What about my AP, IB, A-Level credit?
AP, IB, A-Level Credit
AP, IB, or A-level credit will increase your flexibility at USC to take courses that are of interest to you.
The partial list below should answer most of your questions. Please see the USC Office of Articulation website for a complete understanding of how your advanced work in high school can help with USC degree requirements.
USC Office of Articulation WebsiteAP CREDIT
Any AP Exam with a score of 4 or 5 will get you 4 units of credit at USC. In addition to unit credits, some AP scores can help you complete degree requirements. Most commonly for engineering students, the following exams can satisfy or waive the listed USC requirements for an engineering degree:
- Calculus AB: GE Category F, MATH 125
- Calculus BC: GE Category F, MATH 125 (Score of 4), Math 126 (Score of 5)
- *Chemistry: CHEM 105aL, GE Category E
- *Biology: GE Category D, BISC 120L
- **Physics (B, C, 1, or 2): GE Category E | ***Computer Science Majors and Industrial & Systems Majors– See Physics Note Below
- Statistics: GE Category F
- Economics (Micro or Macro): GE Category F
- Art History: GE Category A
- European History: GE Category H
- US History: GE Category H
- World History: GE Category H
IB CREDIT
IB credit can be granted either from the International Baccalaureate Diploma, or individual Higher Level Exams. You can receive either 20 units of credit from the IB Diploma with a score of 30 or higher, or 6 semester units of credit for each score of 5, 6, or 7 on Higher Level exams, up to the maximum of four exams, whichever is higher.
- Mathematics HL (Analysis & Approaches or Applications & Interpretations): GE Category F, MATH 125 (Score of 5, 6, or 7)
- *Chemistry: GE Category E, CHEM 105a, GE Category E (Score of 6 or 7)
- *Biology: GE Category D, BISC 120 (Score of 6 or 7)
- **Physics: GE Category E | ***Computer Science Majors and Industrial & Systems Majors– See Physics Note Below
- Economics: GE Category F
- History of Africa & the Middle East: GE Category H
- History of Asia/Oceania: GE Category H
- History of the Americas: GE Category H
- History of Europe: GE Category H
- Dance, Film, Music, Theater, or Visual Arts: GE Category A
- Global Politics: GE Category G
A-LEVEL EXAMS
USC awards 8 semester units of elective credit for A-level exams, along with H2 exams in Singapore, with a score of B or better.
- Art & Design, Music: GE Category A
- *Biology & Marine Science: GE Category D
- *Chemistry: GE Category E, CHEM 105aL
- Classical Studies, Divinity and Islamic Studies: GE Category H
- Economics: GE Category F
- History: GE Category G
- Mathematics: GE Category F, MATH 125
- Further Mathematics: GE Category F
- **Physics: GE Category E | ***Computer Science Majors and Industrial & Systems Majors– See Physics Note Below
Important Notes:
Although every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of this information, the USC catalogue and the USC articulation website should be considered the documents of authority.
Students may not receive credit for both an AP exam (or IB or other international exam) and a college course taken before high school graduation covering the same subject matter, not for an AP and IB exam covering the same subject matter.
*Pre-med students:
Many medical schools do not accept AP, IB, or A-level credit in lieu of college-level course credit to fulfill admission requirements.
**Physics:
Specific, higher-level USC physics courses (e.g. PHYS 151, 152, 153) are required of most engineering majors. AP, IB, and A-level credit does not cover these courses.
*** Physics for Computer Science Majors and Industrial & Systems Majors:
AP, IB, and A-Level physics exams are not equivalent to PHYS 151 or PHYS 152. However, AP Physics C (Mechanics and Electricity/Magnetism) with a score of a 4 or a 5 can satisfy some requirements for Computer Science and Industrial & Systems majors under select conditions. Please note the following for these specific majors.
- CSCI: AP Physics C (Mechanics) + AP Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism) or PHYS 151 + AP Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism) or AP Physics C (Mechanics) + PHYS 152 satisfy the Basic Science I & II requirement as part of the degree program.
- CSBA: AP Physics C (Mechanics) or AP Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism) satisfies the Basic Science requirement as part of the degree program.
- CECS: Students pursuing the Embedded Systems emphasis with the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department must take PHYS 151 or 161 or 171 and PHYS 152 or 162 or 172 for the one year physics requirement as part of the degree program. Students pursuing the Computing Systems emphasis with the Computer Science Department may satisfy the one year physics requirement with AP Physics C (Mechanics) and AP Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism).
- CSGA: AP Physics C (Mechanics) satisfies the PHYS 151 requirement.
- ISE: AP Physics C (Mechanics) + AP Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism) or PHYS 151 + AP Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism) or AP Physics C (Mechanics) + PHYS 152 satisfy the Physics requirement as part of the degree program.
A score of 6 or 7 on the IB Higher Level Physics exam and a score of B or better on the A-level Physics exam satisfies the basic science requirement for CSCI, CSBA, and CSGM, and CECS (Computing Systems).
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