Advanced Placement and Exemption

Undergraduate students admitted to Emory University as students in Emory College of Arts and Sciences (ECAS) or Oxford College may receive up to 12 credit hours towards hours required for graduation through acceptable Advanced Placement (AP) scores, International Baccalaureate (IB) scores, or other internationally recognized testing schemes (e.g. A-levels, French Baccalaureate), herein referred to as “recognized test scores.” Students with more than four acceptable test scores may receive a non-credit-bearing course waiver for each additional test.  

1. Faculty in ECAS and Oxford College will jointly determine the scores for specific tests that will be accepted, and the equivalent courses at Emory that tests can replace. AP scores below 4 and IB Higher Level scores below 5 will not be accepted as fulfilling Emory requirements. For example, the ECAS Mathematics department and Oxford Mathematics faculty will jointly review the Calculus AP tests to determine whether Emory will accept scores of 4 and 5, or only scores of 5 for each test. The faculty will further evaluate whether the AP test credit can be used as a pre-requisite for courses that require MATH 111 or MATH_OX 111 as a pre-requisite.
2. Students will receive 3 credit hours for each accepted test scores, up to 12 total credit hours. Where two exams are offered in one field, for example English Literature and English Language, languages, or computer science, credit will be offered for one but not both exams. Students who take both the AP and IB tests for the same course are eligible to have only one test posted for the course.
3. Students may not fulfill GER requirements with recognized test scores with the exception of First-Year Writing and one Intercultural Communication course. For First-Year Writing and Intercultural Communication, the credits must be posted on the Emory transcript to fulfill the GER requirements.  For recognized tests that offer only elective credit, students receive credit hours but may not use the test scores to fulfill GER requirements or as pre-requisites for more advanced courses. Waivers (acceptable scores beyond 12 credits) will not fulfill GER requirements.
4. Students may use recognized test credit to allow them to begin with more advanced courses. For example, a student with appropriate recognized test scores for Economics may begin with ECON 112 if the Economics faculty determine that recognized test courses cover the curriculum of ECON 101. 
5. All recognized tests with appropriate scores for credit hours or waivers will be posted to the Emory transcript. This will allow a student to use these test scores as pre-requisites, and allow advisors to understand students’ preparation for more advanced courses. While waivers will fulfill pre-requisites and allow for placement in higher level courses, they will not fulfill GER requirements.
6. Test score information must be sent to Emory directly from the organization issuing test scores and must be received by the end of a student’s first semester at Emory. Scores received after the student’s first semester will not be reviewed nor accepted.

Transient study policies, for courses completed at another accredited college or university before or during matriculation at Emory, are set separately from these policies. For entering first-year students, a combined 18 credit hours (of which 12 may be awarded from recognized test credits) may be granted (see Transient Study).

The Office of Admission evaluates all credit hours earned from previous institutions, including recognized test scores, upon acceptance to Emory College of Arts and Sciences.  Students may transfer a maximum of 62 credit hours. For transfer students entering in the fall 2023 term and beyond:

• The First-Year Seminar is waived for all transfer students who enter with 30 or more credits.
• The First-Year Writing requirement is not waived for transfer students, but it may be fulfilled with recognized test scores or previous college credits.
• The Success at Emory requirement (ECS 101, HLTH 100, and PE) is waived for all transfer students.
• Transfer students must complete a course tagged with the Race & Ethnicity requirement at Emory, as well as two courses tagged with the Continuing Communication requirement at Emory. There is no waiver for the Continuing Communication GER.
• Transfer students may apply equivalent credit for an internship, study abroad, etc. to fulfill the Experience and Application GER. If the experience does not bear equivalent credit at Emory, transfer students may submit an Experience and Application petition for consideration.
• Transfer students must complete their final 64 academic hours at Emory.

Undergraduate students must submit all recognized test scores or official transcripts from previous institutions by the end of their first semester of Emory (applies to new first-year and transfer students).  If a final transcript for summer coursework is not available by the first day of classes, it must be submitted by October 1, immediately following the summer in which the course work was completed.  All credits completed before matriculation at Emory are reviewed and posted by the Office of Admission. Failure to submit all official transcripts may result in a hold on your registration.

Students will be allowed to swap or drop credits earned through test credits or from other institutions posted on the transcript until they have earned 64 credit hours. In order for students to be eligible to drop or swap credits, the credit bearing and/or the non-credit-bearing course waiver(s) must already be posted on the Emory transcript. Credits or non-credit bearing course waivers eligible for swap/drop can include: AP/IB or International test credits, previous college credit (courses taken before matriculation at Emory), or transient credits.