Many people enter the workforce before earning a degree, which means they often have some amount of professional experience under their belt. If you’re one of those people, you may be wondering if your work experience can count toward your degree.

The answer is yes. In fact, many degrees available with online colleges follow the guidelines set by the American Council on Education (ACE) and now offer credit for work experience. These degrees are perfect for anyone looking to build on their current career or jump into a new field.

Here is a list of the ten most valuable degrees that allow credit for the experience you’ve already gained.

1. Social Work

The Bachelor of Social Work online degree programs are designed with the social worker’s needs in mind. They will provide all the knowledge and skills you need to advance your career in social work. With credits for your previous work experience, you may be eligible for an undergraduate or graduate-level social work program.

Job options with a BSW degree include Adult guidance worker, Chaplain, Advice Worker, Counsellor, Community development worker, and Education consultant among others.

2. Accounting

An online accounting degree is a great way to get the education you need without leaving your current job. You can take classes at your own pace and work on assignments when you have time.

Liberty University Online offers a BS in Accounting with credit for work experience. With this degree, you can pursue career opportunities as accounts payable or receivable specialist, Actuarial/insurance accountant, Auditor, CFO, CPA, Financial analyst, finance director, and many more.

3. Business Management

A business management degree is an excellent option for people who already have significant work experience in the field. Earning your degree will help you move up in your career and earn higher pay.

The path to earning a business management degree with credit for work experience varies by school and program but often involves coursework that helps students learn about the leadership skills needed to run a successful business. CSU global’s Business Management program is one of the highly ranked accredited online degree programs for working professionals.

4. Computer Science

A computer science degree with credit for work experience is an excellent option for those who want to combine their technical knowledge and skills with theoretical learning without starting from scratch.

This type of degree will allow you to gain an advanced understanding of the principles and practices of computer science while also providing you with practical experience that can then be used as an asset when applying for jobs or promotions in your field.

Suppose you’ve already been working as a software developer or programmer. In that case, this type of online college degree is one way to add credibility to your current job title and expand on what you know about programming languages.

5. Project Management

A project management degree is great to pursue if you are looking to lead organizational change or oversee the strategic direction of your company projects. You will be able to employ your communication skills and offer directional or technical expertise gained from your studies.

A project management program equips you with the tools and skills needed to deliver successful projects in a fast-paced business environment. Albertus Magnus College offers an online Bachelor of Science in Project Management degree in the Accelerated Adult Undergraduate program.

6. Psychology

Psychology is a diverse field with many subspecialties that allow you to choose your area of interest. An online psychology degree will allow you to study this fascinating subject in-depth with accelerated programs available if you already have related work experience.

Albertus Magnus University offers several psychology degree options with an option to transfer credits from work experience. Psychology degree careers include psychologists, social workers, psychotherapists, human resource managers, Teachers, Counselors, and Research roles.

7. Cyber Security Degree

Cybersecurity degrees are available at all levels, ranging from certificate programs to master’s degrees. Online cybersecurity degrees are also readily available, making them accessible to working professionals.

Careers included with this degree are Security Management Specialist, Chief Information Security Officer, Penetration and Vulnerability Tester, Cyber Crime Analyst/Investigator, and Computer Systems Analyst.

8. Marketing Degree

A marketing degree can help you in any kind of career, not just marketing. You’ll learn to think critically and strategically about making your company more successful by understanding your customer base and how they make decisions when making purchasing decisions. It’s a massive benefit for anyone in any industry.

If you have experience working in marketing, or another related field (sales), most online colleges will often allow you to get credit for the experience through their program.

Job titles include Account Executive, Advertising/Promotion Manager, Brand Manager., Copywriter., Marketing Manager., Market Research Analyst., Media Planner, Production Manager.

9. Supply Chain Management/Logistics

Supply Chain plays a massive role in every company as it covers the manufacturing and distribution of anything in the market. An online supply chain management degree helps working students with the skills they need to succeed in their current workforce. Career opportunities in this field are endless; in fact, there are very few areas of business that the Supply Chain does not cover.

DeSales University offers an accelerated supply chain management program that allows credit transfer for work experience.

Careers include Purchasing Agent, Purchasing Manager, Operations Manager, Logistics Analyst, Logistics Manager, Distribution Manager, Supply Chain Manager, and more.

10. Liberal Arts

A liberal arts degree is a type of higher education that focuses on the humanities and social sciences. It is intended to give students a broad knowledge of the world and the ability to think critically and reflectively.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reports that many employers rank “soft skills” like writing, communication, and critical thinking (skills that you learn in a liberal arts program) above technical skills.

Career opportunities from a Liberal Arts degree include mass media, journalism, publishing, sales and marketing, museum work, and entertainment.

How to Receive Credit for Previous Work Experience

Online schools use various methods to award students credit for previous work experience. Here are the most prominent.

Testing

Testing is a common way for colleges to award credit for work experience. Testing is done to determine if your experience and knowledge can be rewarded with college credit. There are two standard tests available:

CLEP: College Level Examination Program

DSST: DANTES Subject Standardized Tests

School	CLEP: College Level Examination Program	DSST: DANTES Subject Standardized Tests
Duration	90 minutes	2 hours
Credits Earned	34	30
Number of Schools	2,900	1900

Before signing for any of these tests, it is important to check which tests are approved or accepted by the college you wish to enroll.

Portfolio Assessment

A portfolio is a collection of your work that you can use to show off your skills. It can demonstrate skills you’ve learned from your non-college experiences. Portfolios are reviewed by the faculty or subject matter experts to determine if credit can be awarded.

Competency-Based Education

Traditional courses typically require students to spend a certain amount of time in class, take exams, and complete homework assignments. However, with competency-based education, those requirements are replaced by assessments of your current knowledge and skill level in each course area (e.g., writing about literature or performing a laboratory experiment). Credits are awarded if you pass these assessments with a score deemed sufficient by the institution.

Here is a list of 5 highly ranked schools with online programs that accept credit for work experience.

School	Qualification	Transfer Credits
Linfield College	Portfolio Assessment CLEP	30 credits
Albertus Magnus College	Portfolio Assessment Challenge Exams CLEP DSST	30 credits
Colorado State University (Global)	Competency-Based Exams (CBEs), CLEP	90 Credits
DeSales University	Portfolio Assessment CLEP DSST	75 credits
Wisconsin Lutheran College	CLEP DSST Portfolio Assessment	45 credits
Central Michigan University	Portfolio Assessment Competency-Based Exams	60 Credits

If you have enough work experience and want to get a degree, look at the programs we mentioned. They are designed for people who wish to learn more about their fields and have some experience. You must do your research before starting any type of online degree program, though – make sure it’s accredited and has good reviews from graduates before enrolling.