Advanced Placement (AP) Credit
To receive advanced placement credit
Students who wish to receive course credit for AP exam scores should request that an official grade report transcript of their AP exam scores be sent to Western Michigan University. Once the scores have been evaluated, students are notified of their placement by email.
Test scores and official transcripts can be sent to:
WMU Admissions
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5211
@email
College code
WMU’s college code is 1902. To learn more about requesting official AP scores, visit College Board or call toll-free at (888) 225-5427.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT credit
For credit eligibility, WMU requires a minimum score of 3 for most exams; however, there are some that require a minimum score of 4 or 5. Please review the table below carefully.
The following table lists Advanced Placement (AP) score requirements, along with the equivalent course(s) awarded for each exam. This information is subject to change without notice.
| Exam | Exam Number | Required Score | Credit Award | Semester Hours | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African American Studies | 116 | 4 to 5 | AAAS 2000 | 3 | ||
| Art History | 13 | 3 to 5 | ART 2200 | 3 | ||
| Biology | 20 | 3 to 5 | BIOS 1600 | 3 | ||
| Calculus AB | 66 | 3 to 5 | MATH 1220 | 4 | ||
| Calculus BC | 68 | 3 to 5 | MATH 1220, 1230 | 8 | ||
| Chemistry | 25 | 3 to 4 | CHEM 1100, 1110 | 4 | ||
| 25 | 5 | CHEM 1100, 1110, 1120, 1130 | 8 | |||
| Chinese Language and Culture | 28 | 3 | CHIN 1000, 1010 | 8 | ||
| 28 | 4 to 5 | Departmental recommendation | ||||
| Computer Science A | 31 | 3 to 5 | Departmental recommendation | 4 | ||
| Computer Science Principles | 32 | 3 to 5 | CS 1106 | 3 | ||
| Economics: Macro | 35 | 3 to 5 | ECON 2020 | 3 | ||
| Economics: Micro | 34 | 3 to 5 | ECON 2010 | 3 | ||
| English Language Composition | 36 | 3 to 5 | ENGL 1050 (Composition) | 3 | ||
| English Literature and Composition | 37 | 3 | ENGL 1050 (Composition) | 3 | ||
| 37 | 4 to 5 | ENGL 1050 or ENGL 1100 (Literature) | 3 or 4 | |||
| Environmental Science | 40 | 3 to 5 | ENVS 2150 | 3 | ||
| European History | 43 | 4 to 5 | HIST 1010 | 3 | ||
| French (Language or Literature) | 48 | 3 | FREN 1000, 1010 | 8 | ||
| 48 | 4 to 5 | Departmental recommendation | ||||
| German | 55 | 3 | GER 1000, 1010 | 8 | ||
| 55 | 4 to 5 | GER 2000, 2010 | 8 | |||
| Government and Politics: Comparative | 58 | 3 to 5 | PSCI 2400 | 3 | ||
| Government and Politics: United States | 57 | 3 to 5 | PSCI 2000 | 3 | ||
| Human Geography | 53 | 3 to 5 | GEOG 2050 | 3 | ||
| Italian Language and Culture | 62 | 3 | ITAL 1000, 1010 | 8 | ||
| 62 | 4 to 5 | Departmental recommendation | ||||
| Japanese Language and Culture | 64 | 3 | JPNS 1000, 1010 | 8 | ||
| 64 | 4 | JPNS 2000 | 4 | |||
| 64 | 5 | JPNS 2000, 2010 | 8 | |||
| Latin (Literature or Vergil) | 60 | 3 | LAT 1000, 1010 | 8 | ||
| 60 | 4 to 5 | Departmental recommendation | ||||
| Music: Aural | 76 | 5 | MUS 2170 | 1 | ||
| Music Theory | 75 | 4 to 5 | MUS 1590 | 2 | ||
| Physics 1 | 83 | 3 to 5 | PHYS 1070, 1080, 1130, 1140 | 10 | ||
| Physics 2 | 84 | 3 to 5 | PHYS 1150, 1160 | 5 | ||
| Physics B | 78 | 4 to 5 | PHYS 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160 | 10 | ||
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 82 | 4 to 5 | PHYS 2070, 2080 | 5 | ||
| Physics C: Mechanics | 80 | 4 to 5 | PHYS 2050, 2060 | 5 | ||
| Pre-Calculus | 65 | 4 to 5 | MATH 1180 | 4 | ||
| Psychology | 85 | 3 to 5 | PSY 1000 | 3 | ||
| Spanish (Language or Literature) | 87 (Language), 89 (Literature) | 3 | SPAN 1000, 1010 | 8 | ||
| 87, 89 | 4 | SPAN 1000, 1010 and 2000 | 12 | |||
| 87, 89 | 5 | SPAN 1000, 1010, 2000 and 2010 | 16 | |||
| Statistics | 90 | 3 to 5 | STAT 1600 | 3 | ||
| Studio Art (Drawing, 2D, or 3D Design) | 14 (Studio Drawing), 15 (Studio 2D Design), 16 (Studio 3D Design) | 3 to 5 | Non-art majors: ART 1300 or ART 1400 Art majors: Departmental recommendation | 3 | ||
| U.S. History | 07 | 4 to 5 | HIST 2100, 2110 | 6 | ||
| World History | 93 | 4 to 5 | HIST 2030 | 3 |
AP credit awarding process
AP credits are not applied to a student’s record until after the start of their first semester at WMU. Students entering in the fall semester can expect to have their credits applied by mid-October. Students entering in the spring semester can expect to have their credits applied by mid-March.
Grade reports received after the semester begins will be evaluated and credit applied as appropriate before the registration opens for the proceeding semester.
Academic advising
Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor to discuss anticipated AP credit before registering for classes. Advisors, prior to credit being granted, can view evaluated scores.
Departmental recommendation
Students should meet with the appropriate department(s) to determine departmental credit eligibility. The department will determine the specific course credit and forward the decision to the Registrar’s Office. Students are encouraged to contact the department(s) upon arrival to the University.
English credit
Students receiving a score of 4 or 5 on the English Literature and Composition examination will have a choice of course credit at WMU. Students will be emailed a form that allows them to choose which course for which they want credit but they are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor first to determine which course best meets the needs of their academic program.