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Prior Credits Policy

Carleton accepts up to 36 credits toward the Carleton degree from the following: College Board Advanced Placement credits, International Baccalaureate credits, or approved pre-matriculation credits (credits earned in college-level courses taken before graduation from high school or before matriculation at a college or university). These credits may not be applied to distribution requirements.

The faculty urges prospective students to take advantage of opportunities for advanced study available to them.

Several departments on campus offer tests to determine student placement into appropriate level Carleton courses. Some placement examinations are administered via the Web during the summer prior to matriculation; others are offered during New Student Week.

Carleton language and math placement test scores indicate the course the student should register for (e.g., a 204 in Spanish means you should register for Spanish 204). A score of 205 in French, German, Latin, Russian or Spanish (or 206 in Chinese or Japanese) means that the language requirement has been satisfied. Math scores require additional explanation, you will receive a letter explaining your placement from the mathematics department.

SAT II scores of 690 and above for French or Spanish or 680 and above for German successfully fulfill the Language Requirement.

College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Advanced Placement

The following policies regarding CEEB Advanced Placement examination scores apply for the 2005-2006 academic year:

ART AND ART HISTORY -- Art History: Score of 5: 6 credits granted. Studio Art (2D, 3D or Drawing) Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted. Placement awarded beyond ARTS 110, but only after departmental review of the portfolio.

BIOLOGY -- Score of 3, 4, or 5: 6 credits granted, placement into either a) Biology 125 fall term (Dyad) the winter term offering of Biology 125, c) Biology 126.

CHEMISTRY -- Score of 3: Placement is awarded into Chemistry 123 or 128. Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted that count toward a chemistry major and placement is awarded into Chemistry 230 (Equilibrium and Analysis). Students receiving this AP credit cannot also get credit for Chemistry 123 or 128. The Chemistry Department strongly encourages students receiving AP credit to wait until their sophomore year to take Chemistry 233 (Organic Chemistry I).

CLASSICAL LANGUAGES -- Greek: There is no Greek Advanced Placement Test, however, credits, placement, and fulfillment of the Language Requirement may be awarded to new students with the appropriate knowledge of ancient Greek. Consult the Department of Classical Languages during New Student Week to arrange for the appropriate examination. Latin Literature, Virgil: Score of 1-4: No credit granted. Placement determined after departmental review of the Latin exam administered during New Student Week. Score of 5: 6 credits granted and the Language Requirement fulfilled either by passing the departmental Latin Placement Test or by placing into and successfully completing Latin 204 with a grade of C- or above.

COMPUTER SCIENCE -- (See Mathematics)

ECONOMICS -- Only Economics Micro: Score of 5: 6 credits and exemption granted from Principles of Economics 111 course. Only Economics Macro: Score of 5: 6 credits and exemption granted from Principles of Economics 110 course. Both Economics Micro and Macro: Score of 5: 6 credits and exemption granted from Principles of Economics 110 and 111 courses.

ENGLISH -- Language/Composition: Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted. Score of 5: Part I of Writing Requirement fulfilled. Literature/Composition: Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted. Score of 5: Part I of Writing Requirement fulfilled.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE -- Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted.

FRENCH -- Language: Score of 1, 2, 3: No credit or placement awarded. If the Language Requirement is to be fulfilled with the French language or placement in the French course sequence is desired, take the French Placement Test. Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted; placement awarded into any course above Level 204; Language Requirement fulfilled. Literature: Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted and placement awarded into any French course above Level 204; Language Requirement fulfilled.

GERMAN -- Language: Score of 1, 2, 3: No credit or placement awarded. If the Language Requirement is to be fulfilled with the German language, or placement with the German course sequence is desired, take the German Placement Test. Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted; placement awarded into any course for which the Level 204 language class is a prerequisite; Language Requirement fulfilled.

HISTORY -- Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted for each exam. The History department grants credit toward the major and toward certain fields within the major for scores of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement examinations in United States and European history only. The History department will count no more than 12 pre-matriculation credits total toward the major from approved exams (AP and/or IB), and majors are strongly encouraged to count no more than 6 such credits toward the major.

LATIN -- (See Classical Languages)

MATHEMATICS, COMPUTER SCIENCE and STATISTICS -- Calculus AB: Score of 3, 4, 5: placement awarded into Calculus II; 6 credits granted which count toward a mathematics major (for Calculus I) after successful completion of Calculus II with grade of C- or better. Calculus BC: Score of 3, 4, 5: placement awarded into Calculus III; 12 credits granted which count toward a mathematics major (for Calculus I and II) after successful completion of Calculus III with grade of C- or better. Computer Science A: Score of 3, 4, 5: placement awarded into Computer Science 127; 6 credits granted which count toward a computer science major (for Computer Science 117) after successful completion of Computer Science 127 with grade of C- or better. Computer Science AB: Score of 3, 4, or 5: consult with department before placement and credit can be arranged. Statistics: Score of 4 or 5: placement into Mathematics 245; 6 credits granted after successful completion of Mathematics 245 with a grade of C- or better.

MUSIC -- Theory: Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted and exemption from Music 102.

PHYSICS -- B: Score of 3, 4, 5: 6 credits granted (for Physics 112); placement awarded into Physics 126 upon consultation with the Department. C Mechanics and Physics C Electricity/Magnetism: Score of 3 in both: 6 credits granted (for Physics 112); placement awarded into Physics 126 upon consultation with the Department. Score of 4 or 5 in both: 6 credits granted (for Physics 112) and placement awarded into Physics 126 upon consultation with the department, and exemption from Physics 113; placement awarded into Physics 114 or 115. C Mechanics: Score of 4 or 5: Exemption from Physics 113; placement awarded into Physics 114 or 115.

POLITICAL SCIENCE -- American Government or Comparative Government: Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted which count toward a Political Science major after successful completion of any Political Science course numbered higher than 122. These six credits cannot fulfill a core course (120, 122, 160 or 170) requirement nor the advanced seminar requirement.

PSYCHOLOGY -- Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits and exemption from Psychology 110 granted after successful completion (C- or better) of any Psychology course numbered in the 200's.

SPANISH -- Language: Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted; placement awarded into any course above Level 204; Language Requirement fulfilled. Literature: Score of 4 or 5: 6 credits granted and placement awarded into any course above Level 204; Language Requirement fulfilled.

International Baccalaureate

Carleton's policy for the 2005-2006 academic year on awarding credit for International Baccalaureate Higher level examinations is as follows:

ART -- Studio Art (Drawing and General): Score of 6 or 7: 6 credits granted. Placement awarded beyond ARTS 110, but only after departmental review of the portfolio.

BIOLOGY -- Score of 5, 6, or 7: 6 credits granted, placement into either a) Biology 125 fall term (Dyad), b) the winter term offering of Biology 125, c) Biology 126.

CHEMISTRY -- Score of 4: Placement is awarded into Chemistry 123 or 128. Score of 5, 6, or 7: 6 credits are granted that count toward the chemistry major and placement is awarded into Chemistry 230 (Equilibrium and Analysis). Students receiving this IB credit cannot also get credit for Chemistry 123 or 128. The Chemistry Department strongly encourages students receiving IB credit to wait until their sophomore year to take Chemistry 233 (Organic Chemistry I).

CHinese -- Score of 5, 6 or 7: 6 credits granted if student successfully fulfills the language requirement through the Carleton Chinese placement exam.

ECONOMICS -- Score of 6 or 7: 6 credits and exemption granted from Economics 110 and 111.

ENGLISH -- Score of 5, 6, or 7: 6 credits granted. Score of 7: Part I of Writing Requirement fulfilled.

FRENCH -- Score of 6 or 7: 6 credits granted; placement awarded into any course for which the level 204 language class is a prerequisite; language requirement fulfilled.

GEOGRAPHY -- No course credit offered.

GERMAN -- Score of 6 or 7: 6 credits granted; placement awarded into any course for which the level 204 language class is a prerequisite; language requirement fulfilled.

HISTORY -- Score of 5, 6, or 7: 6 credits granted for each exam. The History department grants credit toward the major and toward the "Europe Since 1451" field within the major for scores of 5, 6, or 7 on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level examination in European history. Credit toward the History major for examinations in History of East and South East Asia and Oceania; History of South Asia and the Middle East; and the History of Africa will be considered and determined by the department, adviser, and chair on a case by case basis. The History department will count no more than 12 pre-matriculation credits total toward the major from approved exams (AP and/or IB), and majors are strongly encouraged to count no more than 6 such credits toward the major.

JAPANESE -- Score of 5, 6, or 7: 6 credits granted if student successfully fulfills the language requirement through the Carleton Japanese placement exam.

LATIN -- No course credit offered. Placement subject to Carleton Placement Exam.

MATHEMATICS -- Score of 5, 6, or 7: credits are granted when a student successfully completes the course into which placement was awarded with a grade of C- or better. See the Department Chair for placement.

MUSIC -- Score of 5, 6, or 7: 6 credits granted.

PHILOSOPHY -- Score of 5, 6, or 7: 6 credits granted.

PHYSICS -- Score of 5, 6, or 7: 6 credits granted (for Physics 112) and placement into more advanced courses will be determined individually upon consultation with the Department.

PSYCHOLOGY -- No course credit offered.

RUSSIAN -- Score of 5, 6, or 7: 6 credits granted if student successfully fulfills the language requirement through the Russian placement exam.

SPANISH -- Score of 6 or 7: 6 credits granted; placement awarded into any course for which the level 204 language class is a prerequisite; language requirement fulfilled.

Maintained by Ann May
Last modified: Tuesday, 15-Aug-2006 14:05:51 CDT
by Mark F. Heiman, mheiman@carleton.edu