Dual Credit

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Ready to Get a Head Start on College?

As Indiana’s true pioneer in education, Vincennes University was the very first college in the state to open the door to dual credit. For decades, we have been helping high school students get a head start on their college degrees. Our accredited programs give you real college credits that save you time and money while building your academic confidence.

You can explore all of our Project EXCEL and Early College options below, where you will find our easy online application, course descriptions, and helpful student tools. 

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Dual Credit documentation

Dual Credit Policies and Procedures

Dual Credit Student Handbook

Dual Credit Instructor Handbook

A teacher and two students in a lab engage with a small device on a table.

COURSE LISTING, PLACEMENT, AND TESTING

Vincennes University Dual Credit, offers a wide variety of courses in both liberal arts and career and technical education.

The following documents include information regarding the number of credit hours the student will earn on their VU transcript for each successfully completed course, as well as, the total number of lecture and/or lab hours to be spent in the classroom EACH week, for each course.

The courses available at each partner school are dependent upon the VU approved instructors for each discipline and course.
ONLINE APPLICATION

Online Application & Course Selection

All new and returning VU Dual Credit students must complete the online application each term to begin the enrollment process. Our online portal integrates both the application and course selection into one streamlined step.

  • New Students: Create an account and submit your application to be admitted and assigned a VU Student ID (A#). This ID is required for all enrollments and Accuplacer placement testing.
  • Returning Students: Log in to your existing account, select the current term, and update your contact information.

Course Selection & Approval
After submitting your application, students will proceed directly to the course selection screen. Please note that selecting a course is a request and does not guarantee immediate enrollment. Our team must verify that you meet all course requirements before you are officially added to the roster. Students can track their approval status at any time through their student portal.

ADVISING & RESOURCES

The purpose of dual credit advising is to help you navigate the process of earning college credit while still in high school. By considering the interests and future plans, resources and support are available to ensure you are taking courses to help reduce your time to a college degree.

Students can now request a meeting with our office to discuss their dual credit path. Use the 'Schedule 1-on-1 Dual Credit Advising' button to fill out a meeting request and schedule your appointment.

Course Planning

Choosing appropriate courses will save you time and money on your way to your college degree. Choose courses that are right for you by considering the following tips:

  1. What are your academic goals?
  2. What type of courses are you interested in taking?
  3. What requirement is the course fulfilling (either high school diploma requirement or college degree/certificate requirement)?
  4. Do you meet any applicable course prerequisites and/or placement scores?
  5. How many classes or credit hours would benefit you the most?

Resources:

Project Excel Students

VU Project Excel Celebrates 50 years

Vincennes University is celebrating a landmark achievement: the 50th anniversary of Project EXCEL, Indiana’s first dual credit program and a transformative force in education since 1975.
A group of students and a teacher are gathered in a classroom, smiling and interacting.

History of our Dual Credit programs

Vincennes University has been a pioneer in concurrent enrollment programming. The idea of concurrent enrollment first emerged in 1975, conceived by Dr. Gerald Altstadt, then Dean of Vincennes University's Jasper campus. This led to a partnership with Marian Heights Academy, an all-girls boarding school in Ferdinand, Indiana. Thirteen high school seniors enrolled in VU English Composition I and VU Plant & Animal Biology. The program, currently known as dual credit, then expanded to Loogootee High School, Loogootee, IN, where a high school instructor taught a VU Intro to Chemistry course. In 1985 the name of the dual credit program became known as Project EXCEL.

This dual credit program quickly grew across Indiana, with 1,157 unique students enrolled in VU Project EXCEL courses across 28 counties by the Fall of 2002.

Building upon the foundation laid by Project EXCEL, a new, more comprehensive approach to dual credit began in 2007. This was the launch of the Vincennes University Early College program, a significant evolution in the partnership between the MSD of Wayne Township and Vincennes University. It began at Ben Davis University Early College High School, born from a simple yet profound conversation—and, as legend has it, an idea jotted down on a napkin—between then Vincennes University President, Dick Helton and then MSD of Wayne Township Superintendent, Terry Thompson. From that initial spark, a full-fledged program developed, with its first class proudly graduating in 2010.

From those early conversations and first classes, the dual credit vision has exploded in scale; by 2024, the University supported over 27,000 enrollments across its Fall and Spring semesters.
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NACEP Accredited

As the first college in Indiana to offer dual credit back in 1972, Vincennes University has decades of experience helping students get ahead. NACEP Accredited since 2005, VU has continually demonstrated its commitment to maintaining high standards in dual credit education. By becoming an Dual Credit partner, your students can earn college credits while still in high school, giving them a head start on their higher education journey.