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Transfer of AP / IB Credits

You may receive Northwestern credit for your Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) test scores and/or be able to skip introductory courses in some sequences.

Please follow these procedures to ensure that your AP / IB credits are properly transferred.

For Incoming First Year Students

For information on submitting AP or IB scores, please review the score submission guidelines section on the Office of the Registrar's Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB). 

For Upper-Class Students

If your AP/IB credit does not appear on your unofficial transcript on CAESAR, check with the Office of the Registrar at nu-registrar@northwestern.edu or phone: 847-491-5334. 

Northwestern Credits Granted

The matrix on this page shows what credit (if any) is granted for a particular score on a particular exam. This matrix may be altered on a yearly basis and will show the information for the current academic year. Credit is not final until it has been posted to your Northwestern transcript by the Office of the Registrar.

The next question after determining how many and which units of credit you have been awarded, is how they can be applied to McCormick degree requirements. See the section below for further specifics.

AP Credit Table: 2023-2024

Exam

Score

Course Credit Authorized

Area to Allocate Course

African American Studies 

5

1 unit (AF_AM_ST 2XX)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Art History

5

1 unit (Art History 2XX)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Art: Drawing

5

1 unit (Art 2XX)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Art: 2-D Art and Design

5

1 unit (Art 2XX)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective
Art: 3-D Art and Design 5 1 unit (Art 2XX) Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Biology

5

1 unit (Biol Sci 1XX)

Unrestricted Elective

Chemistry

4

1 unit (Chem 1X0)

Basic Science or Unrestricted Elective. Will depend on the degree.

Chemistry

5

3.68 units (Chem 1X0, 1X1, 1X2, and lab courses 11X, 12X)

Basic Science or Unrestricted Elective. Will depend on the degree.

Chinese Language and Culture

4

1 unit (Chinese 1LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Chinese Language and Culture

5

2 units (Chinese 1LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Computer Science A

4, 5

1 unit (Comp Sci 150)

Unrestricted Elective or Major Requirement. Dependent on degree program.

Computer Science Principles

4,5

1 unit (Comp Sci 1XX)

Unrestricted Elective

Economics-Macro

5

1 unit (Economics 201)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Economics-Micro

5

1 unit (Economics 202)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

English (Language and Composition)

5

2 units (English 1LC)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

English (Literature and Composition)

5

2 units (English 1LT)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Environmental Science

5

1 unit (Envr Sci 1XX)

Unrestricted Elective

French Language and Culture

4

1 unit (French 1LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

French Language and Culture

5

2 units (French 2LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Geography (Human)

5

1 unit (Geography 1XX)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

German Language and Culture

4

1 unit (German 1LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

German Language and Culture

5

2 units (German 2LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Government and Politics (United States)

5

1 unit (Poli Sci 2XX)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Government and Politics (Comparative)

5

1 unit (Poli Sci 2XX)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

History (European)

5

2 units (History 2EU)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

History (United States)

5

2 units (History 2US)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

History (World)

5

2 units (History 2WL)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Italian Language and Culture

4

1 unit (Italian 2LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Italian Language and Culture

5

2 units (Italian 2LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Japanese Language and Culture

4

1 unit (Japanese 1LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Japanese Language and Culture

5

2 units (Japanese 1LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Latin

4

1 unit (Latin 2LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Latin

5

2 units (Latin 2LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Mathematics (Calculus) AB, or the AB subscore of Calculus BC, for exams taken either before or after the calendar year 2020

4

1 unit (Math 220-1)

Math Requirement

Mathematics (Calculus) AB, or the AB subscore of Calculus BC, for exams taken either before or after the calendar year 2020

5

2 units (Math 220-1,2) 

Math Requirement

Mathematics (Calculus) BC, for exams taken either before or after calendar year 2020

Below 4

See Mathematics AB

See Mathematics AB

Mathematics (Calculus) BC, for exams taken either before or after calendar year 2020

 4

2 units (Math 220-1,2) 

Math Requirement

Mathematics (Calculus) BC, for exams taken either before or after calendar year 2020

 5

3 units (Math 220-1,2 & 
Math 226-0)

Math Requirement & Unrestricted elective (Math 226-0)

Mathematics (Calculus) AB, for exams taken in 2020 

4

1 unit (Math 220-1)

Math Requirement

Mathematics (Calculus) AB, for exams taken in 2020 

5

2 units (Math 220-1,2) 

Math Requirement

Mathematics (Calculus) BC, for exams taken in 2020 

4

2 units (Math 220-1,2) 

Math Requirement

Mathematics (Calculus) BC, for exams taken in 2020 

5

3 units (Math 220-1,2 & 
Math 2XX)

Math Requirement & Unrestricted elective (Math 2XX)

Music Theory

5

1 unit (Gen Mus 252)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Physics 1

5

1.34 units (Physics 130-1 and lab course 13X-1)

Unrestricted Elective

Physics 2

5

1.34 units (Physics 130-2 and lab course 13X-2)

Unrestricted Elective

Physics C (Mechanics)

5

1.34 units (Physics 135-1 and lab course 136-1)

Unrestricted elective

Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism), for exams taken either before or after calendar year 2020

5

1.34 units (Physics 135-2 and lab course 136-2)

Basic science or unrestricted elective

Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism), for exams taken in 2020

 5

1.34 units (Physics 1XX and lab 1XL)

Unrestricted elective 

Psychology

5

1 unit ( Psychology 110)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Spanish Language and Culture

4

1 unit (Spanish 2LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Spanish Language and Culture

5

2 units (Spanish 2LN)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Spanish Literature and Culture

4

1 unit (Spanish 2LT)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Spanish Literature and Culture

5

2 units (Spanish 2LT)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Statistics, for exams taken either before or after calendar year 2020

4,5

1 unit (Statistics 210)

Unrestricted Elective

Statistics, for exams taken in 2020

 4

 1 unit (Statistics 1XX)

 Unrestricted Elective

Statistics, for exams taken in 2020

 5

1 unit (Statistics 210)

  Unrestricted Elective

Recognition for International Baccalaureate Testing

The following list is not exhaustive. Northwestern grants credit for sufficiently high scores on most HL (Higher Level) IB exams. Northwestern does not grant credit for any SL (Standard Level) IB exams. 

IB Higher Level Exam

Score

Northwestern Credit

Area to Allocate Course

Arts (Visual)

6,7

1 unit (Art 2XX)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Biology

6,7

1 unit (Biol Sci 1XX)

Unrestricted Elective

Chemistry

5,6

1 unit (Chem 1X0)

Basic Science or Unrestricted Elective

Chemistry

7

3.68 units (Chem 1X0, 1X1, 1X2, and lab courses 11X, 12X)

Basic Science or Unrestricted Elective

Computer Science

5,6,7

1 unit (Comp Sci 150)

Unrestricted Elective or Major Requirement. Dependent on degree program.

Economics

6,7

2 units (Econ 201, 202)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Geography

6,7

1 unit (Geog 1XX)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

History
(Americas)

6,7

2 units (History 2AM)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

History (European)

6,7

2 units (History 2EU)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

History (Asia and Oceania, or Africa and Middle East)

6,7

2 units (History 2XX)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Language A – English Literature

6,7

2 units (English 1LT)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Language A – English Language and Literature

6,7

2 units (English 1LC)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Language A – Literature (all languages other than English)

6

1 unit of 1XX in the relevant language

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Language A – Literature (all languages other than English)

7

2 unit of 1XX in the relevant language

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Language B (no credit if the language is English)

6

 1 unit of 1XX in the relevant language

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Language B (no credit if the language is English)

7

2 unit of 1XX in the relevant language

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Language – Classical (Latin or Classical Greek)

6

1 unit of 1XX in the relevant language

Theme or Unrestricted Elective
Language – Classical (Latin or Classical Greek) 7 2 unit of 1XX in the relevant language Theme or Unrestricted Elective

Mathematics (test 2020 or earlier)

6,7

1 unit (Math 220-1)*

Mathematics

Further Mathematics (test  2020 or earlier)

 6,7

4 units (Math 220-1, 2; Math 226; Stat 210)

Mathematics (Math 220-1, -2)
Unrestricted Elective (Math 226, Stat 210)

Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches, or Applications and Interpretation

 6

 1 unit (Math 2XX)

Unrestricted Elective

Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches, or Applications and Interpretation

 7

 2 units (Math 2XX)

Unrestricted Elective
Philosophy

7

1 unit (Phil 1XX)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective
Physics

6,7

2.68 units (Physics 130-1,2 and lab courses 13X-1,2)

Unrestricted Elective
Politics (Global)

6,7

1 unit (Poli Sci 2XX )

Theme or Unrestricted Elective
Psychology

6,7

1 unit (Psych 110)

Theme or Unrestricted Elective

* A student who earns a score of 6 or 7 on the IB Mathematics HL examination may be eligible for additional credit if their examination includes the Calculus Option (credit for MATH 220-2 and MATH 226-0) or the Statistics and Probability option (credit for STAT 210-0). To apply for additional credit, the student must have their high school IB Diploma Programme Coordinator submit a copy of the student's IB Registration Summary to the Office of the Registrar. 

If you have taken an exam not listed here (British A-Levels, for example) and wish to discuss earning credit, please e-mail your McCormick first year adviser for further information.