RPL Application

The RPL process typically includes five stages:

As an RPL applicant you will be responsible for completing stage 1, 2 & 3.

The academic department within TUS will be responsible for completing stage 4 & 5.

The five phases of RPL are:

1. Information: During this stage, you (the learner) obtain information about what is possible (e.g. RPL for entry or exemption) and how the RPL process works.
2. Identification: During this stage, you need to explore your prior learning with a view to making an application for formal learning. You are advised to check the programme information page to see if RPL is permitted. You should then contact the head of department and the programme leader to get advice on the programme entry requirements or the learning outcomes of a module.
3. Documentation: This stage makes visible your learning in the context of your application. You will need to reflect on your prior learning and gather all relevant material to support your application.
4. Formal assessment: An academic member of staff will assess your RPL application. This is where the submitted documentation is assessed to establish whether the learning outcomes described in the curriculum are achieved and if the application is successful for admission, advanced entry or exemption.
5. Certification of the results of the assessment. The outcomes of this stage could be one of the following, if your application is successful:
   • Credit towards an award or exemption from a programme module.
   • Advanced entry to a programme.
   • Entry to a programme.

How to Apply for RPL at TUS

In TUS we have an RPL Project Lead who can be contacted at rpl@tus.ie for assistance and further information.

We advise that you should first contact the programme leader, head of department or your module lecturer to discuss your intention to submit an RPL application.

There are two main application forms that you may need to complete if applying for RPL.

RPL Module Exemption application form – for TUS registered students only. This is the form to complete if you are applying for an exemption in a module/s based on prior formal learning. You can complete this form if you have accepted a place on a TUS Programme, if you have registered for the module and if you wish to be considered exempt from the module.

Please note: This form does not relate to using RPL to meet the admissions requirements of a programme. If you are a prospective student seeking admission to TUS and you do not meet the required admissions criteria you may apply to be admitted based on recognition of prior learning, including experiential learning and will need to complete the RPL application form below.

RPL application form (Portfolio of learning) – this is the form to fill out if you are applying for RPL (admission or advanced entry) based on your prior learning. If you are applying using a combination of formal, non-formal and informal learning you should complete this form. This is an opportunity for learners to reflect on their learning to show how this aligns with the programme modules learning outcomes.

Applicants who do not meet the academic entry requirements may be able to use RPL to support their application for admission to a TUS programme.

Applicants who wish to get academic advise on admission to a programme using RPL should contact the relevant Head of Department.

Module content is accessible through the relevant academic department

Along with submitting Employment and Education details you will be required to:

• Review the course and details of the module (the learning outcomes) that you wish to gain an exemption for
• Demonstrate the connection between your previous learning experience and the learning outcomes of the module
• Map your prior learning to the learning outcomes of the module in a clear and logical manner and provide sound evidence