Undergraduate Study / AdmissionsTransfer 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
- Have your scores sent directly to Northwestern by the testing service. If you listed Northwestern as a recipient school when you took your AP or IB exams, that should happen automatically.
- If you did not initially ask your testing service to send your exam scores to Northwestern, please contact them immediately and ask them to do so now. As a backup, bring a copy of your scores with you in September.
- Credit for AP / IB scores will be posted on your transcript as quickly as the university can process it. In most cases, that will happen before the beginning of the fall term.
- If you did not originally request that your scores be sent to Northwestern, it may take longer to post any credit you receive. As long as you know your scores, however, you should plan your schedule based on your school's AP / IB policies.
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 633 Clark Street, phone: 847-491-5334. Bring a copy of your AP/IB score report with you.
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 / IB Credit Recognition and Distribution Requirements
Exam |
Score |
Course Credit Authorized |
Area to Allocate Course |
---|---|---|---|
Art History |
5 |
1 unit (Art History 2XX) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
Studio Art |
5 |
1 unit (Art 2XX) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
Biology |
5 |
1 unit (Biol Sci 1XX) |
Unrestricted Elective |
Chemistry |
3, 4 |
1 unit (Chem 1X0); placement in Chem 171/181. |
Basic Science or Unrestricted Elective. Will depend on the degree. |
Chemistry |
5 |
3.68 units (Chem 1X0, 1X1, 1X2, and lab courses 11X, 12X); placement in Chem 210-1 or 212-1/232-1. |
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 (EECS 110) |
Unrestricted Elective |
Computer Science Principles |
4,5 |
1 unit (EECS 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) |
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 (U.S.) |
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 |
4,5 |
1 unit (Math 220) |
Math Requirement |
Mathematics (Calculus) BC |
Below 4 4,5 |
See Mathematics AB 2 units (Math 220, Math 224) |
Math Requirement Math Requirement |
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 B (replaced by Physics 1 and Physics 2 in 2014-2015) |
5 |
2.68 units (Physics 130-1,2 and lab courses 13X-1,2) |
Unrestricted Elective |
Physics C (Mechanics) |
5 |
1.34 units (Physics 135-1 and lab course 136-1) |
Unrestricted elective |
Physics C (Electricity & Magnetism) |
5 |
1.34 units (Physics 135-2 and lab course 136-2) |
Basic science or unrestricted elective |
Psychology |
5 |
1 unit ( Psychology 110) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
Spanish Language |
4 |
1 unit (Spanish 2LN) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
Spanish Language |
5 |
2 units (Spanish 2LN) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
Spanish Literature |
4 |
1 unit (Spanish 2LT) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
Spanish Literature |
5 |
2 units (Spanish 2LT) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
Statistics |
4,5 |
1 unit (Statistics 202) |
Unrestricted Elective |
Recognition for International Baccalaureate Testing
IB Higher Level Exam |
Score |
Northwestern Credit |
Distribution Credit Authorized |
---|---|---|---|
Biology |
6,7 |
1 unit (Biol Sci 1XX) |
Unrestricted Elective |
Chemistry |
5,6 |
1 unit (Chem 1X0; placement in 171/181) |
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 (EECS 110) |
Unrestricted Elective |
Economics |
6,7 |
2 units (Econ 201, 202) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
English |
6,7 |
1 unit (English 1XX) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
Foreign Language (all languages) |
6 |
1 unit of 1XX in the relevant language |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
Foreign Language (all languages) |
7 |
2 units of 2XX in the relevant language |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
History |
6,7 |
2 units (History 2AM) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
History (European) |
6,7 |
2 units (History 2EU) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
Mathematics |
6,7 |
1 unit (Math 220) |
Mathematics |
Physics |
6,7 |
2.68 units (Physics 130-1,2 and lab courses 13X-1,2) |
Unrestricted Elective |
Psychology |
6,7 |
1 unit (Psych 110) |
Theme or Unrestricted Elective |
Transfer Credits
McCormick follows Northwestern’s requirements for transfer credits. Please consult Northwestern's Office of Undergraduate Admission for information on which credits you can transfer from another institution.