Recognition of Prior Learning grants Concordia students course credits for past work experience

Concordia continues to create new accessible pathways toward the completion of a university degree. The latest initiative, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), launched in May 2026, grants course credits for knowledge, skills and competencies gained outside of a classroom.

Whether through professional experience, workplace training or certifications, many prospective students bring rich and valuable experience to their university education, says Effrosyni (Faye) Diamantoudi, provost and vice-president, academic.

“There are a lot of working professionals who might not have had the opportunity to finish or even begin a university program in the past but are seeking that now,” she says.

“By getting their experience recognized and reducing the number of courses they need to take, they can complete their degree faster and obtain academic credentials that will help them advance in their career.”

Faster path to degree completion

At Concordia, RPL is open to admitted or registered students in an increasing number of undergraduate and graduate programs. To be eligible for RPL, students must have acquired three to five years of relevant experience prior to starting the program. Some departments may set additional criteria. 

In the Department of Applied Human Sciences, the student body has always been a mix of working professionals and full-time students. The department leadership was enthusiastic when asked to participate in the consultation process and pilot phase of what developed into RPL.

“We felt this program really aligned well with our values and our goals of getting people ahead faster based on what they were learning both in the classroom and in their jobs, or what they had done in past jobs,” says Shawn Wilkinson, chair of the department.

Crediting real-world experience

Eight students got recognition for past work experience as part of the pilot the Department of Applied Human Sciences ran in 2025. Matthew Lawton, a Concordia employee, was one of them.

When he joined Recreation and Athletics in January 2023 as coordinator of community programming, Lawton already had 11 years of experience in similar work. He enrolled as a part-time student — just before he got the job at Concordia — as he felt not having a degree was holding him back.

“I’d be applying to jobs for which I had more than enough experience, but I didn’t have the degree so I wouldn’t even be considered,” he says.

Lawton had almost completed his degree when the pilot RPL ran, but joining the program meant he received credits for his last two courses. One of them was an internship, where “I would have been doing basically what my job already is.”

Research courses in the Department of Applied Human Sciences are not eligible for RPL, but most others are.

For Wilkinson, RPL is beneficial not only to the professionals whose experience is recognized, but also to the other students.

“It makes for a unique learning experience when you can learn from your peers as much as from your professors. It solidifies [for them] what it’s like to work in the field.”

Learn more about Concordia’s Recognition of Prior Learning initiative.