Accreditation for Personal and Professional Experience
May 02 2022The Accreditation for Personal and Professional Experience, or VAPP, is a mechanism specific to higher education.
Created in 1985, it allows individuals to apply for degree-granting programs without having earned prior degrees or qualifications, by taking into account personal and professional experience.
The Steps Involved in VAPP
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Choosing a program and identifying prerequisites
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Contacting the VAPP department to assess the feasibility of your project
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Paying application fees and submitting a digital VAPP application with the required documents
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Sending your complete application to the VAPP department
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Approval of your application by the VAPP department
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Application is reviewed by the specific commission for the desired program
In their application, VAPP candidates should describe and analyze their skills and knowledge and demonstrate their capacity to learn. They are also asked to provide varying evidence that demonstrates experience acquired throughout their professional and personal life.
Experience acquired through the following avenues are taken into consideration:
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Initial or continuing education completed in public or private institutions, with or without certifications
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Professional experience as an employee or intern
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Personal experience of any nature: participating in charity, committee, or union work, educational trips, etc.
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French and international qualifications
VAPP allows future students to apply for a program, but does not exempt them from the program’s selection process. Candidates should simultaneously apply for their desired program to meet application deadlines.
VAPP recognizes a level experience that exempt a candidate from certain prerequisites, but does not grant the degree for which the exemption was granted.
VAPP is only valid for the chosen program and for the start of the following academic year.
Successful VAPP candidates may require additional classes or be exempt from taking certain classes.