Assessment Methods

Portfolio Development

A portfolio is an organized collection of essays and documentation demonstrating your learning through work and life experiences. Through the portfolio, you show that the knowledge you have gained through experience is equivalent to courses at Old Dominion University. A portfolio may contain several subject areas, for example, organizational psychology, public speaking and information systems management. Each course equivalent is referred to as a section and is evaluated by a faculty expert in that field.

Good candidates for portfolio development are:

• Returning adult students with significant work experience
• Employed at least 5-7 years in a particular field, with increasing responsibilities
• Highly organized; effective speakers, writers
• Highly motivated; will work independently to complete a project
• Able to reflect on their work and training experiences

With departmental approval, you may opt to develop a portfolio for one or more courses. If you have significant work experience related to your academic major without having completed a formal training program that can be evaluated, a portfolio might be a good option for you.