Recognition of Prior Learning – Acknowledgement of Experience and Knowledge

Requirements

To be eligible, you must:

• Be enrolled in the undergraduate programme in Early Childhood Education or Police Science
• Be 25 years of age or older
• Have a minimum of three years of continuous professional experience in a kindergarten or within law enforcement
• Provide a verified certificate of employment from your current or former employer

What are the benefits?

• You may not need to attend courses in subjects where you already possess relevant knowledge and skills
• Your overall study load may be reduced
• You may be able to shorten your total study time

The process - How does prior learning assessment work?

1. Introduction for students. Students receive an email about the process and the courses available for prior learning assessment.
2. Students must provide a Curriculum Vitae and a certificate of employment. If you believe you are eligible for prior learning assessment, you must submit your CV and a verified certificate of employment from your employer to the project manager. Here is a suggested template for the CV. Submit your documents to:
   1. Anna Karen Úlfarsdóttir, Project Manager for Prior Learning Assessment in Preschool Teacher Education
   2. Heiða Kristín Jónsdóttir, Project Manager for Competence Assessment in Police Science
3. Screening Checklist. You will complete a screening checklist to evaluate your own skills and competencies in relation to the learning outcomes of the courses for which you are seeking recognition.
4. Interview. If you meet the initial requirements, you will be invited to a screening interview with a student counsellor. The interview can be booked through the online booking system. The interview can be booked through the online booking system.
5. Competence portfolio and group meeting 1. A meeting led by a student counsellor will help you develop a competence portfolio, documenting your educational background, career history, strengths, and skills in detail..
6. Self-assessment form and group meeting 2. A second meeting, led by a student counsellor together with course evaluators, will focus on completing a self-assessment form based on the competency criteria of the relevant courses. Templates for self-assessment forms in preschool teaching and police studies are currently being developed and will be available here once finalised.

More about Recognition of Prior Learning at the University Level

In autumn 2023, preparations began for a joint initiative by the University of Akureyri, the University of Iceland, Reykjavík University, and the Iceland University of the Arts to implement recognition of prior learning to shorten university studies. Funding for the project was secured from the University Collaboration Fund at the Ministry of Education, Industry and Innovation at the beginning of 2024.

The University of Iceland leads this development project, building on a pilot project in preschool teacher education conducted in 2021 and concluded in spring 2022. Following the pilot, the Education and Training Service Center carried out the project evaluation, and their report can be found here (in Icelandic). The current aim is to develop a robust framework for the recognition of prior learning across the university sector and to create tools that can be applied widely within higher education.

At the University of Akureyri, the programmes leading this initiative are Preschool Teacher Education (School of Education) and Police Science (Faculty of Social Sciences). The development project will continue until the end of the 2025–2026 academic year and is expected to serve as a model for broader validation of prior learning at university level.

Further information is available from Anna Karen Úlfarsdóttir, Project Manager, Prior Learning Assessment Project.