AP, IB and pre-matriculation (transfer) credit in your first semester

• View the complete list of AP and IB score equivalencies at CWRU
• How to send AP scores from the College Board
• How to send IB scores from the International Baccalaureate Organization

Credit for British A-Level exams and other foreign credentials that are equivalent to college-level coursework are determined on a case-by-case basis. Scores are not typically available until two months following your exam date, so you will need to register for courses assuming no credit will be earned. Please send your official score reports as soon as possible to the Undergraduate Advising Support Office, ugadvisingsupport@case.edu. Once credit is determined, you will be able to make adjustments to your schedule during Discover Week.

Students who would like to have college-level coursework taken during high school reviewed for credit should complete and submit the College Credit Eligibility form (available via their Roadmap). 

Be sure to review the transfer credit policy to make sure your courses are eligible for consideration. Completion of the evaluation form requires a signature from your high school guidance counselor, so it is important to be mindful of your high school’s academic calendar when working through this process.

Pre-med and pre-health students should review the AP and IB credit guidance from the Career Center.

This is an individual decision - consider the following:

• How long has it been since you took the course? 
• How did you perform in the course? How do you feel about the quality of your learning experience? 
• Is this a course that is important to the study of your major? Might it be beneficial to reinforce your understanding of this material? 
• What does the rest of your schedule look like? Are you going to be overly-challenged by this course in addition to your other courses? 

If you do decide to “use” your AP/IB credit, you can choose to move ahead in a course sequence (if applicable) or use the space to explore other interests or take electives. Your four-year advisor is a great resource to discuss your particular plans.

Incoming credit from AP and IB exams, as well as pre-matriculation (transfer) credit, can count towards major, breadth, or elective credit, and depends on your specific area of study. Your four-year advisor is the best person to answer this question.

You should submit the “Test Scores and College Credit Evaluations” form from your Roadmap by Friday June 13; this indicates your intent to send official scores/credit.

You will still need to send the official scores or forms for review, and should do so as soon as they are available.
 

You will be able to view this in SIS: click the "Grades and History" tile and then click on "Course History" - if the credit has been posted, it will show up there with the grade of “AP”, “IB” or "TR".

If you are intending to advance in a course sequence, you must have the pre-requisite credit posted in SIS.

Scores can take up to two weeks to arrive and process to your CWRU record, and therefore should be sent as soon as available.

We recommend that you request to "schedule send" the scores for any exams that you took in May of your senior year. This is the quickest way for those to arrive (typically the second week of July).

If you do not see your expected credit posted by mid-July, first confirm that you sent the official scores as required. Then, contact your four-year advisor for further troubleshooting support.

Note: If the credit does not impact your first semester course selections, then it's okay for the official scores to arrive later!

You will receive an email indicating what is eligible for transfer, and see any approved credit posted to your account in SIS. 

In most cases, you may need to take additional steps in order to complete evaluations, such as additional department-level review, and you will be notified of this if that is the case.

Every effort will be made to evaluate credit in time for registration. However, in an instance where the credit evaluation is not completed before registration opens, you should register for courses assuming NO credit will be earned and we can help you make adjustments to your schedule after the credit evaluation has been completed.

You will not be able to validate your shopping cart until your credit is posted. You should not request permission. Once the credit is posted, you will be able to enroll, and if you do not earn credit you should not enroll in the course. 

Proficiency exams are offered during Discover Week for some courses in math, physics, chemistry, and some programming courses. Students considering proficiency exams are highly encouraged to discuss this in advance with their four-year advisor. They can be a good alternative for students who are confident in the material but did not have the opportunity to earn credit (e.g. could not take the AP or IB exam or took a college-level course that did not transfer). Students should ensure they are adequately prepared with the content knowledge for success in the next-level course.

Otherwise, unfortunately there aren’t other options for earning credit if the coursework doesn’t meet the transfer eligibility criteria.

Students should keep in mind that there is no expectation that they arrive at CWRU with credit already earned - all of our programs are designed to be completed in eight semesters assuming no previous credit earned. 

General chemistry lecture sequence options include:

• Option 1: CHEM 105 (fall only), CHEM 106
  -or-
• Option 2: CHEM 111, ENGR 145

NOTE: Unless otherwise stated in major, students are advised to complete general chemistry coursework prior to the start of their second year (one of the two sequences above and CHEM 113, if required for major). 

Chemistry lab (CHEM 113): This is the general chemistry laboratory course that comprises the entire general chemistry lab requirement.

Students will register for this course if required for major or pre-med/pre-health requirements.

• This course is offered both fall and spring semesters, so it can be taken alongside either the first or second course in the general chemistry sequence.
• Students are encouraged to take this course as soon as their schedule allows, and it should be completed prior to the beginning of their second year.

If you have incoming AP/IB/transfer credit for CHEM 111, you may choose to do one of the following:

• If pursuing the CHEM 105/106 sequence:
  • Forfeit the credit and register for CHEM 105 to solidify understanding of the material, or
  • Register for CHEM 106 to advance in the sequence, or
  • Defer taking CHEM 106 until spring and replace with a different course of interest in the fall instead; some students pursue CHEM 113 in the fall (if required for major or pre-med/pre-health requirements), and CHEM 106 in the spring.
• If pursing the CHEM 111/ENGR 145 sequence:
  • Forfeit the credit and register for CHEM 111 to solidify understanding of the material, or 
  • Register for ENGR 145 in fall to advance in the sequence, or
  • Defer taking ENGR 145 until spring and replace with a different course of interest in the fall instead

Incoming AP/IB/transfer credit and your math placement score (if applicable) will impact where in the sequence you are eligible to begin your mathematics studies.

Math sequence options include:

• Option 1: MATH 120, 125, 126
  -or-
• Option 2: MATH 120, 121, 122, 223, 224
  -or-
• Option 3, by invitation only in late June/early July: MATH 124, 227
  • Please note: these courses require an email invitation from the department and associated prerequisites (e.g. AP/IB credit); if eligible, more information will be emailed to you. These courses can substitute for same-level math courses in the other sequences.

If you have incoming AP/IB/transfer credit for any calculus courses, you may choose to do one of the following:

• Forfeit the credit and register for the lower-level course in order to solidify understanding of the material, or
• Register for the next course in the sequence in fall (if required for major), or
• Defer taking the next course in the sequence until spring and replace with a different course of interest in the fall instead

Most languages allow for self-placement using the below guidelines, however please be sure to review the language-specific major recommendations.

• Students with no prior language experience may begin at the 101-level.
• For students with previous experience, one year of language in high school equals one semester in college. Students with four years of high school language and/or incoming AP/IB/transfer credit may begin at the 300-level, and should review major-specific recommendations for further instruction.
• Students uncertain of their placement may contact the faculty member teaching the course in which they want to enroll to discuss their background.

If you have incoming AP/IB/transfer credit for BIOL 114 or BIOL 200-TR, you may choose to:

• Forfeit the credit and take BIOL 114 in the fall in order to solidify your understanding of the material, or
• Replace this course with a breadth requirement, or
• Take no course

Some majors have specific guidance on when students should begin the PHYS sequence. The below information can be used to further guide your selection process.

Physics sequence options include:

• Option 1: PHYS 115, 116
  -or-
• Option 2: PHYS 121, 122
  -or-
• Option 3, by invitation only in late June/early July: PHYS 123
  • Please note: these courses require an email invitation from the department and associated prerequisites (e.g. AP/IB credit); if eligible, more information will be emailed to you. These courses can substitute for same-level physics courses in the other sequences.

Each PHYS course includes both a lecture and required lab component.

If pursuing the PHYS 121/122 sequence, please consider your MATH placement:

• Students should take PHYS 121 only when registered for MATH 121 (or higher).
• Students should not advance to PHYS 122 unless they are also at the MATH 122 level or higher.
• Students who place into MATH 120 via the math placement should take a computer programming course in the fall (determine by major recommendations) and PHYS 121 in the spring semester.

If you have credit for any PHYS course, you may choose to:

• If pursuing the or PHYS 121/122 sequence:
  • Forfeit the credit and register for PHYS 121 to solidify understanding of the material, or
  • Register for PHYS 122 in fall to advance in the sequence (if MATH prerequisite is satisfied), or
  • Defer taking PHYS 122 until spring and replace a different course of interest in the fall instead
• If pursuing the PHYS 115/116 sequence:
  • Forfeit credit and register for PHYS 115 to solidify understanding of the material, or
  • Defer taking PHYS 116 until spring (spring only course) and replace with a different course of interest in the fall instead

Be sure to consult the major-specific recommendations, as each engineering program has specific guidance for their degree requirements. The below information can be used to further guide your selection process.

Programming course options include:

• ENGR 130 
  -or-
• CSDS 101, 132 

If you opt for the CSDS sequence and have credit for CSDS 132 plus strong coding experience, you may choose to:

• Forfeit the credit and take the course in the fall to solidify your understanding of the material, or
• Register for CSDS 233 or 281 (if required by intended major), or
• Replace this course with a breadth requirement, or
• Take no course