You may be eligible for credit toward your UNB undergraduate program based on your previous learning. A prior learning assessment (PLA) looks at what you have learned through non-formal education and life experience and evaluates it for possible credit.
Prior learning could include workplace-related training, independent study or non-credit courses, and volunteer and community activity. PLA differs from transfer credit, which provides credit for formal university or college coursework.
You must be registered in a UNB program or in the process of applying for registration before you can request an assessment. The assessment may take up to 3 months, so you may want to start the process well in advance of when you need the assessment results. A PLA coordinator will work with you to provide necessary information and answer your questions, determine your eligibility and guide you through the PLA process.
To see if you might be a candidate for PLA, please email learnersupport@unb.ca.
The PLA coordinator will arrange a meeting to start the PLA process.
To make an assessment of your learning, a faculty-based assessment committee will need to understand how your prior knowledge, skills and learning relate to the desired outcomes of your program or courses. Your PLA submission should include a detailed cover letter, a detailed resume and a learning narrative outlining your experiences and learning, as it relates to the subject you are challenging through the PLA process.
You may need to refer to course outlines and prepare a submission that clearly explains the relevance of your training. It is your responsibility to provide appropriate documentation to verify your learning claims. You will need a detailed resume that outlines:
Once you submit your PLA documentation to the PLA coordinator, evidence of learning is then presented and assessed through one or more of the following methods (determined by appropriate faculty):
Review the previously assessed course equivalents before applying. A maximum of five courses in the COHS can be acquired through PLA, but the balance of the COHS (six courses) must be completed through UNB. The Advanced Diploma in OHS is not eligible for PLA.
| UNB COURSE | ALGONQUIN COLLEGE EQUIVALENT |
| OHS 5059 - Legislative Compliance & Corporate Responsibility | SAF 0001 - Legislation for Health & Safety |
| OHS 5053 - Fundamentals of Environmental Management | SAF 5409 - Environmental Management |
| OHS 5060 - Fundamentals of Occupational Hygiene | SAF 402 - Industrial Hygiene |
| OHS 5052 - Fire Prevention & Protection | FIR8441 - Fire Protection |
| OHS 5051 - Ergonomics | OHS 4005 - Ergonomics |
| OHS 5054 - Management of Health and Safety Systems | OHS 4010 - Health & Safety Program Management |
| UNB COURSE | UNIVERSITY OF FREDERICTON EQUIVALENT |
| OHS 5050 - Health & Safety Program Basics | OHS 100/CHSE 0700 - Approaches to Safety Management |
| OHS 5060 - Fundamentals of Occupational Hygiene | OHS 140/CHSE 0900 - Occupational Hygiene |
| OHS 5055 - Management, Leadership & Organizational Behaviour | OHS 105/CHSE 0100 - Management and Organizational Behavior |
| OHS 5056 - Risk Management & Risk Communication | CHSE 0300 - Risk Assessment |
| OHS 5058 - Accident Causation Theory & Incident Investigation | CHSE 0200 - Incident Causation and Investigation |
| OHS 5053 - Fundamentals of Environmental Management | OHS 150/CHSE 1205 - Environmental Management Foundations |
| OHS 5051 - Ergonomics | ERG 112/CHSE 0800 - Ergonomics Foundations |
| OHS 5052 - Fire Prevention and Protection | OHS 145 - Fire Management |
| OHS 5054 - Management of Health and Safety Systems | OHS 125 & OHS 130 - Safety Management Systems & Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment & Control |
| OHS 5057 - Auditing OHS Management Systems | OHS 155 - Fundamentals of Auditing |
| OHS 5059 - Legislative Compliance and Corporate Responsibility | OHS 135 - Law & Ethics |
Assessment results will be sent to you, to your faculty and the registrar. Any earned credit will appear at the top of your transcript or will be added to your file pending admission to your program.
Note: If you have used your NCSO designation or some other program of study for PLA credit towards COHS 3110 or some other UNB COHS course, some organizations such as BCRSP® may not allow you to also get credit for it as an independent study in your application towards your CRSP® (Canadian Registered Safety Professional).
