Admissions Information

How to Apply

Step 1:  First time applicants may download an application form or request a form be mailed.

Step 2: You will need to mail or fax your application form, narrative essay, union verification, and $60 application fee to the Admissions Office before your application process may be completed. Failure to include all required documentation will delay your acceptance. Fax forms to: Admissions Office at 301-628-0160

Step 3: Please be sure to schedule a pre-registration advising consultation with one of our academic advisors before you register for any classes. Contact Julie Ann Mendez-Deleon at jm-deleon@nlc.edu or Pat Greenfield at pgreenfield@nlc.edu for help.

Step 4: Request official sealed transcripts of credits from: prior colleges or universities, military training, ACE assessed apprenticeships, training, or licenses to be sent directly to the NLC Admissions Office. Applicants are advised to request unofficial copies for their personal records. Review the transfer credit guidelines in our course catalog. Transfer credits must be from an accredited college or university and have a grade of "C" or higher. Developmental coursework cannot be transferred toward a degree.

Step 5: Register for classes. New applicants to the National Labor College are required to speak with an advisor prior to registering for classes. This ensures that the students will select the appropriate courses to efficiently complete the requirements for their selected major.

Acceptance to the college is contingent upon the receipt of all required documentation. An official letter of acceptance will be sent to all applicants who complete the application process. The National Labor College does not discriminate with regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex age, status as a qualified person with a disability or handicap, marital status or, sexual orientation.

The National Labor College accepts applicants throughout the year, however an application must be received one month prior to each term's start date to start in that term. This will allow time to process the application and the necessary documentation required. Students may take classes in spring, summer, or fall terms.

The National Labor College is an upper-level degree completion program. Students with less than the requisite number of credits for admission are encouraged to begin, and continue, coursework with the NLC and/or other colleges until they meet the requisite number of credits required for matriculation to our degree programs. Students with less than the requisite number of credits are classified as non-matriculating and are therefore not eligible for federal financial aid.

BA Degree Requirements

Prospective students for the Bachelor of Arts program must have completed at least 56 semester hours of coursework before they can be admitted into our academic programs. Satisfactory completion of 120 semester credits is required including 3 credit hours in each of the following areas; English, Math, Science, Social Science and Humanities.

The college accepts up to 90 transfer credits towards a Bachelor of Arts degree. Transfer credit may include credits for life experience, selected apprenticeships, union skills courses, military service, and previously earned college credit.

BTPS Degree Requirements

Prospective students for the Bachelor's of Technical and Professional Studies must have completed at least 45 hours of coursework prior to being admitted to the program Satisfactory completion of 120 semester credits is required including 3 credit hours in each of the following areas; English, Math, Science, Social Science and Humanities.

The college accepts up to 69 transfer credits and also requires that 15 of the 30 experiential learning credits be in a technical or professional area. Students who have already completed over 60 hours of coursework are often advised to consider the enrolling in the BA program. For more details on Bachelor of Technical and Professional Studies degree requirements and classes contact Jean Dearden at 301-431-5430 or jdearden@nlc.edu.

Experiential Learning Credits

Experiential learning credits enable students to earn college credits for skills learned and knowledge acquired outside of the traditional college classroom setting. Types of credits may include: on-the-job training, union work, volunteer work in the community, starting a business, or through some craft or hobby mastered over the years. The key to receiving credits lies in the student's ability to demonstrate his learning through written essays, documentation and other sources of verification through the portfolio process. Students who wish to receive experiential credits must complete the coursework in the Education Planning class.

Interested in finding out if you are eligible to earn up to one year of college-level credit in the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Program? Click here to learn more.