Start and end dates, full- or part-time
- Your main duties, as specific as possible
- The signer's name, title, email and phone
- Tip: black out salary or confidential data
How we assess your experience
We compare what you learned with each learning outcome of the course. Meet 70% or more and you earn the credit.
Three years in a job doesn't automatically earn credit. Three years in a job where you regularly did what a Windsor course teaches, and can show it, usually does. Every request is judged against the same learning outcomes our own students must achieve.
Our four criteria: every request must meet all of them
1Equivalent learning
Your experience covers at least 70% of the course's learning outcomes, at graduate level, judged by a faculty reviewer against the Windsor syllabus.
2Documented source
You gained it through employment, military service, on-the-job training, an apprenticeship or a similar professional setting, and your documents show it.
3Verifiable
We can confirm it with your employer, your military record or the training provider.
4Not counted twice
The same learning hasn't already earned credit another way, and each experience is used for one course only.
The decision rule
How we read years of experience
| Experience in a related role | What it usually means | Typical result |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | You've usually seen only part of the course content | Most requests won't reach 70% without strong work samples |
| 1 to 2 years | Possible, if the course skills were a main part of your job | We check your duties closely; an interview or work sample often helps |
| 3 years or more, with the course skills as main duties | A strong case: you did it regularly and repeatedly | Usually most outcomes met when your letter and statement support it |
| Any length, course skills only a small part of the job | Exposure, not learning to course level | Usually declined; your letter explains which outcomes weren't shown |
This table is a guide, not a rule. The decision is always the outcome-by-outcome match. Every step is set out in our Prior Learning Experience Assessment Policy.
Real examples
Same years of experience, different results. What matters is what you did.
3 years · Project coordinator
Project Management
Led 12 projects end to end, with a sample charter, business case and weekly risk dashboards.
Credit awarded3 years · Sales representative
Marketing and Sales Management
Strong on sales and customer relations. A regional marketing plan they wrote showed the missing market-research skills.
Credit awarded after one work sample3 years · Recruiter
Human Resources
Recruitment and employee relations were shown, but pay and benefits, HR policy and change management weren't part of the job.
Not awarded: takes the course4 years · Military officer
Organizational Leadership
DD-214 and Joint Services Transcript confirmed rank, role and leadership training; the statement showed team leadership and handling change.
Credit awardedYour result
You get a clear letter by email, and awarded credit appears on your transcript without affecting your GPA.
Your evaluation letter
Each course you asked for, the decision, which outcomes were met and which weren't, the credits awarded, your updated study plan and adjusted tuition, and how to appeal.
On your transcript
Listed under the Windsor course it replaces, marked TR – Prior Learning Experience. No grade and not counted in your GPA.
Your tuition
You only pay for the courses you take at Windsor. Your enrollment agreement shows the adjusted tuition.
Not happy with the result?
Appeal once, in writing, within 30 days, with any new evidence. A faculty member who wasn't part of the first review decides within 15 business days.
Good to know
A few limits keep your Windsor degree meaningful.
- Up to half the programPrior learning can cover at most 15 of the MBA's 30 credits.
- One shared limitPrior learning, transfer, ACE and MicroMasters credit together can't exceed 15 credits.
- Thesis at WindsorThe Graduation Thesis can't be replaced.
- Ask before you startCredit can't be added after you've started the course it would replace.
- No age limitOlder experience is fine, as long as it matches today's course outcomes.
- Honesty mattersFalse or exaggerated documents lead to denial of admission or cancelled credit.
Questions
Does a certain number of years guarantee credit?
No. We award credit for what you learned, not how long you worked. Years help us see how deep and regular the learning was, but the decision is always based on the course outcomes.
Which courses can I get credit for?
Any Windsor MBA course except the Graduation Thesis, if your experience matches its learning outcomes. Project Management, Organizational Leadership, Marketing and Sales Management and Human Resources are the most common.
How much does the review cost?
Nothing. The review is free, and you only pay tuition for the courses you take at Windsor.
Can I combine experience with transfer credit?
Yes. You can use university, ACE, MicroMasters and prior learning credit together, up to 15 of the 30 MBA credits in total. See our Credit Transfer page.
What if my employer has closed or I can't get a letter?
Tell us in the form. Other proof may work, such as contracts, performance reviews, training certificates or a letter from a former manager we can contact.
Turn your experience into credit
Find out for free which MBA courses your experience can replace, before you start.
Full rules: Prior Learning Experience Assessment Policy · Transfer of Credit Policy · Other ways to earn credit: Credit Transfer